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Consortium of Competitiveness for ihe Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI)

CCACTI 1997-1998 Report to Industry

By the University System of Georgia

What Is the Traditional Industries Program?

CCACTI Industry Advisory Organization

CCACTI 1997-98 Calendar

Project Summaries:

Air Quality Projects Air Emission Factors for Carpet Dyeing and Coating

Solid Waste Management Projects Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Fiber Waste for Soil Reinforcement Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Waste in Plastic CompositesLaminates Biological/Chemical Conversion of Solid Waste Carpet Recycling Logistics Recycling Market Development for Solid Textile Waste

Water Quality Projects Baseline Toxicity Studies on Textile Effluent Chemical Conservation in Denim Manufacturing Closed-Loop Processing in Textile Operations Filtration to Evaluate Copper and Chromium in Textile Wastewaters Lowering BOD/COD Loads in Carpet Plants

Other Projects Automated Yarn Creeling Garment Chemical Processes

FY 1998 Research Contact Information

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

What Is Georgia's Traditional Industries Program?

Georgia's "traditional industries'' - pulp and paper; food processing; and apparel, carpet, and textiles -have historically been the backbone of the state's industrial base. Virtually every county in Georgia is home to at least one of these industries, which combined employ 260,000 Georgians, almost half of the state's manufacturing work force. Despite their size, these leading industries in Georgia face serious international challenges to their competitive position, especially from companies in low-wage regions of the world.

Recognizing the importance of these industries to Georgia, Governor Zell Miller and the General Assembly established the Traditional Industries Program (TIP) in 1994. TIP is designed to bring industry leaders and university-based researchers together to develop and implement practical solutions to improve the competitiveness of pulp and paper; food processing; and apparel, carpet, and textile companies in Georgia. Each of the three traditional industries has formed a public-private partnership where industry identifies critical competitiveness problems, then works closely with faculty from Georgia's colleges and universities to solve those problems. Since 1994, the state has invested over $25 million to provide research, technology development, and technical assistance to Georgia's traditional industries, and industry has matched the state's investment.

Research highlights from all three TIP initiatives are presented below.

Food Processing

The Food Processing Advisory Council (FoodPAC) works to improve the competitiveness of Georgia's $5 billion food processing industry by enhancing productivity, developing new products, strengthening food safety, and facilitating efficient waste management and regulatory compliance.

Food safety is an area of intense importance, not only to Georgia's food processing industry but to consumers everywhere. FoodPAC researchers originally tackled bacteria-related problems to improve food safety and extend shelf life of food products. But increasing incidents of serious food contamination caused by microbial agents such as E. coli and Salmonella persuaded researchers to concentrate more attention on the safety of our food supply. A recent report conservatively estimates that E. coli 0 1 57:H7 causes up to 80 million cases of infection and 9,000 deaths a year in the United States.

As was evidenced in the recent Hudson Foods case where 25 million pounds of contaminated meat were distributed across the country, Georgia's food processing plants could be at serious competitive risk if a similar episode of food contamination occurred in their facilities. Below are some of the ways that FoodPAC is working to prevent such a situation:

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FoodPAC researchers discovered an edible HPMC coating that contains antimicrobial agents that reduce the incidence of Salmonella Montevideo. To mature green tomatoes in the laboratory, researchers applied this coating which provided protection and also extended the shelf life of the produce. Work is continuing on this important project which has broad potential for Georgia’s poultry, meat, seafood, and produce industries. Researchers predict that applying this edible coating to food products will save Georgia food processors literally tens of millions of dollars in reduced product liability and increased product shelf life.

Researchers from the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech are working with the state’s poultry industry to develop a microbial screening system that relies on a state-of-the-art “biosensor” to rapidly detect harmful organisms on poultry and red meat during the packaging process. FoodPAC’s prototype design is currently being tested by industry in several poultry processing operations around the state, and the industry group considers the biosensor to be a major breakthrough for meatpacking plants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing new microbial testing standards, and FoodPAC’s screening system offers industry the fastest possible reading on bacterial contamination. Industry experts estimate that this system will save Georgia’s industry more than $1 million a year by eliminating product recalls and preventing possible plant shutdowns by USDA.

FoodPAC researchers have made notable progress in developing a low-cost, “smart” color camera system for automatic, in-line food quality inspection. An equipment manufacturer in LaGrange is working with researchers to speed the development of the camera system, which is expected to give the company a significant competitive edge in the $1 00 million international food processing equipment market.

Next year, FoodPAC researchers at the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement in Griffin plan to address temperature abuse in packaged foods. Industry experts have found that some food safety problems and product spoilage are due to improper refrigeration during the distribution process. Consumers have no way of knowing if the products they buy have been temperature-abused (e.g., from a breakdown of a refrigerated truck or thawing and refreezing of frozen foods). Temperature abuse can affect any product that requires refrigeration and is packaged and sealed at a food processing plant. Researchers plan to develop a sensor strip for food packages that changes color if temperature abuse has occurred during the distribution process. If temperature abuse has occurred, the color of the strip will alert consumers to the possibility of food contamination or spoilage.

Waste disposal is a concern for many industries, including Georgia’s $800 million fruit and vegetable industry. FoodPAC researchers have developed a process to convert vegetable wastes into usehl ingredients (microbial gums) for other industries. These gums are used as viscosifjring agents in oil recovery and food industries, and as suspending agents in the cosmetic industry. This new technology will not only save Georgia’s fruit and vegetable producers hundreds of thousands of dollars in waste disposal costs, but the gums will generate income for them as well.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Apparel, Carpet, and Textiles

Georgia’s Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) is thriving due in large part to its strong industry leadership. Member companies of the Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association and the Carpet and Rug Institute partner with University System faculty on 100 percent of CCACTI’s research projects, and this public-private partnership is beginning to pay off for Georgia’s $13 billion apparel, carpet, and textile complex.

Biannually, CCACTI surveys Georgia’s apparel, carpet, and textile companies to identify their most critical competitiveness needs. In CCACTI’s latest survey conducted in January 1997, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, and air quality topped industry’s list of concerns.

Responding to an international market issue that seriously threatens Georgia’s apparel manufacturers, CCACTI researchers developed a non-formaldehyde wrinkle-free finish for apparel. This project is critical to Georgia’s apparel industry because some markets now ban wrinkle-free garments that contain formaldehyde (virtually all of the wrinkle-free finishes currently available in North America contain formaldehyde). In the United States alone, the wrinkle-free trouser market has an estimated value of $8 billion.

CCACTI’s industry partners applied the non-formaldehyde finish to men’s trousers, and in laboratory tests, CCACTI’s finish performed better than formaldehyde-based finishes on the market today, and it also competes favorably on cost. One industry partner is a Georgia- based chemical company that plans to license and market the finish beginning in 1998. The company expects that CCACTI’s non-formaldehyde finish will gain a major share of the U.S. market (80 million pounds per year) as well as European and Japanese markets.

In 1995, CCACTI researchers began work with a major textile mill facing a near-term regulatory crisis. This towel manufacturer discharges a heavy volume of wastewater and chemicals into its waste treatment pond located at the headwaters of Cabin Creek in Griffin. First, CCACTI researchers and company engineers modified the plant’s wet processes and installed new, more efficient equipment, resulting in considerable monetary savings for the company. Last year, researchers further reduced wastewater by designing and helping the company install a “closed-loop” wastewater treatment system. Together, the new system and related equipment upgrades have cut the mill’s wastewater discharge (originally 1.6 million gallons per day) in half.

This project is the first of its kind in a large, integrated textile mill, and the closed-loop technology can be applied in many other textile mills in Georgia. On October 22, 1997, textile managers from dozens of Georgia companies visited the Griffin operation to see CCACTI’s closed-loop system and learn firsthand how it may prove helpful in their mills.

Technologies that allow industry to recycle, reclaim, and reuse its solid waste are critical to apparel, carpet, and textile companies trying to minimize this environmental problem and the associated costs of disposal. Each year, Georgia’s apparel, carpet, and textile companies

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

transport 150 million pounds of solid waste to landfills at a cost of approximately $3 million. Industry leaders have asked CCACTI researchers to help them develop and implement strategies to protect the environment and to reduce industry’s need for solid waste disposal.

