Department of Polymer, Textile and Industrial Engineering
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Item Characterisation and evaluation of pulp and paper from selected Ugandan grasses for paper industry.(Cellulose Chemistry and Technology, 2014) Kamoga, Omar L; Kirabira, J B; Byaruhanga, J K; Godiyal, R D; Anupam KumarThe consumption of paper worldwide has escalated by 400 percent in the last 4 decades and around 4 billion trees are cut across the globe for pulp and paper mills on every continent.1 This has caused global deforestation and forest degradation, creating an ecological and climatic imbalance, in addition to making homeless 300 million people who consider forests their home around the globe.2 Realizing such severe consequences, major pulp and paper producing companies worldwide have considered not to cut down natural forests any longer,3 while groups of researchers in pulp and paper are working towards exploring non-wood lignocellulosic materials and recyclable fibres for assessment and expansion of their pulp and papermaking capability.4 Non-wood fibrous materials and recycled fibres offer a great opportunity to decrease or even replace the use of wood fibres.5 In recent years, the attention has been focused on g rasses6 and the hope of many countries, including Uganda, with insufficient forest resources lies in grasses for production of any virgin pulp. Uganda, a country spread on 236,040 km2 with a population of about 35 million, has a forest cover estimated at 14% of the land surface and it is decreasing at a rate of 2% per year due to increasing population, which relies on agriculture for survival and much on wood for energy. 7 Nevertheless, Uganda is blessed with conducive equatorial type climate, which is ideal for the growth of many types of grasses that stand as potential raw materials for paper industry. These highly prospective grasses need to be investigated. Currently, many grasses are regarded as bothersome weeds in gardens and as a burden to farmers during the planting seasons. In urban areas, grasses that are cleared from compounds burden municipal authorities, in terms of their disposal since they don’t bring any economic benefits to most communities.Item Antimicrobial potential of essential oil from Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (P. caribaea) sap.(Nature portfolios, 2025) Musinguzi, Alex; Kanene, Levi Brian; Kamalha, EdwinThe majority of hand sanitizers now in use include synthetic fragrances and chemical additives that pose substantial risks to human health and the environment. Ingredients like triclosan are linked to carcinogenesis, endocrine disruption, allergies, and antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to determine the constituents in pine (Pinus caribaea (P. caribaea) var. hondurensis sap and extract essential oil to be assessed for its bioactive components and antibacterial potential. Phytochemical screening of the sap was done using a qualitative method and the sap was found to contain flavonoids and alkaloids while tannins, anthraquinones and saponins were absent. Essential oil was obtained from the P. caribaea sap using the hydro-distillation process. In the GC–MS analysis that was carried out on the essential oil, it was found that the oil contained 23 bioactive compounds with the highest concentration being Sabinen (34.24%), β-Pinene (24.82%) and α-Thujene (11.5%). Other compounds such as Anethole, Linalool, Isolongifolol acetate, Camphene, Cyclopentene, γ-Terpinen, Fenchol, allo-Ocimene, Isopulegol, Levomenthol, Borneol, Citronellol, α-Longipinene and Caryophyllene were present in relatively small amounts. Assessment of the agar plates revealed that the essential oil did not show inhibitory activity to Escherichia coli (wild), E. coli (ATCC 25,922), Staphylococcus aureus (wild), S. aureus (ATCC 25,923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (wild) and P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27,853). Whereas the essential oil did not show inhibitory activity, more studies should be carried out to evaluate the potential of essential oil from Pinus sap in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. Keywords: Antimicrobial formulation, Pnus caribaea sapItem Wet wipes from Citrus limon sanitizer and banana fiber nonwovens.