Assessment of Polyester Fabrics, Effluents and Filtrates after Standard and Innovative Washing Processes

Textile materials from polyester fibres are sensitive to washing, especially at higher temperatures, due to their thermoplastic properties, hydrophobic nature and sensitivity to the alkaline medium. The issue of microplastic fibres’ (MFs’) release from polyester textiles is a topic that attracts the attention of researchers from different scientific fields, since microplastics are now among the serious environmental risks. In this study, two washing protocols, a standard and an innovative procedure, were presented, aiming to preserve the properties of polyester fabrics and reduce the pollution of washing effluents. The standard procedure followed HRN EN ISO 6330, while the innovative procedure was a modification of the standard that involved gradually cooling the bath before rinsing. The effects of these washing protocols were studied based on the physicochemical properties of the fabrics compared to the unwashed material, the composition of the effluents, and the filtrates after 10 cycles. The characterisation parameters of the fabrics, effluents and filtrates according to the standard and the innovative washing protocols showed differences in the observed parameters during the 10 washing cycles. The obtained results show the usefulness of the proposed concept of cooling the bath before rinsing in order to preserve the properties of polyester fabrics and reduce the load of washing effluents. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) also confirmed differences in pH, conductivity and turbidity for effluents and filtrates from standard and innovative washing protocols.