One promising reuse technology uses shredded carpet and textile waste for soil reinforcement in road construction. Other research has found that adding fiber to roadbed material produces a more stable soil structure with improved load-bearing capacities and durability. This approach could lead to the use of billions of pounds of apparel, carpet, and textile post-consumer waste for better, lower-cost roads in Georgia and the nation.

Last year, CCACTI partnered with Georgia’s Association of County Commissioners and the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to determine how adding fiber to soil affects the d&ability of roads. Tests on unpaved roads in Candler, Habersham, Wilkinson, and Brooks counties confirmed that fibers in soil do improve the durability of unpaved roads and reduce the need for frequent regrading. However, the improvement varies for the different types of soils found in Georgia. In conjunction with DOT officials and industry partners, CCACTI researchers are conducting additional soil tests to determine how the waste fibers improve soil in surface road construction (highways, county roads, parking lots). CCACTI’s researchers and partners are also closely evaluating the cost-effectiveness of this technology.

In previous years, CCACTI researchers have demonstrated that plastic composite materials containing carpet and fabric waste are an excellent substitute for wood and metal, especially in outdoor or marine applications. Last year, industry leaders asked researchers to develop a pallet from composite materials containing carpet and textile scraps. With industry partners, CCACTI researchers are developing a “plastic” pallet that weighs less but performs comparably to the conventional wood pallet. CCACTI’s industry partners are very interested in this project because the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may soon mandate that pallets weigh no more than 57 pounds. (Current wood pallets weigh approximately 67 pounds.)

Solid waste projects are especially critical to Georgia’s carpet industry. CCACTI and industry leaders in Dalton are working to help meet Whitfield County’s goal of reducing carpet waste transported to the landfills by 50 percent in the next five years.

CCACTI researchers are working to develop methods to accurately measure stack emissions in carpet dyeing and finishing plants. The main driver behind this research is compliance with Title V of the 1990 Clean Air Act. The area around Dalton and Calhoun has the potential for being designated an area of non-attainment based on the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s current proposed regulations. CCACTI’s industry partners are helping researchers collect air emission samples that are being analyzed in laboratories at Georgia Tech. Industry leaders are using CCACTI’s research results in their discussions with EPA officials to help the agency establish reasonable air emission factors for the carpet industry. To date, EPA has responded very favorably to CCACTI’s research findings.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Pulp and Paper

The Traditional Industries Program in Pulp and Paper (TIP3) works to make Georgia the international leader in the pulp and paper industry. Research conducted by TIP3 aims to develop cost-effective technologies to increase Georgia’s fiber supply, improve the paper manufacturing process, and alleviate environmental problems.

Georgia’s 22 paper mills lead the Southeast in production of wood pulp and paperboard products, shipping over $1 1 billion of goods each year. (Georgia’s paperboard product shipments of 6.7 million tons per year are the highest in the United States). The papermaking process is a capital-intensive one; in some years, Georgia’s industry invests between $400 million and $500 million in capital equipment. TIP3 is working to (1) increase the total value of Georgia’s mill output, (2) encourage investment in state-of-the-art processing equipment, (3) develop expansion opportunities in higher-value pulp and paper products, and (4) build a research-and-development network to help Georgia attract R&D units of major pulp and paper companies and allied industries. Results of recent projects are described below.

TIP3’s Fiber Supply Group is developing reforestation technologies to increase the number of trees available for harvesting. Specifically, researchers are working on a technology called somatic embryogenesis which mass-cultures pine tree embryos in the laboratory. Small trees are produced from these lab trees which are then planted in the field. To better understand seed development in trees, researchers are studying the activity of thousands of genes in embryos in the lab.

Improving fiber yield per acre is a top priority for Georgia’s industry, and TIP3 is supporting an intensive hardwood growth project to shorten the production time required for trees. An experimental plantation of sweet gum and sycamore trees was clear-cut in April, 1994, and sprout growth initiated. The new trees are in their fourth season of “row crop” growth, offering opportunities for farmers to create a new kind of fiber plantation in Georgia. The goal is to produce hardwood trees suitable for certain types of paper manufacture in three to five years rather than the eight years currently required for hardwood growth.

Disposal of sludge from the papermaking process is the second highest waste treatment cost for Georgia’s paper industry. Domestically, sludge disposal costs the paper industry some $200 million to $500 million annually. TIP3 researchers have adapted a technique called impulse drying, normally used to dry paper, to dewater sludge to reduce its mass and volume. This technique significantly reduces landfill costs. (It can also be applied to dewater other types of industrial or municipal sludge.)

TIP3 pilot trials showed that sludge from a Georgia paper mill can be dewatered to reduce solids from 59 percent to 32 percent. An equipment manufacturer is working with TIP3 researchers to commercialize a sludge press to perform the dewatering process. The industry partner plans to market the press in 1998, and estimates potential international sales in excess of $1 billion.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 ReDort to Industrv

CCACTI Industry Advisory Organization

Research Advisory Committee

Scott Bryan, Chair Denise Battles Roy Bowen Fred Cook Barclay Cox Bob Donaghue Tim Driver Charles Eichelberger David Gentry Howard Gottschalk Garnett Grubb Scott Gunn Ian Hardin Bill James Dave Lamb Richard Lichtenberg Bill Little Bill Mooring Joe Smrekar Kent Snow Tonya Strickland Jerry Theys Walt Thomas Dale Threadgill Carroll Turner

Carpet Sub-committee

Joe Smrekar, Chair Brad Britton Howard Elder Perry McLawhorn Carey Mitchell Warren Perkins Brian Ramsey Jerry Theys Wayne Tincher Carroll Tumer Jerry Zolkowski

Milliken & Company World Carpets J & J Industries Allied Signal Shaw Industries University of Georgia Queen Carpet Beaulieu of America Georgia Tech Carpet & Rug Institute Georgia Tech

Swift Spinning Mills Georgia Southern University Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association Georgia Tech Coats America Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division Swift Denim Thomaston Mills, Inc. Amoco Fabrics and Fibers Company TNS Mills, Inc. Georgia Power Company Swift Spinning Mills University of Georgia Leshner Mills, Inc. Springs Industries, Inc. S. Lichtenberg & Company Forstmann & Company Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc. Milliken & Company Mount Vernon Mills, Inc. Avondale Mills, Inc. Beaulieu of America Southern Polytechnic University Georgia Environmental Technology Consortium Carpet & Rug Institute

AppareVTextile Sub-committee

Dave Lamb, Chair Marty Beacham Lee Bryan Mike Bell Craig Camuso Fred Cook David Forster David Gentry Scott Gum Ian Hardin John Hightower Bill James Bill Mooring Larry Neighbors Mark Reed Joe Richardson Jeff Silliman Tonya Strickland

Springs Industries, Inc. Forstmann & Company Mount Vemon Mills, Inc. Coats America Georgia Textile Manufacturers Assc. Georgia Tech Chipman-Union, Inc. Amoco Fabrics and Fibers Swift Spinning Mills University of Georgia Thomaston Mills, Inc. Leshner Mills, Inc. Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc. C. H. Patrick & Company ABB Industrial Systems Callaway Chemical Company Milliken & Company Avondale Mills, Inc.

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Consortium of Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

CCACTI 1997 - 1998 Calendar of Events

August 4,1997

December 1997

January 8,1998

January 22,1998

January 26,1998

February 20,1998

March 31,1998

April 1,1998

April 23,1998

April 24,1998

June 30,1998

August 3,1998

FY 1997 final project reports due

CCACTI’s “Annual Report to Industry” distributed

Researchers’ presentation to Research Advisory Committee, Textile and Carpet Committees Textile Committee meeting Carpet Committee meeting

Research Advisory Committee meeting

FY 1 999 Request-for-Proposals announcement

FY 1’999 research proposals due

Textile Committee meeting (review FY 1999 proposals)

Carpet Committee meeting (review FY 1999 proposals)

Research Advisory Committee meeting (approve FY 1999 proposals)

FY 1999 research agenda announced

FY 1998 research projects completed

FY 1998 final project reports due

Locations of all meetings will be announced at a later date.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

AIR QUALITY PROJECTS

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Air Emission Factors for Carpet Dyeing and Coating Processes

Project Leader: Jim Mulholland, Georgia Tech, (404)894-1695 Industry Partners: Mohawk Industries, Carriage Industries FY 1997 State Funding: $100,000

Industry’s Concern:

By the year 2000, air permits will be required for carpet manufacturing plants under Title V of the federal 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Two classes of compounds addressed in the air- permitting process are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPS). Unfortunately, there is limited information about the emission of VOCs and HAPs in carpet heatset, dyeing, and backcoating operations. Accurate estimates of maximum hourly VOC and HAP emission rates are needed to determine a company’s permitted operating capacity and/or required application of control technologies.