(Nature portfolios, 2025) Kamalha, Edwin; Kanene, Levi Brian; Musinguzi, AlexWhereas sanitizing wipes are among the strategies for combatting COVID-19, there are growing concerns concerning their disposal, due to majority of them being made of non-biodegradable fibres. Additionally, majority of the sanitizing solutions used are associated with irritations and some are carcinogenic. In this study, banana wipes, impregnated with an organic antimicrobial formulation were developed to counter the unbiodegradable wipes made of synthetic fibres and impregnated with toxic antimicrobial formulations. A spunlaced non-woven fabric made from 100% banana fibres was impregnated with a commercial formulation containing essential oils from lemon, eucalyptus, cedar and orange. The impregnated banana fabric wipe exhibited antimicrobial activity against all tested bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli (both ATCC 25,922 and the wild strain), Staphylococcus aureus (both ATCC 25,923 and the wild strain), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (both ATCC 27,853 and the wild strain), with inhibition zones ranging from 10.00±1.00 mm to 13.67±1.16 mm, compared to the standard 14.00 mm. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the fabric showed that the tensile strength in the wet state increased by 4.29% and 20.41% in both the machine and cross directions respectively. Given that synthetic fibres are used in wipes to achieve a high wet tensile strength since most cellulosic fibres become weaker and disintegrate when wet, it can be concluded that banana fibres can be effectively used in wipes application given that they are biodegradable and are stronger when wet. Keywords: Sanitizing wipes, Banana pseudo-stem, COVID-19, Biodegradability, Bio-based, Nonwoven, Plant extractItem Sequential addition synthesis of guar gum based ternary hydrogels with kinetic asymmetry in drug release.(Nature portfolio, 2025) Ghani, Ambreen; Atif, Muhammad; Saleem, Sahar; Musinguzi, Alex; Hussain, Erum Akbar; Assiri, Mohammed Ali; Faroqui, Muhammad AsadCurrently, biomedical engineering is placing significant emphasis on hydrogels due to their exceptional capabilities in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, tissue adhesion, blood clot prevention, contrast imaging, safeguarding tissues or organs during radiotherapy, and enhancing the biocompatibility of medical implants. This study explores a temperature-controlled sequential addition method to synthesize pH responsive guar gum-sodium alginate hydrogels with PVA as third component. Obtained hydrogels have been observed with kinetic asymmetry in drug release at specific pH. The sequential addition method has augmented thermal stability of products by allowing for distinct crosslinking patterns in the hydrogels produced. Kinetic assymetry of in-vitro drug release has been observed, specifically depending upon drug hydrogel interaction as hydrogen bonding. The blends that were prepared with higher sodium alginate (NaA) contents demonstrated 1st order drug release kinetics due to highest swelling and fast ionic dissociation leads to fast drug release, whereas samples with higher guargum (GG) ratio in compositions presented zero order kinetics due to compact structure and sustained swelling. The maximum drug release achieved within 12 h was 92% in intestine at 7.4 (colon pH), which was subsequently characterized by non-Fickian diffusion due to polymer relaxation. Keywords Controlled release, Diffusion, pH stimulated hydrogels, Drug delivery, Processing optimizationItem Experimental evaluation of bio-based materials in epoxidation techniques.(Wiley, 2025) Shah, Syed Zulqarnain; Atif, Muhammad; Imran, Muhammad; Musinguzi, Alex; Fatima, Jawairia; Dilawaiz; Abrar, Maria; Haider, Hafz ZeshanEpoxy composites as per their excellent adhesive behavior, mechanical strength, electrical insulation, and chemical resistance have been utilized in a number of applications and constitute a major chunk of polymer industry. Epoxy, since ages, has been derived from petrochemicals which has been a major source of environmental pollution and has drawn a limit at various applications. Tis datum highlights the dire need of bio-based materials, for their nontoxic, eco-friendly, economical, and renewable behavior. To counter the pollution factor associated with petrochemical-derived epoxies, various epoxidation strategies on bio-based materials have been reported with designed reagents (catalyst, acid, enzyme, or metal). This review has been compiled for latest progressions in epoxidation approaches of bio-based materials, considering them as potentially ecofriendly green replacements of petrochemical resources. It has a lot of information of usage of bio-waste and their property. The thermal and photocuring discussed with the diferent techniques. In thermal technique hardening agent which gave epoxy the defnite structure and in photocuring PI agent used for curing and making them polymer but they showed crucial efect on environment. After that other bio-based epoxidation (BBEP) strategical techniques introduced such as hypochlorination (most primitive technique at small scale and gave 93% selectivity with minimum by-products), homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, chemoenzymatic method, and metal catalyzed reactions have been compared in this review based on chemistry involved in epoxidation reaction. This article summarizes a large number of precursors, reagents, and reaction conditions for a wide variety of end products and applications, allowing the reader to see experimental alternatives and their potential benefits in a single place. Keywords: bio-based materials; catalysis; epoxidation; epoxy curing; vegetable oilsItem Paradigm shift in orthopedic implants from metals to polymers.