Diapositiva 1
TEXTILE FINISHING INDUSTRYIN GERMANY
The textile industry has played an important role in the
development of human civilisation over several millennia.Coal,
iron/steel and cotton were the principal materials upon which the
industrial revolution was based.
World-wide production of cotton and synthetic fibres and world
population since 1750.
In the past ten years Germany lost about one third of its
textile production.Finishing of woven fabrics has the highest
percentage of the overall production amount followed by finishing
of yarn, knit fabric and textile printing.
Production of the textile finishing industry in Germany
(1989-1998); the class other textile finishing covers production of
ribbons, thermo-printing, coating and laminating.
The distribution of the quantities of different product sectors
of the most important textile substrates (fibre types) processed in
Germany in 1999.The synthetic fibres (including staple and filament
viscose fibres) dominate the kind of processedt extile
substrates.Even for garments the percentage of synthetic fibres is
about 50% whereas their predominant role in the sub-sector of
technical textile is not surprising.
The drastic decrease of production inthe past tenzears
correlates with employment. In addition increased productivity was
also leading to less employment.Employment in the both in whole
German textilei ndustry and textile finishing industry reduced
nearly three times from 1980 to 1998.
Employment in the German textile industry.
Since the eighties the foreign trade deficit grew drastically
reflecting the difficult economic environment Germany has to
face.Many industries can hardly compete with standard quality
products.Thus many industries go for specialities and high quality
products.
Import andexport of textile to/of Germany 1980 - 1998.
The cost for consumption of materials (especially expenses
forcolorants, textile auxiliaries and basic chemicals) and
personnel costs play the prominent role.Other costs include
services from other industries and craft companies, energy costs
and also environmental costs like wastewater fees, fees for
solidwaste disposal, operation costs for wastewater (pre-)treatment
plants, etc.
The percentage of 8% is relevant but not highly significant.The
most important environmental cost factor is for water supply and
waste- water disposal.
Similar industries can be compared.
In addition, on base of organic carbon, a quantitative
comparision of emissions to water and to air is possible.A complete
MASS STREAM OVERVIEW for textile finishing industries allows the
calculation of input and emission factors.
In the textile finishing industries wastewater discharge is of
highest envrionmental relevance.
It contains most of the chemical load, the emission to air
especially from stenter frames in case of raw fixation of synthetic
fibres or final finishing) and energy consumption.
In addition attention has to be paid to storage and handling of
chemicals and minimisation and disposal of solid wastes.
The chemical input is up to 1 kg/kg processed textiles which is
high. Most of them are released to wastewater.Concerning the
organic load, 20-100 g organic carbon/kg processed textiles are
emitted which is 15-250 times higher than emissionsto air. The
emissions to water are predominant.
During textilefinishing heating of water and air is required and
electricity for running the machines.In addition energy is needed
for drying operations.
The percentage of energy consmption of the textile finishing
industry with respect to the overall energy consumption of all
German industrial sectors is in the order of 1%.
Considering the total annual production overall specific energy
consumption factors can be calculated. The latter indicates that
the specific consumption remainded on a rather high level and could
not be reduced during fifteen years.