A commonly used method for estimating air emissions is “mass balance” which bases calculations on chemical inventory records and material safety data sheets (MSDS). Previous CCACTI research showed that this approach can be highly inaccurate for textile finishing processes - it significantly overestimates emission of total volatile species identified in the MSDS while failing to identify the emission of compounds either not listed or formed by chemical reaction during thermal processing. Researchers expect this method will produce similar inaccuracies in measuring emissions in carpet f- operations.

A more reliable method for estimating air emission rates is to develop emission factors (mass of emission per production unit) based on field measurements and laboratory studies. This requires the collection and analysis of a large number of air emission samples to characterize the many processes and stacks involved. Initial discussions with industry leaders and EPA officials indicate that developing accurate estimates of VOC and HAP emissions will assist EPA in its development of air emission factors for the carpet industry.

Project Objective:

To propose air emission factors for carpet heatset, dyeing, and backcoating processes based on actual stack measurements.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

Working with industry partners, CCACTI researchers collected and analyzed more than 400 air emission samples from 22 stacks at two continuous dye plants and two latex coating plants. All four partner plants process continuous filament and staple style carpet with nylon 6 and nylon 6,6 fibers.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 ReDort to Industrv

Based on data from the two carpet dye plants, a total VOC emission factor of 150 f 60 milligramshquare yard of multi-color dyed carpet is estimated. Assuming a maximum production rate of 13,000 square yardslhour (two lines), a VOC potential-to-emit of 16 tons per year (tpy) is estimated. Major VOC emissions include various alkanes, alkenes and alcohols, butyl hexadecanoate and butyl sterate, and butylated hydroxytoluene. A total HAP emission factor of 5 f 3 milligramshquare yard is estimated, resulting in a HAP potential-to-emit of 0.7 tpy . Major HAP emissions include glycol ethers (butyl carbitol and butyl cellosolve), aldehydes (formaldehyde and propionaldehyde), and caprolactam.

Based on data from the two carpet-coating plants, a total VOC emission factor of 400 f 130 milligrams/square yard of carpet is estimated. Assuming a production rate of 16,000 square yardshour, potential VOC emissions of 60 tpy are estimated. VOC emissions not observed in the dye plant stacks include several glycols (e.g., dibutylene and diisopropylene glycols) and latex residuals and Diels-Alder products (styrene, 4-phenyl and 2-ethylene cyclohexenes). A total HAP emission factor of 25 f 5 milligrams/square yard is estimated, resulting in a HAP potential-to-emit of 4 typ. Major HAP emissions include glycol ethers, (butyl carbitol and butyl cellosolve), aldehydes (formaldehyde and acetaldehyde), and styrene. Ammonia emissions were also measured at the latex coating plants.

This is the first known attempt to generate air emission factors for carpet manufacturing plants. This work requires researchers to evaluate many types of emission samples from a wide range of plant operating conditions. CCACTI’s industry partners were very helplid in providing raw chemical samples and in monitoring plant operating conditions during field testing in FY 1997. CCACTI’s work will contribute to other ongoing projects that support the development and acceptance of industrywide emission factors.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

The project team received additional funding of $150,000 in FY 1998. Industry partners include Mohawk Industries, Carriage Industries, and World Carpets.

Research will continue to develop emission factors based on actual stack measurements and to establish a laboratory test facility for evaluating chemical substitution and other strategies for reducing air emissions. Field studies will be expanded to include emission samples from new industry partner World Carpets, and two additional carpet manufacturing processes will be studied - Suessen heatset and beck dyeing. The laboratory work will be expanded to assess the release of highly volatile compounds, such as methanol, and to evaluate the effects of alternative chemicals and process conditions. This work will provide a reference point for the field results and will explore the range of applicability of the emission factors developed from the field results.

With approval from industry partners and CCACTI’s industry advisors, researchers will share their findings with EPA and the Air Permit Office of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources as input to the development of air emission factors for carpet manufacturing processes.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the AppareI, Carpet, and TextiIe Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Waste for Soil Reinforcement

Project Leader: Youjiang Wang, Georgia Tech, (404)894-755 1 Industry Partners: Shaw Industries, Synthetic Industries, Georgia Department of Transportation, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia FY 1997 State Funding: $50,000

Industry’s Concern:

Each year, Georgia’s apparel, carpet, and textile companies transport 150 million pounds of solid waste to landfills across the state. Although these industries are not currently required to comply with federal solid waste regulations, many companies are seeking economical, environmentally friendly ways to manage fibrous waste. Based on current tipping fees, apparel, carpet, and textile companies in Georgia spend approximately $3 million a year to landfill fibrous waste.

The approach investigated in this project - using shredded carpet waste for soil reinforcement in roadbeds - could significantly reduce the industry’s solid waste disposal problem by using billions of pounds of carpet and fabric waste to build lower-cost roads that have improved load- bearing capacities. Experts estimate that at least half of the nation’s 8 billion pounds of apparel, carpet, and textile post-consumer waste could be used in road construction projects.

Project Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility of using apparel, carpet, and textile waste to improve soil performance in road construction and road maintenance. The goal is to significantly reduce the amount of industrial and post-consumer waste going to landfills by converting it to value-added products,

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

This is a joint project being conducted by CCACTI, Shaw Industries, Synthetic Industries, Georgia DOT, and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia. Activities in FY 1997 concentrated on using carpet waste to reinforce soil. CCACTI’s team analyzed fiberhoil systems and developed methods to physically characterize fibers. They characterized the different types of soils present in Georgia, then began field applications to use carpet fibers for soil reinforcement. The first application reinforced unpaved roads in four Georgia counties: Candler, Habersham, Wilkinson, and Brooks. These counties were selected because they contain the typical types of soils found in Georgia. Trial sections (1 00 feet in length) were reinforced with a mixture of carpet waste fibers and virgin fibers.

Preliminary assessments of the reinforced trial sections show that fibers do improve the durability of unpaved roads, thus reducing the need for frequent regrading. For example, Habersham County officials typically regrade unpaved roads in two-week intervals. The reinforced trial sections lasted for six weeks before regrading was required. However, the improvement varies for the different types of soils in Georgia.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

FY 1998 Project Activities:

The team received funding of $50,000 in FY 1998 to continue this project. Industry partners include Shaw Industries, Synthetic Industries, Georgia Department of Transportation, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, and Georgia’s Pollution Prevention Assistance Division.

In FY 1998, researchers will continue laboratory work to evaluate the effect of fiber configuration, dosage, and soil type on the soil behavior. CCACTI researchers and industry partners are concentrating future work on determining how this technology improves soil and subgrade in surface road construction projects, e.g., highways, county roads, parking lots.

Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Waste in Plastic CompositesLaminates

Project Leader: Abe Kotliar, Georgia Tech, (404)894-0967 Industry Partner: DuPont Corporation FY 1997 State Funding: $20,000

Industry’s Concern:

Previous studies by the apparel, carpet, and textile industry report that the United States consumes 8 billion pounds of carpets and fabric goods each year. Most of these materials are discarded to landfills, even though they could be recycled and converted into useful components and products.

CCACTI is conducting research in several areas to develop technologies to recover apparel, carpet, and textile waste and convert it to value-added products. This project is part of CCACTI’s larger initiative to evaluate alternative uses for the industry’s solid waste.