(Springer, 2025) Atif, Muhammad; Shoukat, Sana; Imran, Muhammad; Alex, MusinguziThe creation of highly biocompatible advanced materials for use in orthopedics has long been a goal. Because of this need, orthopedic implants have progressed from metals to polymeric composites. Ancient orthopedic implants were mostly metals, but in the present age, advanced new materials in orthopedic surgery and prostheses have broadened the available options. Alternative forms of treatment are becoming increasingly possible with the upgrade of mechanical properties and improved quality of materials. The mechanical performance of advanced material is rationalized including tensile and flexural strength, elastic modulus, and wear resistance to assess their suitability for orthopedic applications. In recent eras, the novelty in research includes the use of reinforced polymer-based composite due to mechanical strength and stress shielding close to real human bone. Also, a comparative analysis of natural and synthetic reinforcement in composites proves that the former is biocompatible, eco-friendly, and economically cost-effective. The bioactivity of composites can be improved by surface modification with bio-coating to promote enhanced biomedical performance. This literature review contains data on different types of materials for prosthetic devices. It outlines mechanical and biological factors favoring material selection, particularly epoxy, for improved physiological functions of the human body, along with economic considerations influencing orthopedic surgery. Keywords Epoxy · Orthopedic · Biomedical application · Bone replacement · ImplantsItem Optimization design of cycling clothes’ patterns based on digital clothing pressures.(Shanghai, 2016) Liu, Kaixuan; Kamalha, Edwin; Wang, Jianping; Agrawal, Tarun-KumarEnormous research has focused on the analysis of garment wear-comfort using clothing pressure; however, optimization of clothing pressure based garment comfort has remained elusive. In this context, we propose a new method to optimize cycling clothes’ patterns based on the difference of static-to-dynamic clothing pressure (DSDCP). Firstly, we mapped 53 measuring points on an upper cycling garment on which we measured garment pressures in both static and dynamic conditions. We then analyzed DSDCP to find the rightful garment patterns to adjust according to the analyzed results. A garment optimization degree (OD) is proposed to carry out a quantitative analysis for garment comfort optimization. Finally, two upper cycling garments were made according to the original patterns and optimized patterns. A comparative analysis through cyclist wear trials of the cycling garments to test the optimization effect was done. Results show that our proposed method improves dynamic wear comfort significantly. Moreover, the optimized upper cycling garment, offers additional improvement of dynamic wear comfort.Item Nanocellulose coated woven jute/green epoxy composites : characterization of mechanical and dynamic mechanical behavior.(Elsevier, 2016) Jabbar, Abdul; Militký, Jiř í; Jakub, Wiener; Bandu, Madhukar Kale; Usman, Ali; Rwawiire, SamsonThis paper presents the preparation and characterization of nanocellulose coated woven jute/green epoxy composites. Waste jute fibers were used as precursor to purify and extract nanocellulose by chemical treatments. The prepared suspensions with 3, 5 and 10 wt% of nanocellulose were coated over jute fabric followed by preparation of composites by compression molding technique. The surface morphologies of treated jute fibers, jute cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), nanocellulose coated jute fabrics and fractured surfaces of composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystallinity of jute fibers after different chemical treatments was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of nanocellulose coating over jute reinforcement on the tensile, flexural, fracture toughness and dynamic mechanical properties of prepared composites has been investigated. Fracture toughness was measured using single end notched bend (SENB) specimens and dynamic mechanical test was performed in three point bending mode. The results revealed the improvement in tensile Samson modulus, flexural properties and fracture toughness except the decrease in tensile strength of nanocellulose coated woven jute/green epoxy composites as compared to uncoated jute composite. