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The South African wool industry is integral to the country's agricultural sector, particularly sheep farming and wool production. Small-scale farmers play a vital role in this industry and contribute to employment and food security in rural communities. However, these farmers face numerous challenges, including a lack of funding, poor farming practices and difficulty selling their wool at fair prices. This study aims to address these challenges, the University of Free State launched a wool value chain project for small-scale farmers.

In this project, one of the studies conducted assessed the effectiveness of different detergents suitable for traditional wool scouring methods for small-scale farmers who lack access to sophisticated machinery. The investigation was conducted by scouring 160 wool samples using three different detergents and filtered water as a control. The wool samples were then evaluated for their cleanliness, brightness and fibre properties through a combination of scanning electron microscopy, spectrophotometry and statistical analysis at different scouring times (3, 10, 15 and 20 min, respectively).

The results showed that the combination of scouring time and the type of scouring solution used could significantly impact wool quality. It was found that using a combination of standard detergent or Woolwash as a scouring solution with a scouring time of 10–15 min resulted in the best outcome in terms of fibre property, wool colour and scouring loss.

This study demonstrated that traditional wool scouring methods could be an option for small-scale farmers and anyone who want to learn how to scour wool without expensive machinery to make wool products.

The purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of the effects of COVID-19 on the conventional textile production subsector. The emergence of the COVID-19 virus in 2019 has subsequently caused many problems, such as unemployment, business closures, economic instability and high volatility in the global capital markets amongst others within the wider manufacturing industry including textile production.

Relevant secondary data are obtained from the Scopus database and Statista. Based on the data analysis of 21 seed articles, three research themes are identified: challenges in the textile industry, new material innovations or solutions and the textile industry performance.

The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the textile industry, disrupted the supply chains of this industry, affected profit margins, stopped employment and impacted the retail of products to customers. Aside from the negative repercussions, there are also good sides to the pandemic which, for instance, range from advanced material innovations to textiles with anti-microbial, self-cleaning and anti-bacterial properties that would limit the transfer of the virus.

Findings reinforced the need for effective strategies and investments in the research and development departments of the various firms in the textile industry to innovate operations and novel materials for the next global pandemic.

Many companies have adopted novel strategies and practices that are helping them to survive the pandemic. This study, therefore, recommends further investigation into material innovations and reimagining strategies by companies and the supply chain within the textile industry so that it is protected against future crises.

The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the validation process of food safety control measures.

The validation of control measures has been analyzed at 50 food companies in Serbia. The sample included companies that produce food of both plant and animal origin and have certified food safety management systems. A total of 156 control measures that combat physical hazards (41.6%), followed by microbial hazards (34.0%) and chemical hazards (24.4%), have been analyzed. To enable quantification of the validation protocols, each control measure was assigned a score.

The validation scores showed that the highest level of validation was observed in large companies, as opposed to small and medium-sized companies (p < 0.05). The type of food safety hazards and the food sector did not reveal any statistical differences in-between the scores. The main approach to validating control measures was referring to the technical documentation of equipment used (52.6%), followed by scientific and legal requirements (30.7%). Less than 20% of the analyzed control measures were validated with operational data collected on-site. No mathematical modeling was observed for the sampled food companies. Future steps should include the development of validation guides for different types of control measures and training modules.

This study can serve as an improvement guide for food safety consultants, food safety auditors, certification bodies, inspection services, food technologists and food managers.

This study is one of the first to provide an insight into how food companies validate their control measures to combat microbial, chemical and physical food safety hazards.

Dehydrated bacterial cellulose’s (BC) intrinsic rigidity constrains applicability across textiles, leather, health care and other sectors. This study aims to yield a novel BC modification method using glycerol and succinic acid with catalyst and heat, applied via an industrially scalable padding method to tackle BC’s stiffness drawbacks and enhance BC properties.

Fabric-like BC is generated via mechanical dehydration and then finished by using padding method with glycerol, succinic acid, catalyst and heat. Comprehensive material characterizations, including international testing standards for stiffness, bending properties (cantilever method), tensile properties, moisture vapor transmission rate, moisture content and regain, washing, thermal gravimetric analysis, derivative thermogravimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and colorimetric measurement, are used.