Project Objective:

To develop cost-effective technologies to use waste carpets and textiles in plastic composite and laminated materials that replace wood and metal materials. This project aims to identifl applications that can use a significant amount of Georgia’s apparel, carpet, and textile fibrous waste.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

3 Last year, CCACTI researchers completed developing the technology to make composite structures and laminate-type materials containing waste carpet and fabric. These materials have isotropic moduli of approximately 1.1 million psi and 10,000 psi flexural strength - the equivalent of plywood. One patent on fibrous waste composites has been issued and other patents are pending.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

In FY 1997, researchers also began investigating applications for this technology. Possible uses for these composite and laminate materials include wood substitutes in pallets and substitutes for metal and waste polyolefins in road signs and support posts for road signs. The composite and laminate materials can compete with wood, metal, and waste polyolefins because they have excellent weatherability qualities, are creep resistant and insect resistant, and weigh less than wood and metal materials.

Industry partner DuPont is supporting CCACTI’s work to evaluate using this technology in industrial pallet designs. This would be a high volume use of carpet and textile waste - the nation uses 600,000 pallets annually. Researchers estimate that the proposed pallet would contain about 20 pounds of waste carpedfabric fiber if both top and bottom boards are replaced with CCACTI’s laminated material. An initial market penetration of 5 percent of U.S. pallet consumption would use 300 million pounds of carpet and fabric waste in one year - more than all of Georgia’s industrial apparel, carpet, and textile waste combined.

Another benefit is that CCACTI’s pallet weighs less than a conventional wood pallet. This will help industry meet an anticipated change in OSHA regulations reducing maximum pallet weight fiom 67 pounds to 57 pounds.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

Researchers received $30,000 fiom CCACTI to complete this project in FY 1998. Industry partners are DuPont, Allied Signal, and Wood Composite Technologies. Work will continue to develop a cost-effective plastic pallet that performs as well as the conventional wood pallet.

BiologicaVChemical Conversion of Solid Waste

Project Leader: Patti Armis, University of Georgia, (706)542-4889 Industry Partners: Forstmann & Co., Avondale Mills, Coffee County Solid Waste Authority FY 1997 State Funding: $60,200

Industry’s Concern:

The U.S. textile complex is recycling and reusing greater quantities of its solid waste. However, a significant portion of the 150 million pounds of solid waste generated annually by apparel, carpet, and textile companies in Georgia cannot be recycled. For example, cotton gin trash and wool “duster” waste cannot be reused, so the 360 tons of organic wool fiber waste generated each year by a single fabric mill in Georgia is landfilled. Diminishing landfill space, escalating tipping fees, and inevitable government regulations are causing industry to seek alternative disposal methods for these materials. CCACTI’s industry group asked researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of composting, or bioconverting, its solid wastes.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Project Objective:

Determine the suitability and cost-effectiveness of composting apparel, carpet, and textile waste and mixing that waste with other municipal waste streams, then converting the mixture to value- added agricultural and greenhouse products.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

During the first year of this project, researchers developed an optimal composting mixture of wool, cotton, and other materials such as ash and wood shavings. Researchers also identified precise parameters such as composting-vessel temperature, air flow, moisture content, and agitation speed to enhance breakdown of the fibrous wastes. Preliminary laboratory tests indicate that wool and cotton wastes are convertible to stable value-added products.

CCACTI researchers expect that, when implemented in full scale, all of the solid wastes produced in wool and cotton mills can be converted to value-added products. CCACTI’s project seeks to convert the waste stream into a soil conditioner (mulch) for horticultural applications. Preliminary studies indicate that a typical textile mill can avoid landfill tipping fees of $30,000 per year and produce annual income of $10,000 from the sale of the composted material.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

The project team received continuing funding of $95,000 in FY 1998. Industry partners include Forstmann, Avondale Mills, Cochran Oil and Ginnery, and Interface Research Corporation.

Work will continue to efficiently compost cotton and wool waste and create value-added products, moving from pilot-scale to large volume conditions. Future research will evaluate (1) other carbon amendments; (2) process variables such as temperature, moisture, and pH; and (3) expanded bioreactors producing full-scale composting systems.

New research in FY 1998 will evaluate the biodegradation of nylon used in carpet manufacturing. Man-made materials such as nylon typically resist natural biodegradation, so the research team will investigate the use of enzyme systems to biodegrade the nylon. They will also search for organisms that may be present in landfills where textile products traditionally have been disposed. Laboratory tests will be conducted to determine if these organisms have adapted over time and can actually enhance the degradation process.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Carpet Recycling Logistics Tool

Project Leader: Matthew Realff, Georgia Tech, (404)894- 1834 Industry Partner: DuPont Corporation FY 1997 State Funding: $27,160

Industry’s Concern:

Every year, 4 billion pounds of carpet waste are discarded in the United States, mostly to landfills. Carpet waste is bulky and expensive to dispose of, but it also contains valuable materials that can be recycled and reused; in fact, industry experts estimate that the carpet waste deposited in landfills each year contains almost $2 billion worth of raw materials.

New technologies are available to convert this carpet waste into usable materials that reinforce soil in roadbeds and concrete in buildings. As more value-added uses for carpet waste are developed, the demand for recycled carpet will increase. For carpet recycling to be economical, the process of collecting, sorting, and distributing carpet waste must be optimized.

Project 0 b jective:

To develop a methodology for optimizing carpet recycling logistics so that companies can make sound economic decisions regarding the collection, sorting, and distribution of carpet waste.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

CCACTI researchers developed a generic model that evaluates the economic feasibility of establishing and operating a carpet recycling network consisting of strategically located collection sites, sorting facilities, and a distribution system to transport the carpet waste. Networks may handle commercial or residential carpet waste or both. CCACTI’s preliminary mathematical model considers only commercial-source recycling and is structured to aid decision-making from a national remanufacturer’s perspective. Further refinement in FY 1 998 will expand the model to consider other variables such as residential-source recycling.

Industry partner DuPont has a nationwide commercial carpet recycling network that CCACTI researchers studied during the development of the model. Used carpet is collected at DuPont’s carpet dealer locations, shipped to a sorting facility in Georgia, then moved to a site in Chattanooga for further processing to create material that can be recycled to nylon resin. The volume of carpet collected by DuPont has increased to the extent that the company last year began considering expanding its collection and reprocessing network. CCACTI’s model helped DuPont in evaluating alternatives for expanding its Chattanooga processing operation, specifically to handle carpet from the West Coast. CCACTI’s analysis showed that expanding the Chattanooga operation is more economical for DuPont than establishing a new processing plant in California.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

After CCACTI’s logistics model is completed, it will allow any carpet producer or dealer to evaluate the economic viability of establishing its own recycling network or connecting to an existing network. And as companies develop new end uses for carpet waste, the model can evaluate the economics of these applications as well.

Landfill costs are steadily increasing due to the closure of older landfills that do not meet the new, stricter requirements for licensing. In addition to recovering valuable raw materials through recycling, this model can help Georgia’s carpet industry establish efficient recycling networks to significantly reduce the estimated 100 million pounds of industrial carpet waste discarded in landfills around the state each year.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

The project received continuing fimding of $28,733 in FY 1998. Industry partners are DuPont, Allied Signal, Carpet and Rug Institute, Milliken, Shaw Industries, and Interface Corporation.

The CCACTI team will continue refining and expanding its recycling logistics model. The results of the Bronx2000 project - a pilot program that collects and recycles residential and commercial carpet in New York City - will be incorporated in CCACTI’s model. This will allow researchers to evaluate how the increased flow fiom residential recycling on a regional and national scale could affect the profitability of the recycling network.

The final model will be capable of supporting strategic decisions for carpet producers and recyclers at the plant site, corporate site, or industry association level. It will be available to a wide set of industry users via the Internet.

Recycling Market Development for Solid Textile Waste

Project Leader: Patti h i s , University of Georgia, (706)542-4889 Industry Partners: Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division, Georgia Power Company FY 1997 State Funding: $20,000

Industry’s Concern:

Solid waste disposal is a serious economic issue for Georgia’s textile, apparel, and carpet manufacturers. Increased disposal costs, dwindling landfill space, and inevitable regulation in the future impel these industries to consider alternative disposal methods. CCACTI researchers found that in 1995 Georgia’s 400 textile and apparel facilities generated 9 million tons of fibrous and other industrial solid wastes. Over 60 percent of this volume was landfilled or disposed of in other unprofitable ways. Experts estimate that at least half of this landfilled waste could be recycled or reused as value-added products.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Recycling and reusing waste is not a viable disposal option for many Georgia textile companies because they do not have information about waste dealershecyclers in their geographic vicinity. Likewise, waste dealers and material recyclers may not be aware of the types and amounts of fibrous textile byproducts being generated in their collection area.

