02.12.23
Engineers at the University of Toronto have been working on means to prevent microplastic fibers from shedding from synthetic fabrics during laundry cycles. Their solution: a two-layer coating made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) brushes, which are linear, single polymer chains grown from a substrate to form a nanoscale surface layer.
Experiments conducted by the team, which is led by Professor Kevin Golovin, showed that this coating can significantly reduce microfiber shedding of nylon clothing after repeated laundering. The researchers have shared their findings in a new paper—“Polydimethylsiloxane-coated textiles with minimized microplastic pollution—published in Nature Sustainability.
“My lab has been working with this coating on other surfaces, including glass and metals, for a few years now,” said Golovin. “One of the properties we have observed is that it is quite slippery, meaning it has very low friction.”
PDMS is a silicon-based organic polymer found in household products and shampoos. It is also used as a food additive in oils to prevent liquids from foaming when bottled.
Dr. Sudip Kumar Lahiri, a postdoctoral researcher in Golovin’s lab and lead author of the study, had the idea that if they could reduce the friction that occurs during wash cycles with a PDMS-based fabric finish, then that could stop fibers from rubbing together and breaking off during laundering.
One of the biggest challenges the researchers faced during their study was ensuring the PDMS brushes stayed on the fabric. Lahiri, who is a textile engineer, developed a molecular primer based on his understanding of fabric dyes.
Lahiri reasoned that the type of bonding responsible for keeping dyed apparel colorful after repeated washes could work for the PDMS coating as well.
Neither the primer nor the PDMS brushes work separately to decrease the microplastic-fiber shedding. But together, they created a strong finish that reduced the release of microfibers by more than 90% after nine washes.
“PDMS brushes are environmentally friendly because they are not derived from petroleum like many polymers used today,” said Golovin, who was awarded a Connaught New Researcher award for this work. “With the addition of Sudip’s primer, our coating is robust enough to remain on the garment and continue to reduce micro-fiber shedding over time.”
Since PDMS is naturally a hydrophobic material, the researchers are currently working on making the coating hydrophilic, so that coated fabrics will be better able to wick away sweat. The team has also expanded the research to look beyond nylon fabrics, including polyester and synthetic-fabric blends.
“Many textiles are made of multiple types of fibers,” noted Golovin. “We are working to formulate the correct polymer architecture so that our coating can durably adhere to all of those fibers simultaneously.”
Experiments conducted by the team, which is led by Professor Kevin Golovin, showed that this coating can significantly reduce microfiber shedding of nylon clothing after repeated laundering. The researchers have shared their findings in a new paper—“Polydimethylsiloxane-coated textiles with minimized microplastic pollution—published in Nature Sustainability.
“My lab has been working with this coating on other surfaces, including glass and metals, for a few years now,” said Golovin. “One of the properties we have observed is that it is quite slippery, meaning it has very low friction.”
PDMS is a silicon-based organic polymer found in household products and shampoos. It is also used as a food additive in oils to prevent liquids from foaming when bottled.
Dr. Sudip Kumar Lahiri, a postdoctoral researcher in Golovin’s lab and lead author of the study, had the idea that if they could reduce the friction that occurs during wash cycles with a PDMS-based fabric finish, then that could stop fibers from rubbing together and breaking off during laundering.
One of the biggest challenges the researchers faced during their study was ensuring the PDMS brushes stayed on the fabric. Lahiri, who is a textile engineer, developed a molecular primer based on his understanding of fabric dyes.
Lahiri reasoned that the type of bonding responsible for keeping dyed apparel colorful after repeated washes could work for the PDMS coating as well.
Neither the primer nor the PDMS brushes work separately to decrease the microplastic-fiber shedding. But together, they created a strong finish that reduced the release of microfibers by more than 90% after nine washes.
“PDMS brushes are environmentally friendly because they are not derived from petroleum like many polymers used today,” said Golovin, who was awarded a Connaught New Researcher award for this work. “With the addition of Sudip’s primer, our coating is robust enough to remain on the garment and continue to reduce micro-fiber shedding over time.”
Since PDMS is naturally a hydrophobic material, the researchers are currently working on making the coating hydrophilic, so that coated fabrics will be better able to wick away sweat. The team has also expanded the research to look beyond nylon fabrics, including polyester and synthetic-fabric blends.
“Many textiles are made of multiple types of fibers,” noted Golovin. “We are working to formulate the correct polymer architecture so that our coating can durably adhere to all of those fibers simultaneously.”