The combination of BC/glycerol/succinic acid dramatically enhanced porous structure, elongation (27.40 ± 6.39%), flexibility (flexural rigidity of 21.46 ± 4.01 µN m; bending modulus of 97.45 ± 18.20 MPa) and moisture management (moisture vapor transmission rate of 961.07 ± 86.16 g/m²/24 h; moisture content of 27.43 ± 2.50%; and moisture regain of 37.94 ± 4.73%). This softening process modified the thermal stability of BC. Besides, this study alleviated the drawbacks for washing (five cycles) of BC and glycerol caused by the ineffective affinity between glycerol and cellulose by adding succinic acid with catalyst and heat.

The study yields an effective padding process for BC softening and a unique modified BC to contribute added value to textile and leather industries as a sustainable alternative to existing materials and a premise for future research on BC functionalization by using doable technologies in mass production as padding.

Due to herbs and plants’ therapeutic properties and simplicity of availability in nature, humans have used them to treat a variety of maladies and diseases since ancient times. Later, as technology advanced, these plants and herbs gained significant relevance in some industries due to their suitable chemical composition, abundant availability and ease of access. Aegle marmelos is a species of plant that may be found in nature. Yet, little or very little literature was located on the coloration behavior of this plant’s leaves. This study aims to focus on the effect of different parameters on the extraction of colorant from Aegle marmelos leaves.

Some factors that affected on the extraction processes were examined and found to have significant impacts on the textile dyeing such as the initial dye concentration, extracted temperature, extracted bath pH and extracted time were all changed to see how they affected color extraction. The authors report a direct comparison between three heating methods, namely, microwave irradiation (MWI), ultrasonic waves (USW) and conventional heating (CH). The two kinetic models have been designed (pseudo-first and pseudo-second orders) in the context of these experiments to investigate the mechanism of the dyeing processes for fabrics under study. Also, the experimental data were analyzed according to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.

From the result, it was discovered these characteristics were found to have a substantial effect on extraction efficiency. Temperature 90°C and 80°C when using CH and USW, respectively, while at 90% watt when using MWI, period 120 min when using CH as well as USW waves, while 40 min when using MWI, and pH 4, 5 and 10 for polyamide, wool and cotton, respectively, were the optimal extraction conditions. Also, the authors can say that wool gives a higher absorption than the other fabric. Additionally, MWI provided the best color strength (K/S) value, and homogeneity, at low temperatures reducing the energy and time consumed. The coloring follows the order: MWI > USW > CH. The adsorption isotherm of wool could be well fitted by Freundlich isotherm when applying CH and USW as a heating source, while it is well fitted by the Langmuir equation in the case of MWI. In the study, it was observed that the pseudo-first-order kinetic model fits better the experimental results of CH with a constant rate K₁ = −0.000171417 mg/g.min, while the pseudo-second-order kinetic model fits better the experimental results of absorption of both MWI (K2 = 38.14022572 mg/g.min) and USW (K₂ = 12.45343554 mg/g.min).

There is no research limitation for this work. Dye was extracted from Aegle marmelos leaves by applying three different heating sources (MWI, ultrasonic waves [USWW] and CH).

This work has practical applications for the textile industry. It is concluded that using Aegle marmelose leaves can be a possible alternative to extract dye from natural resource by applying new technology to save energy and time and can make the process greener.

Socially, it has a good impact on the ecosystem and global community because the extracted dye does not contain any carcinogenic materials.

The work is original and contains value-added products for the textile industry and other confederate fields.

In recent years, natural dyes have attracted significant attention globally because of growing public awareness of the environment and health hazards associated with synthetic dyes. Natural dyes can provide special aesthetic qualities as well as the ethical significance of a product which is environmentally friendly. By keeping this burning issue in mind, this study aims to explore the dyeing properties of various unexplored environmentally friendly natural dyes.

In this study, the aqueous extract of coconut leaves is used for dyeing purpose. The silk and jute fabrics were dyed with the extract alone as well as in combination with metal salts as mordants by employing pre-, meta- and postmordanting techniques. The dyeing properties of the colored samples were evaluated by measuring their color strength; CIEL*a*b* values; and color fastness to washing, light and rubbing.

A yellow shade was achieved when the fabric samples were dyed solely with the extract. However, shade variations were observed when different mordants and mordanting techniques were applied. In all the cases, metallic salts improved the color fastness properties of dyed samples to washing, light and rubbing especially for the silk fabric.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report on a natural dye extracted from the leaves of coconut. Leaf as the source of dye has added an extra advantage, as it is reproducible and can be collected easily without harming the plants. The reported dye could be an attractive choice for sustainable and eco-friendly dyeing.

This study aims to develop multifunctional, namely, superhydrophobic, flame-retardant and antibacterial, coatings over cotton fabric, using casein as green-based flame-retardant and silver nanoparticles as antibacterial agent by solution immersion method.