Project 0 b j ective:

Develop an Internet-based source of information for apparel, carpet, and textile companies and handlers of their waste to connect waste producers and handlers and reduce the amount of apparelhextile waste going to landfills in Georgia.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

CCACTI researchers developed a database that identifies the number, geographic location, and collection preferences of waste dealers and recyclers in Georgia. To date, over 200 waste dealers and material recyclers have been included in the database, and there is no charge to these waste dealers to participate in it. CCACTI researchers contact industry annually to ensure that the database information regarding types and amounts of waste generated is current.

This project is part of a large statewide effort underway by Georgia’s Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (PZAD) to identify recycling and reuse markets for the major industries in Georgia. CCACTI’s database will be incorporated in PZAD’s program to develop new tools to help industry reduce, reuse, and recycle its solid wastes.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

Last year, a pilot web site was developed to promote networking between apparel and textile companies and waste handlers. During FY 1998, researchers will finalize the database and link it to the homepages of Georgia Power Company, PZAD, and the University of Georgia. Also in FY 1998, researchers will expand the database to include carpet manufacturers and handlers of carpet waste.

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WATER QUALITY PROJECTS

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Baseline Toxicity Studies on Textile Effluent

Project Leader: Ian Hardin, University of Georgia, (706)542-0357 Industry Partners: J&J Carpets, Thomaston Mills, City of Washington, Georgia FY 1997 State Funding: $75,500

Industry’s Concern:

Controlling toxic substances in discharge water is a critical competitiveness issue for textile dyeing and finishing plants. Determining the level and specific causes of toxicity can be expensive - a typical cotton-processing mill spends $75,000 to $100,000 a year quantifying its toxicity problem. Addressing water toxicity creates an even greater cost for the textile mill in production inefficiencies and increased variable costs when it must change its dyes and chemicals to comply with water quality regulations.

Occasionally, a textile mill’s whole effluent discharge shows toxicity to the ceriodaphnia dubia organism commonly used in the state Environmental Protection Division’s (EPD) water- compliance-monitoring procedures. When this occurs, the mill must conduct a Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) to determine the specific agent(s) causing the toxicity. TIEs are complicated and expensive (as much as $50,000), and often do not provide a definitive answer about the toxicity source. Nor do TIEs address factors such as the interactive effects of salinity, water hardness, and alkalinity which can be major contributors to some kinds of textile effluent toxicity. Textile mills need an easier, less expensive way to determine causes of periodic whole effluent toxicity in wastewater.

Previous CCACTI research identified some routine causes and interactions that impact whole effluent toxicity in the textile industry. In fact, this research has already provided support to several Georgia cotton-processing mills in answering EPD questions regarding toxicity. If more textile mills become aware of these frequent causes of toxicity, their sources often could be identified without conducting comprehensive TIEs.

Project Objective:

To develop baseline toxicity data on the primary components of textile effluents to help cotton- processing mills solve routine whole effluent toxicity problems and reduce the need for TIEs.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

CCACTI’s project team evaluated interactions of salinity, water hardness, and alkalinity in textile water effluents and their effects on the survival and reproduction of the ceriodaphnia dubia organism commonly used in water-compliance-monitoring procedures. Laboratory tests showed that hmdness, salinity, alkalinity, and specific causes of alkalinity can influence the results of chronic toxicity tests as described below.

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:1 Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Saline toxicity plagues many cotton-dyeing operations because the dyeing process uses reactive dyes that require large amounts of salt. CCACTI researchers found that water hardness is crucial to the occurrence of salinity toxicity. For example, when hardness changes fiom 80 ppm to 40 ppm, the saline toxicity increases by a factor of two - enough to change whole effluent from non-toxic to toxic. CCACTI research also showed that alkalinity interacts with water hardness and salinity to create toxicity to ceriodaphnia dubia.

It is commonly known that ceriodaphnia dubia does not tolerate high levels of alkalinity. Salinity is significantly more toxic at a carbonate alkalinity 160 mg/L than at 20 mg/L. Salinity from NaS04 is more toxic than NaCl under the same conditions of alkalinity and hardness. Carbonate toxicity at a fixed hardness shows higher toxicity at low and high concentrations. Borate alkalinity, however, shows a toxic threshold.

Understanding the interactive effects of hardness, alkalinity, and salinity will make it easier for Georgia’s cotton mills to address this critical water quality problem. Researchers estimate that CCACTI’s findings will save Georgia’s cotton-processing industry at least $500,000 a year in toxicity testing costs and reductions in fines for non-compliance.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

The team received funding of $55,000 in FY 1998 to complete this three-year project. Industry partners include Standard-Coosa-Thatcher, Thomaston Mills, William Carter, Springs Industries, Forstmann Industries, and Mount Vernon Mills.

In FY 1998, researchers will finish examining the major interactions that cause ceriodaphnia dubia toxicity and will publish guidelines and procedures that help textile mill managers conduct a series of tests to rule out the more common causes of toxicity before undertaking a TIE. These guidelines will be made available in a handbook widely distributed to Georgia’s textile producers and also via a web site that CCACTI plans to establish.

Chemical Conservation in Denim Manufacturing

Project Leader: Nolan Etters, University of Georgia, (706)542-4892 Industry Partners: Avondale Mills, Greenwood Mills, Mount Vernon Mills, Swift Textiles, Thomaston Mills FY 1998 State Funding: $90,000

Industry’s Concern: 3

I]

The continuing popularity of denim fabric creates environmental concerns for Georgia’s five denim manufacturers. A typical denim manufacturing plant spends up to $13 million on indigo and sulfur dyes and associated dye chemicals in a given year, and releases 1 million gallons of wastewater each day. In some cases, as much as half of the applied sulfur is not fixed on the

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

yarn in the dyeing process and goes to the plant’s wastewater. Indigo also has poor fixation rates which creates wastewater management concerns for manufacturers.

Recent design trends in denim manufahring also are increasing the pollution load at Georgia’s denim plants. Some new denim finishes require manufacturers to use increased amounts of black sulfur dyes, and other new finishes involve overdyeing indigo-dyed yarn or fabrics with other dye classes. Both of these trends significantly increase the color content of the denim manufacturer’s wastewater.

CCACTI researchers and industry partners believe that opportunities exist for denim manufacturers to conserve the amount of dyes and chemicals used in yarn dyeing, and at the same time reduce the level of pollutants in their wastewater. Initial research indicates that a denim plant’s dye and chemical costs can be reduced by as much as 30 percent annually, saving Georgia’s denim industry $15 million to $20 million a year.

Project 0 b j ective:

Conserve dyes and chemicals in denim manufacturing and reduce pollution in water effluent by optimizing concentrations of chemicals used in the dye process and by improving dye fixation.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

This project began in FY 1998.

Researchers are working at industry partners’ sites to categorize the chemical concentrations used in their dyeing, rebeaming, and slashing processes. Optimization of dye fixation will be the first area of research, with the goal of reducing water pollution from indigo and sulfur dyes. Researchers will address parameters including dyebath pH; concentration of alkali; and concentrations of reducing, wetting, and chelating agents. After dyeing conditions are optimized, researchers will investigate techniques to capture and reuse indigo. Both membrane and evaporative processes may be technically feasible.

Closed-Loop Processing in Textile Operations

Project Leader: Fred Cook, Georgia Tech, (404)894-2536 Industry Partner: Springs IndustriesDundee Mills FY 1997 State Funding: $60,000

Industry’s Concern:

Economical wastewater reduction technologies are vital to Georgia’s textile plants facing regulatory restrictions on discharges. One such technology, closed-loop processing, shows promise for virtually eliminating wastewater discharge by reducing, recycling, and reusing

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industrv

process waters. It is a viable alternative to traditional end-of-pipe treatment of wastewater which is prohibitively expensive, both in terms of capital costs and continuous operating costs, to handle the large volume of wastewater discharged by textile operations.