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) results also showed the increase in storage modulus and reduction in tangent delta peak height of nanocellulose coated jute composites. Keywords: Jute fibers, nanocellulose coating, mechanical properties, fracture toughness, dynamic mechanical analysis.Item Parametric design of garment flat based on body dimension.(Elsevier, 2016) Liu, Kaixuan ,; Zeng, Xianyi; Wang, Jianping; Tao, Xuyuan; Xua, Jun; Jiang, Xiaowen; Ren, Jun; Kamalha, Edwin; Agrawal, Tarun-Kumar; Bruniaux, PascalGarment flats have a wide application in product development production and designing stages. However, the traditional drawing methods of garment flat are very time-consuming, and need professional drawing skills. In this paper, a parametric design method was proposed based on body dimension to draw garment flats. The relations among human body, flats and garment show that a garment flat has a close relation with human body and real garment. Graphic analysis shows that a garment flat is constrained by two kinds of parameters: geometric and dimensional parameters. Then, the parametric relation model between garment flat and human body dimensions was constructed. According to the parametric relation model, all the dimensions of a garment flat can be represented by several dimensional parameters and style parameters. Finally, an application program (JFRS, 2016) based on the proposed method was developed to generate garment flats. The result shows that the proposed method is more effective than traditional methods. Moreover, the engineering design methods have been successfully applied to improve design efficiency in artistic design in this research. This is a novel research idea in the field of fashion design, and could be further applied in other design domains.Item Fuzzy classification of young women's lower body based on anthropometric measurement.(Elsevier, 2016) Liu, Kaixuan; Wang, Jianping; Tao, Xuyuan; Zeng, Xianyi; Bruniaux, Pascal; Kamalha, EdwinThe traditional method of body classification is discrete, using crisp and rather dichotomous classification methods; there are many shortcomings for ergonomic design of clothing products by this method. This paper proposes a fuzzy method to classify lower body shapes based on triangular fuzzy numbers. By using factor analysis and correlation analysis, we found that the height, the waist girth, and the difference of hip-waist are crucial dimensions to represent lower body shape. We then classified the lower body shape into three categories according to the difference of hip-to-waist, and finally used the membership of triangular fuzzy numbers to represent the lower body shapes. Results show that the fuzzy method of body classification can more accurately represents body information than the traditional method without increasing the number of body types. Additionally, we established that the mean of the height, waist girth and hip girth of the young women of northeast China increased by about 0.8 cm, 1.5 cm and 1.4 cm respectively compared with ten years ago. Relevance to industry: Anthropometric data is the basis of garment pattern design, and body classification is a necessary precondition for developing a garment size system. These research achievements will add value to the pattern design of young women's lower body clothing, the development of new sizing systems and related industries.Item Classification and measure of quantitative difference between polyester and cotton fabrics based on sensory analysis.(GEMTEX Laboratory, ENSAIT, Université Lille 1, 2016) Kamalha, Edwin; Koehl, Ludovic; Campagne, ChristineThe proportion of global fiber consumption of cotton has steadily fallen from over 80% in the early 50’s, to about 32% to date, while polyester now dominates at about 54%. PET competes with cotton in global apparel share, BOTH averaging between 31% and 36% since 2010 [1]. The exclusive use of PET in apparel is still limited due to some inferior properties, including sensory related. Textile sensory attributes may relate to: tactility, moisture, pressure, temperature, aesthetics, and acoustics; all influenced by characteristics of fiber, yarn, fabric, and finishing [2-4]. PET has good moisture wicking properties, and is well priced. Considering sustainability, polyester production requires less land and water to cotton. The lifecycle assessment of cotton and polyester has been detailed with pros and cons for both cotton and PET [5]. Sensory evaluation is premised on the competence of humans, to execute objective measurements of sensations. Studies have been undertaken to develop and use instruments to measure sensory related attributes [6-8]. But, measured parameters cannot directly reflect human sensation in a precise way. Multivariate analysis and methods based on intelligent techniques (e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic) have been used to model fabric sensory attributes, in relation to process parameters and instrumental measurements [9-10]. Intelligent algorithms, which we partly employed, are particularly robust and effective, as they imitate the human process of intuition through pair-wise comparisons.Item Effect of enzyme and plasma treatments of bark cloth from ficus natalensis : morphology and thermal behavior.