A method of treating a fiber includes admixing a fiber comprising a polymer comprising at least one of a vinyl acetate moiety or a vinyl alcohol moiety and having a degree of hydrolysis less than 100% with a hydrolysis agent solution to form a mixture so as to increase the degree of hydrolysis of at least a portion of the fiber.

A method of treating a fiber includes admixing a fiber comprising a polymer comprising at least one of a vinyl acetate moiety or a vinyl alcohol moiety and having a degree of hydrolysis less than 100% with a hydrolysis agent solution to form a mixture so as to increase the degree of hydrolysis of at least a portion of the fiber.

A manufacturing method for an antibacterial fiber includes the following steps. A dipping step is performed to soak a conductive fiber in a solution, in which the solution includes an ionic compound, and the ionic compound includes a metal cation. An oxidation step is performed by using the conductive fiber as an anode, such that an antibacterial material produced by the solution is adhered to a surface of the conductive fiber, in which the antibacterial material includes a metal oxide.

A method for processing a cotton-containing textile waste includes: separating cotton fibers from a batch of the textile waste; pretreating the cotton fibers by soaking in a hydroxide-ion-containing solution to obtain a mixture including pretreated carbon fibers; removing a liquid portion from the mixture to obtain the pretreated carbon fibers; subjecting the pretreated carbon fibers to enzymatic hydrolysis to form a sugary juice containing glucose; and e) adding the liquid portion as part of the hydroxide-ion-containing solution for pretreating the cotton fibers separated from a next batch of the textile waste.

In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a modified fabric composition, the composition comprising a fabric member and an electroactive member for storing energy, wherein the fabric member comprises a fabric framework defining a deformable plane and a plurality of projections extending at an angle from the plane, and wherein the electroactive member is coupled to at least one of the projections.

Described are methods and systems for cationizing and dyeing a natural fiber-containing textile, which uses a mono- or di-quaternized cationizing agent. The method includes a step of heating the textile to a temperature in the range of 90° C. to less than 110° C. for a period of time in the range of 1 min to 10 min to react the cationizing agent with the textile. The cationization step in the presence of heat using the halogenated cationization agent of the invention facilitates improved dyeing.

Described are methods and systems for cationizing and dyeing a natural fiber-containing textile, which uses a mono- or di-quaternized cationizing agent. The method includes a step of heating the textile to a temperature in the range of 90° C. to less than 110° C. for a period of time in the range of 1 min to 10 min to react the cationizing agent with the textile. The cationization step in the presence of heat using the halogenated cationization agent of the invention facilitates improved dyeing.

The invention relates to a polymeric fabric comprising an outer functional layer having hydrophobic and oleophobic characteristics made of a first compound, and a second functional layer having hydrophobic characteristics made of a second compound, wherein the first and the second compound differ from each other. Further the outer functional layer at least partly coats the second layer. Additionally, the invention relates to a method of producing a polymeric fabric and an apparatus for producing a polymeric fabric.

A fiber having a surface region and an interior region includes a polymer comprising at least one of a vinyl acetate moiety or a vinyl alcohol moiety, the fiber having a transverse cross-section including the interior region comprising the polymer having a first degree of hydrolysis and the surface region comprising the polymer having a second degree of hydrolysis greater than the first degree of hydrolysis.

A method of producing a functionalized material that extracts metal ions from solution, the method comprising: (i) providing a precursor material having nitrile groups appended to its surface; and (ii) reacting said nitrile groups with hydroxylamine or a derivative thereof in the presence of a polar aprotic solvent at a temperature of 60-80° C. for at least 1 hour, to convert at least a portion of said nitrile groups to amidoxime and imide dioxime groups, followed by reaction with a base capable of hydrolyzing any remaining nitrile groups to carboxylic acid groups; wherein said functionalized material has a higher uranium absorption capacity than a functionalized material produced under same conditions except that the nitrile groups are reacted with hydroxylamine in only a protic solvent. The invention is also directed to functionalized materials produced by the above-described method, and methods for using the functionalized material for extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.