Three years ago, Springs Industries and CCACTI researchers began developing a closed-loop system for a large textile operation. Springs offered its two Griffin-based mills -the Griffin Finishing Plant (formerly the Lowell Bleachery Plant, a continuous towel operation), and a yarn package dyeing plant - as test sites for this project. Springs’ operations discharge 1.5 million to 2 million gallons of wastewater each day. Because these two mills are typical of the industry’s integrated continuous and batch preparation-dyeing-finishing operations, CCACTI researchers expect to transfer project results to many other textile companies in Georgia, including carpet, flat goods, and knit producers.

Project Objective:

Reduce textile wastewater volumes to as near zero as possible through development of a closed- loop process and related plant process improvements.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

This project began in 1994 shortly after Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) informed Springs Industries that it must meet stringent metals and toxicity limits to continue discharging its treated effluent into Cabin Creek. Springs’ effluent is processed in the company’s central wastewater treatment plant. This effluent forms the headwaters of Cabin Creek, so there is no dilution factor in the discharge to the environment. Cabin Creek feeds into several downstream water intakes including the Jackson State Prison and High Falls Lake. Springs was faced with reducing its overall wastewater discharge as well as meeting stringent EPD limitations to continue discharging residual effluent into Cabin Creek.

Initially, the Springs/CCACTI team concentrated on reducing effluent at the Griffin Finishing Plant. Researchers and company engineers modified the plant’s wet processes and installed new, more efficient washing equipment that conserves water usage and reduces effluent by 45 percent, bringing the plant’s total effluent to a level of 900,000 gallons per day. Capital costs for the improvements were approximately $3 million.

Further reductions to Springs’ effluent presented a tough challenge for the team because it involved concentrating the impurities from four major effluent streams and separating the water for recycling. CCACTI’s work during FY 1996 and FY 1997 assessed technologies to economically concentrate this final 900,000 gallons of effluent. Two technologies were evaluated to concentrate the effluent stream impurities - membrane separation and flash evaporation.

After a year of research, the Springs/CCACTI team decided to abandon membrane separation as a means to concentrate the effluent stream impurities. With the exception of one vendor system,

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

the main failures of this filtration system were inadequate volume reduction (less than 85 percent) and frequent fouling with its subsequent cleaning requirements, especially with the high-solid, desize-scour wash effluent.

Flash evaporation was investigated as an alternative to membrane separation for effluent concentration. In large-scale plant trials, flash evaporation was demonstrated to reduce the remaining 900,000 gallons per day by 98 percent - to approximately 18,000 gallons per day. Springs has not implemented this technology at this time; however, the company is currently evaluating its cost and technical feasibility. Springs is also evaluating other proprietary alternatives to reduce and/or improve its effluent.

In Springs’ package dyeing plant, yarn is prepared, dyed, and dried in batch machines, which require several labor-intensive steps. The Springs/CCACTI team found that (1) overflow rinses could be replaced with more efficient fill-circulate-drop rinses in the batch machines, and (2) some rinses between process steps could be completely eliminated without hurting the quality of the yarn. These changes reduced the plant’s overall effluent volume by 25 percent.

CCACTI support of this project ended in FY 1998. This project was the first of its kind in a large, integrated textile mill, and on October 22, 1997, textile managers from dozens of Georgia companies visited Springs’ Griffin operation to see the closed-loop system and process changes and learn firsthand how these improvements may prove helpful in their mills.

Filtration to Evaluate Copper and Chromium in Textile Wastewaters

Project Leader: George Baughman, University of Georgia, (706)542-4883 Industry Partners: American Textile Manufacturers Institute, Georgia Textile Manufacturers Association FY 1997 State Funding: $172,140

Industry’s Concern:

Georgia’s textile industry spends millions of dollars each year to comply with environmental limits on total metals concentrations in wastewater. EPA’s regulatory limits on certain metals are based on highly toxic cationic forms of metals; however, textile effluents contain less toxic concentrations of these metals (copper, chromium, cobalt, and nickel) in the form of chelated colorants in pre-metallized dyes.

Current methods for measuring wastewater toxicity do not distinguish between cationic and less toxic forms of metals. These methods overstate the toxicity of textile effluents because non-toxic dye molecules are counted along with toxic metals present in the wastewater. The American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI) asked EPA to allow textile companies to use ultrafiltration to filter out the large, non-toxic dye molecules before wastewater toxicity is

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measured. EPA agreed that if ultrafiltration could be demonstrated to effectively filter the non- toxic metals, the Total Recoverable Metals method could be modified for the textile industry. Such a modification would greatly reduce compliance costs for Georgia’s textile companies.

Scientific data did not exist to support ATMI’s request, so CCACTI was asked to conduct tests to verify that ultrafiltration can separate the two forms of metals, providing an objective basis for modifying EPA’s Total Recoverable Metals method.

Project Objective:

To develop a filtration protocol that will distinguish between toxic and non-toxic forms of chromium, copper, nickel, and cobalt, and to provide data to support the use of the filtration protocol in a modification of EPA’s Total Recoverable Metals method.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

To develop a filtration protocol, CCACTI researchers evaluated numerous water samples provided by industry partners. Conventional analytical methods were used to measure total metal concentration in the samples before and after undergoing ultrafiltration. Laboratory filtrations were examined with metal salts as a function of pH, sulfate concentration, chloride concentration, membrane source, filter type, etc., which led to the final selection of a filtration protocol. It uses 76-mm membranes manufactured by Amicon that permit only small, fi-ee-metal ions to pass through as filtrate. To support ATMI’s request for changing EPA’s existing method, CCACTI tested filtrations that used low pH levels (1 or 3). Higher pH levels would require EPA to develop a new method, which could take several years to approve.

The ultrafiltration protocol works for a large group of dyes important to the textile industry:

No dye - copper, chromium, cobalt, nickel

Phthalocyanine dyes - copper, nickel

2: 1 dyes - chromium, cobalt

1 : 1 dyes - chromium

Azo and formazan dyes - I copper

PH 1

100% free metals pass through membrane except chromium (75%)

3% free metals pass through membrane

Small loss of free metal through membrane

Lose significant free metals through membrane

100% free metals pass through membrane

PH 3

80% free metals pass through membrane except chromium (74%)

Same as pH 1

Small loss of free metal through the membrane

Lose significant free metals through membrane

Significant loss through membrane, but less than at pH 1

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

If the proposed filtration procedure is accepted by EPA, regulatory changes may occur.

Regulatory relief on current limits for:

Copper and nickel to the extent that phthalocyanine dyes are the source of these metals.

Chromium and cobalt to the extent that 1 :2 azo dyes are the source of metals.

No regulatory relief from:

Copper contributed by copperized azo direct or azo reactive dyes.

Chromium contributed by chromium 1 : 1 azo dyes. Researchers and industry experts believe that these dyes have limited use and contribute little to the total metal content.

Use of the ultrafiltration method may be limited to concentrations above 10 to 20 microgramshter by background levels of metal.

ATMI has combined the results of CCACTI’s project with those from its own research work and will submit these results to EPA to support modifying the Total Recoverable Metals method. Based on data from ATMI and GTMA member companies, it is estimated that this method may save Georgia’s textile industry $500,000 annually in compliance costs.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

Results of the FY 1997 work with azo dyes suggest that sludge will remove copper during waste treatment. Given the widespread use of azo dyes and CCACTI’s demonstration that ultrafiltration does not effectively separate copper in these dyes, a new project was funded to examine metal removal by sludge. The project team received $100,000 to provide measurements of the ratio of copperized dye to copper-free dye in activated sludge suspensions. Industry partners include Milliken, Standard Coosa Thatcher, Coats North America, and ATMI.

During FY 1998, researchers will measure copper in sludge samples collected from textile waste treatment systems around the state. CCACTI’s work will focus on five direct dyes and 10 reactive dyes containing copper. Researchers believe that much of the copper released is absorbed by the biomass during waste treatment. The goal of this project is to determine the extent to which copper is removed by those suspended solids present in the waste treatment process. If CCACTI’s work proves successful, ATMI will present the results to EPA and request M e r modification of copper limits in textile effluent.

