Textile Operations Overview
The textile industry is comprised of a diverse, fragmented group of establishments that produce and/or process textile-related products (fiber, yarn, fabric) for further processing into apparel, home furnishings and industrial goods. Textile establishments receive and prepare fibers; transform fibers into yarn, thread or webbing; convert the yarn into fabric or related products; and dye and finish these materials at various stages of production.
The process of converting raw fibers into finished apparel and non-apparel textile products is complex; thus, most textile mills specialize. Little overlap occurs between knitting and weaving, or among production of manmade, cotton and wool fabrics. Textiles generally go through three to four stages of production that may include yarn formation, fabric formation, wet processing and textile fabrication. The flow diagram below shows some of the general steps in which fibers are processed to manufacture textile goods.
The following table provides a listing of some of the waste streams that may be generated at each level of textile processing.
Process |
Air Emissions |
Wastewater |
Residual wastes |
|
Fiber Preparation |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Fiber waste; packaging waste; hard waste |
|
Yarn Spinning |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Packaging waste; sized yarn; fiber waste; cleaning and processing waste |
|
Slashing/Sizing |
VOCs |
BOD; COD; metals; cleaning waste, size |
Fiber lint; yarn waste; packaging waste; unused starch-based sizes |
|
Weaving |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Packaging waste; yarn and fabric scrapes; off-spec fabric; used oil |
|
Knitting |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Packaging waste; yarn and fabric scrapes; off-spec fabric |
|
Tufting |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Packaging waste; yarn and fabric scrapes; off-spec fabric |
|
Desizing |
VOCs from glycol ethers |
BOD from water-soluble sizes; synthetic size; lubricants; biocides; anti-static compounds |
Packaging waste; fiber lint; yarn waste; cleaning materials, such as wipes, rags and filters; cleaning and maintenance wastes containing solvents |
|
Scouring |
VOCs from glycol ethers and scouring solvents |
Disinfectants and insecticide residues; NaOH; detergents; fats; oils; pectin; wax; knitting lubricants; spin finishes; spent solvents |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Bleaching |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Hydrogen peroxide, sodium silicate or organic stabilizer; high pH |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Singeing |
Small amounts of exhaust gasses from the burners |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Mercerizing |
Little or no air emissions generated |
High pH; NaOH |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Heatsetting |
Volatilization of spin finish agents applied during synthetic fiber manufacture |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Dyeing
|
VOCs |
Metals; salt; surfactants; toxics; organic processing assistance; cationic materials; color; BOD; sulfide; acidity/alkalinity; spent solvents |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Printing |
Solvents, acetic acid from dyeing and curing oven emissions; combustion gasses; particulate matter |
Suspended solids; urea; solvents; color; metals; heat; BOD; foam |
Little or no residual waste generated |
|
Finishing |
VOCs; contaminants in purchased chemicals; formaldehyde vapors; combustion gasses; particulate matter |
BOD; COD; suspended solids; toxics; spent solvents |
Fabric scrapes and trimmings; packaging waste |
|
Product Fabrication |
Little or no air emissions generated |
Little or no wastewater generated |
Fabric scrapes |
