You can\u2019t see it, but it\u2019s there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tiny, microplastic pollution is building beneath the surface of our oceans, rivers and lakes, and the clothes we wear are part of the reason why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some of today\u2019s most popular synthetic fabrics \u2012 such as nylon, polyester and spandex \u2012 contain microplastics. When these garments are washed, small fabric fibers shed down the drain, pass through wastewater treatment plants and are discharged into waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the level of pollution could soon slow thanks to a team of Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> students who have created a method to test microfiber release of fabrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur test method could be given to [textile] suppliers to figure out how to design better fabrics that minimize microfiber release,\u201d said textile technology student Emma Jenio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jenio is part of a senior design<\/a> course in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science<\/a>. The course matches student teams with companies, who challenge the students to solve a relevant industrial or research problem. Working with sponsoring companies under guidance of Textiles faculty members, the students have two semesters to create a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, several of the two dozen senior design projects focus on sustainability, addressing issues from pollution and waste reduction to sustainable product design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSustainability is such a relevant thing now in the textile industry,\u201d said textile technology student Hannah Parey, whose team worked with Patagonia to design the microfiber testing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smarter Fabric, Products<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The team<\/a> that Griffin Prufer is part of has been working with Kaneka Corporation\u2019s new biodegradable fiber to develop a functional textile. The team has tested agriculture uses with hopes that the fiber can replace some of the conventional products that cause chemical or plastic pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomething needs to be done about plastic pollution. So far, [this fiber] is pretty promising,\u201d said Prufer, who is majoring in textile engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another fabric with sustainable potential belongs to the team<\/a> working with Hanesbrands to design a bio-inspired shirt that\u2019s free of chemical finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBiomimicry is taking something from nature and imitating it in a man-made product,\u201d said textile technology student Maggie Swaim. \u201cWe are trying to make an athletic shirt that wicks [sweat] through the structure of the shirt instead of with [chemical] finishes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also a team<\/a> developing sensor technology for conference room chairs at the City of Raleigh, which could use the data to optimize energy savings when sensors detect unoccupied rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A More Sustainable Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For textile engineering<\/a> and textile technology<\/a> students, senior design is the capstone experience that propels them into industry. This hands-on experience prepares them for the workplace environment and, for many students, provides the opportunity to innovate with sustainability in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFiguring out sustainability is a challenge, and it\u2019s worth it,\u201d Jenio said.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n You can\u2019t see it, but it\u2019s there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tiny, microplastic pollution is building beneath the surface of our oceans, rivers and lakes, and the clothes we wear are part of the reason why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of today\u2019s most popular synthetic fabrics \u2012 such as nylon, polyester and spandex \u2012 contain microplastics. When these garments are washed, small fabric fibers shed down the drain, pass through wastewater treatment plants and are discharged into waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the level of pollution could soon slow thanks to a team of Wilson College of Textiles<\/a> students who have created a method to test microfiber release of fabrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur test method could be given to [textile] suppliers to figure out how to design better fabrics that minimize microfiber release,\u201d said textile technology student Emma Jenio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jenio is part of a senior design<\/a> course in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science<\/a>. The course matches student teams with companies, who challenge the students to solve a relevant industrial or research problem. Working with sponsoring companies under guidance of Textiles faculty members, the students have two semesters to create a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, several of the two dozen senior design projects focus on sustainability, addressing issues from pollution and waste reduction to sustainable product design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSustainability is such a relevant thing now in the textile industry,\u201d said textile technology student Hannah Parey, whose team worked with Patagonia to design the microfiber testing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smarter Fabric, Products<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The team<\/a> that Griffin Prufer is part of has been working with Kaneka Corporation\u2019s new biodegradable fiber to develop a functional textile. The team has tested agriculture uses with hopes that the fiber can replace some of the conventional products that cause chemical or plastic pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomething needs to be done about plastic pollution. So far, [this fiber] is pretty promising,\u201d said Prufer, who is majoring in textile engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another fabric with sustainable potential belongs to the team<\/a> working with Hanesbrands to design a bio-inspired shirt that\u2019s free of chemical finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBiomimicry is taking something from nature and imitating it in a man-made product,\u201d said textile technology student Maggie Swaim. \u201cWe are trying to make an athletic shirt that wicks [sweat] through the structure of the shirt instead of with [chemical] finishes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also a team<\/a> developing sensor technology for conference room chairs at the City of Raleigh, which could use the data to optimize energy savings when sensors detect unoccupied rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A More Sustainable Future<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For textile engineering<\/a> and textile technology<\/a> students, senior design is the capstone experience that propels them into industry. This hands-on experience prepares them for the workplace environment and, for many students, provides the opportunity to innovate with sustainability in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFiguring out sustainability is a challenge, and it\u2019s worth it,\u201d Jenio said.<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In this senior design course, students have two semesters to create a solution to a textiles industry problem. This year, several projects focus on sustainability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":21757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":2131}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[490,502,479],"tags":[513,1138],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"