Microplastics refer to plastic fibers, particles or films less than 5 mm in diameter. Textile microplastics are an important form of microplastics, which can harm the ecological environment and human health. This paper studies the relationship between textile microplastic shedding and fabric structure to reduce microplastics pollution and reduce its impact on humans and the natural environment. Firstly, household washing is simulated by considering the main fabric type, the number of steel balls used in the washing, washing temperature, washing time and other influencing factors. An orthogonal test of the mixing level of the four factors is designed by selecting the fabric type, the number of steel balls used in washing, washing temperature and washing time, and the influencing factors is analyzed, and the best washing scheme is obtained. Then, under optimal washing conditions, the three factors and three levels of orthogonal test are designed to analyze the influence of fabric structure and external factors on the shedding of microplastics by changing the amounts of friction and insolation time. The results show that the microplastics released by knitted fabrics are significantly more under the same washing conditions than that of woven fabrics. Satin fabrics released the most microplastics and plain fabrics the least. In addition, among the external factors, the amount of friction significantly affects the production of microplastics.
Keywords: fabric structure; home washing; microplastic; release; synthetic fiber.