Liquidlike, Low-Friction Polymer Brushes for Microfibre Release Prevention from Textiles

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Tribology

Background:

• Synthetic textiles release millions of microplastic fibres during washing due to friction and heat.
• This fibre release contributes to environmental pollution, impacting oceans and marine life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a practical strategy to minimize microplastic fibre release from laundered synthetic textiles.
• To investigate the effectiveness of a novel fabric finish in reducing fibre shedding.

Main Methods:

• A two-layer fabric finish was developed, combining low-friction polymer brushes with molecular primers.
• This finish was applied to polyester and nylon fabrics to durably bond the low-friction layers.
• The coefficient of friction was measured, and microplastic fibre release was quantified during simulated washing.

Main Results:

• The novel fabric finish substantially reduced microplastic fibre release by up to 96%.
• A coefficient of friction below 0.25 was identified as a threshold for significant reduction in fibre release.
• The fabric finishes maintained desirable properties such as water-wicking or water-repellency and comfort.

Conclusions:

• The developed tribological strategy offers a tunable and practical approach to mitigate microplastic pollution from textiles.
• This innovation supports a sustainable textile industry and contributes to reducing plastic contamination in marine ecosystems.