Italian Apulia & Canepa launch ecological textile project

According to a press release issued by Canepa, the Ministry of Economic Development of Apulia would be funding the research project to fully test the Kitotex technology developed by Canepa last year, which aims to develop a sustainable method of weaving high quality textiles with minimum consumption of water.

Under the project, titled ‘Financial agreement (European structural funds) Kitotex / SaveTheWater’, Canepa, along with the support of the National Research Council-Milan-ISMAC Biella and CNR-Itia Milan-Bari, would carry out tests on samples of fabric for approximately 160,000 meters of fabric with chitosan (a polymer that is made from food waste) cross-linked with ultra-violet rays, produced in the Melpignano city of the region.

Canepa would then develop an engineering study with the help of CNR-Bari for manufacturing sizing and spooling machineries which are suitable for the Kitotex process.

The Kitotex process—developed by Canepa under its SaveTheWater campaign—provides a new preparation method for weaving yarns of superfine valuable fibers such as cashmere, camel, merino wool, silk, etc by means of a new technique called ‘sizing’ with the use of chitosan, a polymer that is made from food waste.

The technology allows a 60 percent reduction in water consumption in manufacturing thin natural fibers, with the use of chitosan, and also allows improving the dye affinities of the fabric by correcting the quality of the colors.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India