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Lowering BODKOD Loads in Carpet Plants

Project Leader: Warren Perkins, University of Georgia, (706)542-8885 Industry Partners: J & J Industries, Vulcan Chemicals FY 1997 State Funding: $1 15,000

Industry’s Concern:

Last year, Dalton Utilities notified more than 50 carpet mills that in the near future it may be forced to lower chemical oxygen demand (COD) limits on carpet manufacturers in its service area. (COD is a measure of the intensity of water pollution). Publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) such as Dalton Utilities are designed to effectively treat a set capacity of wastewater and contaminant load. As a community experiences growth and development, the volume of wastewater sent to its POTW increases, eventually reaching the point where the POTW is treating loads that approach or surpass its design limits. When this happens, the POTW must either increase capacity by costly expansion of its treatment facilities or distribute the burden and cost of reducing wastewater volume to its customers.

Although now meeting current wastewater discharge limits, many carpet mills foresee problems meeting lower COD limits in the future. Lower limits will likely increase their operational and compliance costs. Georgia’s carpet makers need information about the feasibility and costs of various pretreatment technologies to lower COD levels in their wastewater.

Project Objective:

To evaluate pretreatment technologies and advise Georgia’s carpet makers about the most cost- effective methods for lowering COD levels in their wastewater.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

CCACTI began this project by examining COD sources in exhaust (batch) dyeing operations at industry partner, J & J Carpets. Researchers measured COD in process materials such as carpet, dyes, and dyeing auxiliary chemicals, and found that J & J’s major source of COD is nylon fiber finish. Dyes and auxiliary chemicals contribute only a small part of the COD in wastewater.

Most of the currently available technologies for pretreating wastewater were investigated. Three were found to be favorable for pretreating carpet dyeing wastewater from batch dyeing processes:

Aeration: COD was reduced by an average of 74 percent during aerobic incubation in the laboratory, indicating that wastewater is treatable using conventional aerobic treatments (activated sludge, oxidation ponds, etc.) Typical beck effluent can be treated by conventional aerobic treatment. If suitable land is available, a facultative or aerated pond may be the lowest- cost (construction, operation, and maintenance) option for reducing COD.

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Chemical precipitation: This technology removes up to 50 percent of COD from carpet dyeing wastewater, Researchers precipitated COD with inorganic salts that removed 43 percent of COD (the most economical precipitation treatment evaluated used magnesium sulfate at 1,000 ppm).

CCACTI’s cost analyses were based on a batch dyeing operation releasing 300,000 gallons of wastewater per day. The capital cost to implement a chemical precipitation system for this size operation is approximately $250,000.

Chemical oxidation using Fenton’s Reagent: This advanced oxidation treatment removed up to 84 percent of the COD. Separation and disposal of sludge from precipitation processes are costly, so CCACTI’s studies developed a precipitation formula that minimizes the amount of ferrous ions used to remove COD with little or no sludge formation. CCACTI’s treatment system optimizes variables such as temperature, concentration of hydrogen peroxide, concentration of ferrous ions, and duration of precipitation.

Capital costs for a system to treat 300,000 gallons/day of wastewater with Fenton’s Reagent are estimated at $350,000, including the cost of equipment to handle and separate solids (ferrous sulfate). A system to pretreat wastewater with Fenton’s Reagent and discharge to a POTW would cost much less.

Estimated operating costs for chemical precipitatiodoxidation vary greatly depending on the chemical system used and the volume of COD being removed - from $1 to $6 per 1,000 gallons of water treated, not including sludge disposal costs associated with Fenton’s Reagent process. (Current sludge disposal costs are approximately $1.30 per 1,000 gallons of water treated).

Other technologies: Researchers found that other technologies such as membrane separation and evaporation are effective for COD removal, but prohibitively expensive for large volumes of wastewater. Still other approaches, including oxidation with ozone and with chlorine dioxide, are largely ineffective for treating the type of wastewater studied in the first year of this project.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

CCACTI provided continuing funding of $134,629 in FY 1998. Industry partners are World Carpet and J & J Industries.

Last year, researchers studied wastewater from batch dyeing of nylon carpet. In FY 1998, the team will investigate COD reduction technologies for continuous dyeing processes. Researchers expect that the composition of continuous dyeing wastewaters differs greatly from that of batch dyeing and may demonstrate different treatability characteristics using the same technologies studied in FY 1997. For example, high levels of thickening agents and unexhausted stainblocker chemicals present in most continuous dyeing wastewater will influence the applicability of certain technologies. Researchers will consider technologies including precipitation, adsorption, and oxidation (biological and chemical). They will also continue to identify and reduce major sources of COD in carpet dyeing operations.

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I1 OTHER PROJECTS

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Automated Yarn Creeling

Project Leader: Mary Lynn Realff, Georgia Tech, (404)894-2496 Industry Partners: Shaw Industries, ABB Flexible Automation FY 1997 State Funding: $1 75,000

Industry’s Concern:

Carpet creeling is one of the most labor-intensive and injury-prone operations in the carpet- making process. It involves an operator finding and removing empty yarn bobbins on tufting machines and replacing them with 111 packages of yarn. Every hour, a typical creeling operator lifts more than 800 pounds of yarn, and in some cases, the operator lifts the packages of yarn above hisher head to complete the task. The repeated motion of performing this task has led to increased incidents of metacarpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive-motion disorders. And because of the physical demands of the job, employee turnover in creeling positions is high.

Project Objective:

Develop an automated creeling system for carpet tufting operations to eliminate manual handling of heavy packages of yarn.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

This two-year project concluded in FY 1997. It began with a functional analysis of the creeling operation and ended with the construction of a low-cost, full-scale prototype creeling machine. CCACTI’s design divides creeling into five basic tasks:

1. transfer yarn packages from pallet to creeler 2. detect empty packages in creel and locate creeler at empty packages 3. remove empty packages 4. place full packages on bullhorn 5. tie knots.

Using computer-aided design and analysis tools, the research team designed a full-scale automatic creeler, capable of performing tasks 1 through 5. The design determines empty packages by computer tracking of running time. It uses a service arm with an air picker and a four-bar linkage mechanism to unload and load packages on a bullhorn. All machine motions are controlled by a central computer.

The team built a prototype creeling system which performs tasks 3 and 4 - remove empty packages and replace them with full packages. Commercial control, drive, and structural elements were specified and purchased; special parts were machined at Georgia Tech. Software setup was completed, although some fine-tuning will continue.

Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textice Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

,

CCACTI researchers and industry partners estimate that the automated creeling system will produce annual savings of $100,000 per creel, or $2 million for a typical carpet mill running 20 tufting machines. Savings are derived from productivity improvements, reductions in training costs due to turnover, and fewer repetitive-motion injuries.

Next Steps:

Researchers are continuing to work with industry partners to commercialize this technology for the carpet industry. Additional study and design are needed to develop mechanisms to depalletize yarn packages and to transfer them to the creeler. Later, the team plans to modify the design for use in the textile industry.

Garment Chemical Processing

Project Leader: Fred Cook, Georgia Tech, (404)894-2536 Industry Partners: Oxford Industries, Callaway Chemical Company FY 1997 State Funding: $50,000

Industry’s Concern:

This project addresses two critical market issues facing apparel manufacturers.

1.

2.

Since the late 1 980s, consumer demand for easy-care, wrinkle-resistant, 1 OO-percent-cotton apparel has steadily increased. The overwhelming majority of the permanent-press finishes used on apparel are formaldehyde-based reagents that are both cost-effective and efficient. However, theses finishes release formaldehyde vapor during the production, storage, and consumer use of the apparel, which has caused worldwide concern about its impact on human health. In fact, some domestic and foreign markets now restrict goods containing formaldehyde-based finishes. These market restrictions will have severe impacts on apparel companies producing wrinkle-resistant goods.

New market opportunities are developing for apparel manufacturers with the capability to wet process garments in the assembled state. Dyeing sewn garments (instead of dyeing rolls of fabric) allows apparel manufacturers to produce a small quantity of goods in new colors and patterns for retail store trials at the start of a season, then quickly replenish popular colors and patterns. It also prevents the buildup of inventories of slow-moving colors and patterns. Industry experts estimate that the current dyed-fabric roll-to-garment system creates $45 billion of slow-moving products and waste each year (from excessive inventory costs and retail markdowns on slow-selling items). Improving technology to uniformly dye both 100- percent-cotton and cottodpolyester-blend garments will provide a tremendous competitive advantage to Georgia’s apparel manufacturers.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Project Objective:

Develop new formulations/processes and optimize existing processes for applying chemicals and colorants on assembled garments.

