Materials, Services and Technologies

Test Fabrics

Detergency studies only focused on technology assessment use standardised stained test fabrics with unreal level of stains applied onto unreal substrates, final results help to discriminate technologies and detergent ingredient concentrations, but have no correlation with consumer realities. DETERTEC approach on test fabrics is to offer relevant level of soils and stains on relevant substrates so as to mimic as close as possible, actual washing results that consumer evaluate visually after some washing/drying process.

DINGY-CL™. Test fabric with redeposited body and ambient soils, and light-induced yellowished. A clean dingy fabrics, that represent not-new-garments ready to wear (not ready to wash). Yellowish, reddish, greenish, bluish or greyish shaded fabric according to specific market realities.

DINGY-SD™. Soiled dingy test fabric with fresh body and ambient soils. A uniformly soiled dingy test fabrics that represent a soiled-worn-garments ready to wash but not stained. Yellowish or greyish cast is applied onto a shaded dingy fabric DINGY-CL.

DINGY-TN™. Stained dingy test fabric with relevant coloured stains. A soiled dingy test fabric with localised stained areas that represents stained-worn-garments ready to wash. Several relevant stains are applied manually at real concentrations levels onto a soiled dingy fabrics DINGY-SD.

A special case: the collar and cuffs stain.

DETERTEC's approach to develop these relevant models of fabrics has been not only an extensive research on chemical constituents, physical characteristics and levels of concentration of soil and stains on fabrics, but also, and primarily, an extensive characterisations of advanced spectral properties of real new, dingy and stained fabrics from the real consumer market using a custom-built spectrofluorimeter specially designed for this purpose.

Outsourcing Laboratory

We offer private outsourced laboratory studies to evaluate different aspects involved in product, garment or washing process performance, both in first and repeated washes. Our research strategies use standardised and innovative methods, taking into account actual laundering conditions and relies on a broad statistical base during its design, execution and data analysis. Studies include, among others:

hand-washing (with or without soaking, dispersive or non-dispersive scrubbing, scrubbing by hand or by brush), machine washing (top or horizontal loaders) or combined procedures;

the use of bars (soaps, synthetics or combinations), powder, liquid, tablets, or paste detergents;

indoor or out-door drying (direct or diffuse full controlled natural sun radiation)

Final evaluations are based on instrumental data and/or sensorial responses provided by consumers and/or trained panels, taking as a point of reference consumer's actual evaluation criteria as well as the visual laundry scenarios in which evaluations occur. Special attention has been put to conduct instrumental evaluation of washing results with relevance to visual assessment by consumer's eyes.

Measurands, technical parameters and system for data acquisition during laundering (SDAL)

Spectroscopy Technologies

Based on recent developments on photonics and thin film technologies as well as on in-house data processing scripts using JMP software, DETERTEC has integrated several hardware and software components from different suppliers focused to conduct spectrometric measurements as close as possible to real energy interaction found in the market. Absolute spectrometric measurements are rested on in-house calibration procedures traceable to international standards.

Laundry visual scenarios characterisation. Simultaneous absolute spectroradiometry at washing environments. Full characterisation of natural and artificial source of illuminations at critical moments when consumer conduct visual evaluations before, during and after laundry, as well as scenario luminance measurement at eye's level.

Soiled, stained and washed fabric characterisation. Non contact spectrofluorimetry of dried fabrics before and after the washes. Absolute radiation measurement coming from dried fabrics capable to reach consumer eye's. It include measurements of actual soiled fabrics like collar and cuffs areas before and after the wash.

Consumer visual experiences during washing. Non contact spectrofluorimetry of wet stained/soiled dingy fabrics in the washing liquor. The fabric is immersed in the washing liquor and the sensor is place in or out the washing liquor. Focused to understand consumer visual experiences during the laundry, mainly when consumers conduct visual assessments at the beginning or at the end of the soaking process, in hand washing markets. For some market realities, that consumer perception is linked to final consumer value.

Natural sun radiometry and transmittance properties. Absolute spectroradiometry of natural ultraviolet and visible radiation, and 'in vitro' evaluations of sun-protection technologies. Measurements of direct, diffuse and global sun irradiance in the range of 280nm to 800nm. Calculation of sun and ultraviolet protection factors.

JMP™ is a trade mark of SAS, Cary, NC, USA. www.jmp.com

Computer-based Technologies

Rapid changes in computational capabilities at affordable prices are offering new alternatives to 'in silico' R&D activities. Materials, consumers and their interactions are now capable to be virtualised, specially, thanks to recent mathematical models of consumer perceptions. DETERTEC has built innovative systems based on the powerful scripting and graphical capabilities of JMP software.

Modelling consumer's cleanliness and whiteness perceptions. An analytic and geometric modelling procedures to develop customised stain removal indexes and whiteness formulas that correlates with consumer perceptual quantities. An analytical model approach, in the sense that we start to model defining general mathematical expressions, which are functions of colour attributes perceptions like: lightness, red-green opponency and blue-yellow opponency. Geometric modelling systems are also applied, thanks to recent development on interactive 3D graphic capabilities. Using a geometric modelling approach in combination with analytical models, it is possible to shape quadric functions like: two-sheets elliptic hyperboloids and ellipsoids, to reach levels of correlation or more than 95% with consumer responses.

LaundryVisualSim™. A novel mesoscale modelling and simulation system of consumer visual assessment of washing results at relevant visual scenarios. Consumer-focused detergency virtual R&D. An 'in silico' approach applied to laundry products R&D, that simulates fabrics spectroscopy changes during one or multiple washing process, and predict different consumer cleanliness and whiteness perception responses when evaluating washing results under a multitude of laundry scenarios. Strong flexibility is the key component to keep relevancy in a worldwide base. An incredible powerful tool to conduct virtual R&D focused to increase efficiency and productivity of our clients, with tremendous savings in time and money.

JMP™ is a trade mark of SAS, Cary, NC, USA. www.jmp.com

Professional Training

Private high-level training courses and workshops are offered in areas related to the washing processes and optical spectroscopy. Fundamentals of each area as well as the latest developments and innovations are discussed and analysed, using a highly participatory methodology that allows in-depth consideration of each topic.

Hands-On Courses. Structured three-days programs to cover state-of-art applied topics on detergency, spectroscopy and vision science, with ample scientific references.

Customised Workshops. Short training one-day programs customised to specific client needs in the Consumer Industry.

References and Attendees Evaluation. A list of companies from around the world that have participated on DETERTEC's training programs, and a general evaluation graded by attendees.