Utilization of sustainable biopolymers in textile processing

Abstract Textile processing is usually accompanied by high environmental pollution, high energy, water, and chemical-consuming processes. Therefore, the requirements for development of sustainable biopolymers used in textile industry are continuously increased. Biopolymers attracted considerable attention as a new generation of smart textile materials produced from renewable sources, e.g., cellulose, chitosan, alginates, and poly(lactic acid). These bio-based sources are characterized by safety, eco-friendly, biodegradability, and low price with commercial availability. Biopolymers can participate in the different processes of textile industry, e.g., fiber production, and using them as alternative for the hazardous chemicals used in different textile processing steps, e.g., pretreatment and finishing. Great efforts have been conducted to produce bio-textile products that can fit with the future requirements such as high quality and obtaining textile substrates with various potential functionalities, e.g., antibacterial, flame retardant, UV protection, electric conductivity, super-hydrophobicity. This chapter will focus on the use of the sustainable biopolymers in different steps of textile industry.