FY 1997 Project Activities and Outcomes:

CCACTI research focused on two finishing technologies this year: (1) a nonformaldehyde permanent-press finish, and (2) a uniform dyeing protocol for cottordpolyester blend garments:

Permanent-press finishing of garments. During the past two years, CCACTI researchers developed a new, nonformaldehyde permanent-press finish and pilot-tested it on 1 OO-percent- cotton twill trousers previously dyed to a khaki shade. The results showed that cotton garments finished with CCACTI’s nonformaldehyde system have better wrinkle-resistance and strength retention than the formaldehyde-based system commonly used today.

The search for a satisfactory nonformaldehyde wrinkle-resistant finish has been underway for many years. In the late 198Os, researchers reported that cotton fabric treated with butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) showed high levels of wrinkle-resistance and strength retention as well as good durability to home laundering. Unfortunately, the exceedingly high cost of BTCA prevented it from becoming a viable replacement for formaldehyde-based finishes on a commercial scale. Citric acid, a low-priced trifunctional carboxylic acid, is far less effective and less durable in home laundering than BTCA. And 1,3-Dihydroxy1-4,5-dimethyl-2- imidazolidinone (DHDMI), the only nonformaldehyde wrinkle-resistant finishing agent commercially available, is not widely accepted because it is far less effective and much more expensive than formaldehyde-based reagents.

CCACTI researchers developed a new polycarboxylic acid-based finishing system that combines superior durable press rating, high fabric strength retention, good laundering durability, desired hand, product safety (no formaldehyde present or released), and cost effectiveness.

In FY 1997, researchers compared CCACTI’s new solution to formaldehyde-based finishes. Conditioned wrinkle recovery angle, durable press rating, tensile strength, tearing strength, and flex abrasion of the finished slack fabrics were evaluated using standard test methods. Fabric performance was also evaluated after different numbers of home laundering/drying cycles.

The fabric-smooth appearance and crease retention of the cotton slacks treated with CCACTI’s resin were comparable to those treated with the conventional resins. However, the wrinkle resistance, tensile strength, tearing strength, and flex abrasion resistance of the cotton slacks treated with CCACTI’s new polymeric acid system were higher than those treated with the conventional wrinkle-resistant resins. After 1 0 home laundering/drying cycles, the cotton slacks finished with CCACTI’s system still showed wrinkle recovery angle, crease retention rating, and fabric mechanical strength higher than those finished with the conventional systems.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Tatile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Industry partner Callaway Chemicals participated heavily in CCACTI’s testing of the new nonformaldehyde finish and plans to license and market it in 1998. Callaway expects the polymeric acid system will gain a major share of the U.S. market (80 million pounds per year) as well as European and Japanese markets.

White 65/35 cotton/polyester garment dyeing. In FY 1996, CCACTI researchers dyed 1 00- percent-cotton shirts, achieving very acceptable dye performance in terms of uniformity, depth of shade, and fastness properties. This year, researchers worked to achieve the same results dyeing “white” cottodpolyester blend shirts. Since it is essential for the garments to have excellent dye penetration in the seams, cuffs, collar, and placket areas, the selection of dyes in garment dyeing is more critical than in fabric dyeing. Drimarene X colorants were selected because previous research showed that these dyes provide the best levelness in garment dyeing. A “migration” dyeing method was selected because it produces better leveling and deeper seam penetration, though it requires longer dyeing times.

Recipes and procedures for an optimum migration dyeing process were developed. Excellent leveling was observed in all five colors (purple, peach, yellow, mint, navy). Garments were tested for color difference with the ACS SpectroSensor I1 color measurement instrument. With the exception of the mint, all colors processed showed color difference less than 1 , and the mint color showed a color difference in the vicinity of 1, well within commercial tolerances.

Researchers observed factors that contribute to the success of migration dyeing of white cottodpolyester goods:

All fabric pieces that form a garment must be cut from the same roll of fabric. To ensure uniform dyeing, garments must be free of oils, fats, waxes, and any residual finishing agents. Permanent-press finishing must be performed after the garment is dyed to achieve a uniform shade (the cotton component dyes in very light shades when applied after permanent-press finish) Trim components, buttons, and sewing thread must be selected in view of the dyeing process that will follow garment assembly to avoid unnecessary waste and damage to components. A dyeing lubricant is needed to prevent excessive twisting and abrasion of the garments. There are considerations in the aspect of dyeing machinery design as well. Liquorflow, garment movement, and process control are all critical to achieving acceptable dyeings. Good channels of communication between the yarn manufacturer, fabric manufacturer, garment assembler, and garment dyer are crucial to achieve acceptable dyeings.

Researchers also evaluated dyeing cottodpolyester shirts using disperse dyes. Turquoise, red B- 2B, navy, and red B-R were selected for the tests. All the disperse dyes displayed very good color uniformity except for red B-R which showed a color difference larger than 1 between the placket and the body of the shirt.

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Consortium on Competitiveness for the Apparel, Carpet, and Textile Industries (CCACTI) 1997-98 Report to Industry

Using both migration and disperse dyeing, this research showed that shirts carefully constructed fiom unfinished fabric can be level, union-dyed in a range of colors with color differences between garment parts well within commercial tolerances.

FY 1998 Project Activities:

CCACTI provided funds of $155,083 to continue this work in FY 1998. Industry partners are Oxford Industries, Thomaston Mills, Avondale Mills, Swift Denim, Greenwood Mills, and Callaway Chemicals.

Four areas of research-and-development work are underway:

Permanent-press finishing of garments. Researchers will continue to work with Callaway Chemicals to commercially produce and market the new wrinkle-free finish. The team expects to have a licensing agreement in place by December 1997. CCACTI’s work will expand the application of the new finish by optimizing its use on continuous, open-width fabric processing at Thomaston Mills.

White garment coloration. The garment dyeing research will be expanded to men’s casual slacks, creating new challenges to union dyeings with zipper fabrics, pockets, etc. At the end of FY 1998, researchers expect to recommend dye formulations and a viable, sustainable process for coloration of casual slacks.

White denim construction. Researchers are developing a “mock” denim of poly fillers and cotton warp that is less expensive and potentially more durable than 100-percent-cotton denim. After the fabric construction is optimized, researchers will develop a vat dye formula that uniformly dyes both the cotton warp ends and the polyester filling yarns.

Denim washdown processes. CCACTI researchers are working to develop a cost-effective, environmentally fiiendly chemical process that will produce the various denim modification looks that consumers want. Researchers will further evaluate the newly developed sodium dipersulfate/polymeric adsorbent as well as various enzyme approaches being marketed by chemical suppliers.

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Lead Investigator

Jim Mulholland

Phone #

404-894- 1695

Youj iang Wang

Abe Kotliar

Ian Hardin

404-894-7551

404-894-0967

706-542-0357

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

$28,733

$90,000

$155,083

Matthew Realff

Nolan Etters

Fred Cook

404-894- 1834

706-542-4892

404-894-2536

George Baughman 706-542-4883

CCACTI FY 1998 Research Agenda

E-mail address ~~

FY98 Funds Project Description

Air emission factors in carpet plants [email protected] $150,000

$50,000 I [email protected] Apparel, carpet, textile waste for soil reinforcement

Apparel, carpet, textile waste in plastic composites and laminates

Baseline toxicity in textile effluents

[email protected] $30,000

[email protected] I $55,000

Biological/chemical conversion of solid waste

Patti Annis [email protected] ~ ~~

$95,000 706-542-4889

Carpet recycling logistics

Chemical conservation in denim manufacturing

Garment chemical processes

wperkins@fcs .uga.edu $134,629

[email protected] $40,950

Lowering BOD/COD loads in carpet plants

Recycling market development for solid wastes

Warren Perkins 706-542-4885

Patti Annie 706-542-4889

Removal of copper from dyes by activated sludge solids

[email protected] $1 00,000

[email protected] ~ ~~

$7 0,6 0 5 Planning, administration, and technology transfer activities

Total Funding

Susan Shows 404-894-61 13

I I I $1,000,000


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