The cotton fabric is first coated with casein to make it flame-retardant. AgNPs synthesized using Cinnamomum zeylanicum bark extract is coated over the casein layer. Finally, stearic acid is used to coat the cotton to make it superhydrophobic. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy analysis and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy are used to investigate the produced AgNPs. The as-prepared multifunctional cotton is characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and attenuated total reflection-infrared studies. Flame test, limiting oxygen index test and thermogravimetric analyzer studies have also been performed to study the flame-retardant ability and thermal stability of treated fabric, respectively. The antibacterial effect of the coatings is evaluated by disc-diffusion technique. Water contact angle is determined to confirm the superhydrophobic nature of cotton fabric.

The outcomes of this study showed that the prepared multifunctional cotton fabric had maximum contact angle of greater than 150° with good flame retardancy, high thermal stability, greater washing durability and high antibacterial activity against the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter indicus. Additionally, the as-prepared superhydrophobic cotton showed an excellent oil–water separation efficiency.

The trilayered multifunctional cotton fabric has limiting washing durability up to 20 washing cycles. Treated functional fabric can be used as an antibacterial, therapeutic, water repellent and experimental protective clothing for medical, health care, home curtains and industrial and laboratory purposes.

The study brings out the robustness of this method in the development of multifunctional cotton fabrics.

This study aims to show the dyeing behaviour of polyester fabrics using four novel heterocyclic disperse dyes.

The four dyes were synthesized based on 5, 5'-(1, 4-phenylene) bis (1, 3, 4-thiadiazol-2-amine) as a diazonium compound. The UV/Vis absorption spectroscopic data of these disperse dyes while dyeing polyester fabrics were investigated. Following this, the dyeing properties of these dyes on polyester fabrics were investigated under acid condition.

The results showed that increasing the dyeing temperature from 80°C to 100°C led to an increase in dye uptake for all dyes, but further increases of the temperature to 130°C led to higher dye uptake for dye 3 as the dye exhaustion increased by about 50% from 55.9% to 91.4%.

This study is important as it introduces new dyes for the dyeing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibres with colours that range from yellowish orange to bluish yellow and scarlet red and all with excellent brightness, levelness and depth of shade.

The purpose of this study is to successfully apply ultrasonic waves for the quick extraction of flax seed gum from flaxseed hull or whole seed and compare it to the standard technique of extraction.

The effect of the heating source, extracted time, temperature and pH of extracted solution on the extraction was studied. The obtained gum is subsequently used for silk screen printing on cotton, linen and viscous fabrics. Rheological properties and viscosity of the printing paste were scrutinized in the current study to get a better insight into this important polysaccharide. The output of this effort aimed to specify the parameters of the processes for printing textiles to serve in women’s fashion clothes by applying innovated handmade combinations of Islamic art motives using a quick and affordable method. Seven designs are executed, and inspiring from them, seven fashion designs of ladies’ clothes were designed virtually by Clo 3D software.

The result recorded that the new gum has excellent printing properties. In addition, they have better rheological properties, viscosity, chromatic strength and fastness qualities, all of which could help them in commercial production.

Flaxseed and three different fabric types (Cotton, Linen and Viscous) were used.

Synthesis of a new biodegradable thickener from a natural resource, namely, flaxseed, by applying new technology to save time, water and energy.

Synthesis of eco-friendly biodegradable thickener and used in textile printing alternative to the synthetic thickener.

This study investigates the influence of consumption values on green Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) purchase behaviour in the context of green household cleaning products in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.

We used the survey strategy and 326 effective responses as the sample of this study.

Our findings reveal that specific consumption values, specifically functional, conditional and epistemic values, significantly impact green FMCG purchase behavior towards green household cleaning products. However, social and emotional values did not substantially influence this behavior.

The results of our study suggest practical implications for green FMCG marketers aiming to boost consumer adoption of green household cleaning products in Sri Lanka. To achieve this, marketers should focus on enhancing consumer value perceptions and strategically emphasize the consumption values consumers prioritize. Green FMCG marketers have a competitive advantage in the Sri Lankan market by doing so.

This research addresses a notable gap in the literature concerning green FMCG purchase behavior related to green household cleaning products within international and local contexts. Furthermore, this study distinguishes itself by adopting the Theory of Consumption Values as its foundational theory, offering fresh insights compared to previous research employing alternate theories, such as the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Theory of Reasoned Action, to examine similar phenomena.