(The Journal of the Textile Institute, 2015) Rwawiire, Samson; Tomkova, Blanka; Weiner, Jakub; Militky, JiriUtilization of natural vegetable fibers as fillers in polymer composites is on the rise due to numerous advantages such as low specific weight, renewability, greenhouse gas emission mitigation, and less energy requirement in processing compared to synthetic fibers.Bark cloth is a naturally occurring non-woven fabric,produced in Uganda from majorly three tree species: Antiaris toxicaria, Ficus brachypoda, and Ficus natalensis. The most commonly used species is F. natalensis which after various processing routes is used in art and design to produce fashion articles. For efficient processing and mechanical properties of natural fiber-reinforced composite structures, there is a need for fiber surface treatment in order to enhance fiber to matrix adhesion and the wettability of the fibers. Bark cloth being a natural fibrous non-woven fabric, the surface microfibers have plant material in the form of flakes and waxes for which if the fabric were to effectively undergo further processing, there is a need of dissolving the impurities.Item Dyeing and stiffness characteristics of cellulose-coated cotton fabric.(Springer Science, 2016) Kale, Bandu Madhukar; Wiener, Jakub; Militky, Jiri; Rwawiire, Samson; Mishra, Rajesh; Abdul, JabbarIn this study, the effect of cellulose coating on dyeing and other properties of cotton fabric was investigated. Three different reactive dyes were used for dyeing coated cotton fabric. The effect of cellulose coating on the dyeing properties of cotton fabric was studied by determining the K/S values of coated substrate at different concentrations of cellulose and dye. The K/S value decreased by 40–60 % with increasing coating concentration of cellulose from 0 to 5 %. The results show that the stiffness was increased from 0.16 to 2.50 N/m by coating of cellulose on the surface of cotton fabric. The stiffness was permanent as confirmed by ten multiple washings. Mechanical properties remained excellent. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the amount of cellulose II increased slightly after solvent treatment. Fastness properties of cellulose-coated cotton fabrics against rubbing, washing, and perspiration were good.Item Characterization of functionalized carbon dots derived from banana peels for enhanced adsorption of anionic dyes from textile waste water.(Busitema University, 2026) Kichoncho, FrancisFreshwater contamination from textile effluents remains a major environmental challenge due to the persistence of synthetic reactive dyes. In this study, ethylenediamine-functionalized carbon dots (EDA-CDs) were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal process using banana peel biomass and evaluated for adsorption of anionic reactive dyes. A full factorial experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time on dye removal efficiency Characterization techniques (FTIR, XRD, and SEM) indicated the formation of amorphous nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures containing abundant surface functional groups. Adsorption performance reached a maximum removal efficiency of 91.89% under optimized conditions. ANOVA results revealed that contact time was the most significant factor influencing adsorption, followed by initial dye concentration and adsorbent dosage (p < 0.05). Kinetic data fitted best with the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 93.4%), indicating surface-controlled adsorption, while Langmuir isotherm provided a better equilibrium fit than Freundlich, suggesting monolayer adsorption on homogeneous sites. The study demonstrates that banana peel-derived EDA-functionalized carbon dots are efficient, low-cost, and sustainable adsorbents for reactive dye removal and offer strong potential for wastewater treatment applications.Item Synthesis of chitosan modified rotten bagasse biochar for lead (ii) ions removal from industrial paint wastewater(Busitema university, 2026) Mutyaba, Fahadi; Latabo, JacqulineLead (II) ions presence in industrial wastewater