Colours and Dyes in Processes of Ecologically Acceptable Sustainable Development

Title:                   Colours and Dyes in Processes of Ecologically
                          Acceptable Sustainable Development
Project funding:   Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports
Code:                  117-1171419-1401
Project Leader:     Prof. Durdica Parac-Osterman, Ph.D.

Project Summary:

Scientific contribution to sustainable development relies on unlimited support of basic, developing and employable research. Therefore, selection of multi-functional dyes (UV protection, antibacterial protection, micro capsules of multi-functional performance), applying nano-technology in the dyeing processes with the aim of preventing water contamination, development of new methods as well as purifying dyed wastewaters contribute to sustainable development. Both input and output parameters of water will be controlled throughout the entire dyeing process: amount of residual dye in dye-bath using Lamber-Beer absorption model; X, Y, Z standard spectral characteristics of colour defined by specific absorption coefficient SAC and water quality defined by BOD5, COD, TOC, AOX, electrical conductivity and other defining values.
System of control comprising advance models of control such as fuzzy logic (model based on rules) and model based on physical and chemical processes will be developed and applied. Capital area of research will involve models of dyeing processes, colour control and its correlation to dye as well as the interactive system of dye control. Models should describe and predict kinetics, reactivity, affinity, exhaustion, fixation and interaction of solutions containing various dyestuffs. Prediction of output process result as well as definition of both physical and chemical parameters crucial for controlling the process will be conducted based on afore-mentioned models. These models encompass kinetic models (according to Nernst and Langmuir) modified for interactions between dyestuff on fibre and in the solution.
Interdisciplinarity of dye within the system of sustainable development is based on spectral characteristics of colour as the fundament model dependent of the employment conditions. Instrumental measurement of colour is involved in all industrial production processes: textile technology, design, graphic industry and elsewhere which enables implementing control and colour harmonization. Application of evolutionary algorithms for modeling computer aided design of textiles based on principals of examinee’s subjective evaluation. Methods of descriptive statistics as well as methods of statistic reasoning will be applied within the frame of statistic analysis.
Scientific affirmation of research results will be computer simulation as well as in vivo confirmation. Results will be publicized in adequate scientific journals and introduced on world congresses. Main goal of the project will be scientific contribution to sustainable development directed towards selection of multi-functional dyes, employment of nano-technology within dyeing processes and colour as a system of communication.