The decolorization of the effluent from textile dye houses
The textile industry has searched for more than 25 years for an economical solution to decolorize the nearly 200 billion liters of colored effluents produced annually. We have found that the prototype TAML activator can decolorize nearly all of the target dyes with only minor modifications in the reaction conditions. A few dyes require a fluorinated version of the TAML activator developed by graduate student Anindya Ghosh. It is now our goal to understand how the decolorization process occurs, a significant challenge because of the complexity of most dyes. Graduate student Arani Chanda and undergraduate Nikki Dellas are working on this demanding research problem. You can see me doing a dye bleaching experiment here.
The laboratory work has lead to two field trials at a textile dye house in Massachusetts. These were conducted with Mr. Jonathan Spatz, to test the efficacy of the TAML activators in a “real life” application. This field trial was established through a strong collaboration between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Office of Technical Assistance and the Institute. I have also worked with large and small companies and industry groups interested in promoting a more environmentally friendly industry in developing the application side of the TAML activators.
In one field trial, a 25 gallon sample was taken from the dyeing jig shown in the picture above after the dyeing operation was complete (jigs of this type hold 100 gal of dye bath solution). The sample in the blue plastic drum was then treated with the TAML activator and hydrogen peroxide. The vials shown at the bottom of the figure correspond to the starting dye bath solution (left), the dye bath solution after transfer to the fabric (middle vial), and the spent dye bath solution ater treatment with the TAML activator and H2O2. A color reduction of 40% was achieved.
On March 29, 2005, the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance in collaboration with the Advanced Technology & Manufacturing Center (ATMC) at UMass - Dartmouth demonstrated for the first time publicly the application of TAML® chemistry in an industrial setting.