poses a critical environmental and public health challenge where paint manufacturing industries discharge effluents containing lead concentration as high as 3.88mg/L far exceeding the NEMA permissible limit of 01mg/L and the WHO drinking water guideline of 0.01mg/L. conversional remediation techniques such as chemical precipitation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis and electrochemical reduction are effective but very costly, energy intensive and produce possible secondary pollutants creating an urgent need for low-cost, locally viable and environmentally sustainable alternatives. This study therefore synthesised and evaluated a chitosan modified rotten bagasse biochar as an adsorbent for the selective and efficient removal of lead (II) ions from real industrial paint wastewater. Sugar cane was subjected to anaerobic biodegradation for 2 months to enhance porosity and mineral content, then pyrolysed under limited oxygen at 600℃ for 2 hours to produce RBB which was subsequently modified with chitosan. The bio composite adsorbent was characterised using SEM-EDX and FTIR which revealed the presence of mineral elements due to decomposition and increased surface function groups (-NH2 and -OH) after chitosan modification suggesting ion exchange and surface complexation during adsorption. Optimal adsorption conditions were established at an adsorbent dosage of 1.65g, pH of 6.7 and contact time of 80 minutes with predicted maximum removal efficiency of 87.4% and an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 1.835mg/g which was superior to both pristine RBB (1.23mg/g) and Ch-RBB (1.49 mg/g). Adsorption kinetics were best described by the PSO model with R2 = 0.988 which confirmed chemisorption as the dominant rate controlling mechanism while Boyd model analysis indicated that film diffusion governs the initial adsorption stage and intraparticle diffusion controls the later stage, together constituting a multi stage diffusion controlled process.Item AfDB launches programme to grow Africa's textile industry(Daily Monitor, 2017-10-18) AgenciesThe African Development Bank ( AFDB) and its partners have launched a specialised training programme for entrepreneurs and startups in the textile, apparel and accessories (TA&A) sector in Africa.Item In defense of tailoring and textile design(New Vision, 2018-04-18) Mayanja, Kibirige MuhammedThe sudden announcement of a new curriculum by National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), on April 10, has tickled the minds of many Ugandans because the process of the changes is questionable since most stakeholders were not consulted. Also the the subjects retained and those dropped as well as those combined left a lot to be desired. One of the vital subjects which was dropped is tailoring and textile design on our curriculum.Item Optimization of process conditions of silk fabric dyeing with galinsoga parviflora leaf extract for antibacterial application.(The University of Oradea, 2021) Musinguzi Alex; Mwasiagi, J. Igadwa; Nibikora, Ildephonse; Nzila, CharlesSilk being one of the organic natural fibers, is susceptible to microorganisms’ attack thus leading to loss of physical aesthetic and mechanical properties. The present study was focused on optimizing the dyeing process parameters (Extract concentration and dyeing temperature) of dyestuff extracts from the Galinsoga Parviflora plant and analyzing the antibacterial activity of the dyed silk fabric. The Pad-dry method was used for the application of herbal dye extract onto selected silk fabric and the AATCC 100:2019 test method was used in assessing the treated fabric quantitatively against Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacterial strains. Dyeing conditions obtained using Central Composite Design (CCD) indicated that dye concentration and temperature of 39.14 percent and 700C respectively could be deemed as optimum. Also, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) results showed that extract concentration has a statistically significant effect on bacterial count whereas the effect of temperature was not so much influential. Silk fabric dyed with optimized values demonstrated a 99.33% and 99.15% reduction in the bacterial count against Staphylococcus Aureus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacterial strains respectively. Also, its fastness properties to light, washing, and Rubbing ranged from very good to excellent (4-5 to 5). Thus, in general, this research confirmed that Galinsoga Parviflora plant leaves, abundantly available in most parts of Uganda can be used as an antibacterial finish on silk fabric for improved bacterial resistance. Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Central Composite Design, Silk fabrics, leaf extract, Fastness properties