Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence made by complex finishing of denim fabrics, i.e. laser treatment and industrial washing, on the change in tension properties of fabric. Design/methodology/approach: Test specimens were treated by a laser JG-10050. Lasers main technological parameters: maximum laser beam power is 65 W, laser types are hermetic and detached CO₂, laser tube wavelength is 10.62 µm. The test specimens processed by different laser energy density have been exposed to industrial washing and their tensile characteristics have been investigated. Findings: The results of the research have demonstrated that complex finishing reduces the breaking force; however, material extensibility remains almost unchanged. Mechanical behaviour and composition characteristics of fabric are determined both by laser motion direction in respect of warp or weft and laser energy density. Originality/value: The carried-out analysis of scientific literature has shown that the effect of laser on the fabric surface is relevant both in scientific and practical terms: the scientific literature contains studies on absorptive properties of laser treated materials; however, the behaviour of materials after complex finishing has not been widely investigated thus far.

The problem of textile waste is obvious and relevant, and detailed research into the problem is still lacking. In particular, there is a lack of research on the recycling and reuse of textile waste in such areas as the construction industry. The aim of this research is to develop an interior finishing panel by combining denim textile waste with an eco-friendly binder, to investigate, analyze and evaluate the main physical–mechanical properties of this panel. The investigated panels were made from denim textile waste with different structures for interior decoration. The results have shown that different manufacturing methods provide different sound insulation, and better sound insulation properties were distinguished by a panel made from fabric threads. When assessing the surface hardness of the panels, it was found that a panel made from threads has a higher hardness than a panel made from fabric scraps. Thus, evaluating the results of the performed research, it can be seen that the use of textile waste in acoustic panels is possible, with textile waste as the main component. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed that the strength properties of the panel are closely related to the technology and structure of the panel, and that panels made from scraps have poorer strength and acoustic properties than panels made from threads.

Timber and timber products are renewable materials that, due to their durability and strength properties, meet the requirements of the construction industry, are widely used in buildings. An analysis of the scientific literature has shown that there is a lack of detailed research that fully investigates the influence of the rate of increase of the moisture content of the timber on the mechanical and, especially, the strength properties of the LVL panels. Upon immersion into water of the bottom of the specimen, the water starts rising quite quickly at the edge of the specimen, and the first six hours are the most critical. The levels of water rise inside the LVL specimen were less significant than at the edges. It was found that water significantly affects the bending strength of the panels, which, when the strength of the wet panel compared to the strength of the dry panel, decreases to 45% after one soak cycle and almost to 52% after two soak cycles. The tensile strength of the wet specimens is ~40% less than that of the dry specimens. The strength of the panels that were dried back to their initial state was found to be sufficient again, different from the initial strength only within the error limits; the strength properties of the building structure will not be affected.

In this study, hydrophobic textile wettability was experimentally tested. The influence of the number of fatigue cycles and environment temperature on the wettability (water contact angle) of hydrophobic coated textile have been investigated. Two types of fatigue have been used to characterize hydrophobic surface after wearing: the flexing fatigue resistance test of the samples was carried out on bending machine IPK 2M and folding machine “Pegasil EL-15F”. The evaluation was made by measuring the contact angle after 3000, 6000, and 7500 cycles (EN ISO 7854). Surface chemical processing was carried out in four different concentrations of chemical solutions. According to experimental results the sufficient coating conditions were ascertained.

The aim of the research was to modify the surface of construction textiles by means of the use of thin silver oxide films, investigate the structure and optical and mechanical properties, and determine the structure, optical and mechanical properties of the aged composites. Thin films of silver oxide (Ag₂O) were synthesized on a flexible PET/PVC construction textile (CT); the structural, optical, and physical properties, as well as the effect of artificial aging on these properties, were investigated. The SILAR method (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction) was used to synthesize thin Ag₂O films on the CT surface. Before the thin films were deposited, the CT surface was mechanically roughened and pretreated with acidic and alkaline solutions at an elevated temperature. XRD analysis showed that the deposited films were a polycrystalline mixed phase material consisting of Ag₂O, AgO, and metallic Ag. Diffuse reflectance spectra in the ultraviolet and visible ranges (UV-Vis) were used to study the optical properties of the deposited thin films. The synthesized Ag₂O/CT composites were direct-gap semiconductors (the optical band gap (E_g) was 0.89 ± 0.02 eV). E_g and refractive indices (n) increased as the aging tests were carried out. Higher E_g and n meant that the composites were a good material for optoelectronic applications. The results showed that, after modification, the structural properties and tear strength of the PET/PVC fabric remained the same while the tensile strength decreased. The same tendencies remained after artificial aging.

It is important to develop research on sealing materials in order to find effective solutions to ensure the energy efficiency of buildings. The aim of this study is to investigate the peel adhesion of single-sided self-adhesive tapes to different construction surfaces and to determine the change in this characteristic due to climatic effects. Different construction tapes, mostly used externally in buildings, are glued to different substrates. The artificial aging of test samples was carried out, simulating the effects of moisture, heat, and cold; the intensity, duration, and sequence of the cyclic effects were determined, taking into account the statistical climatological data of the middle-latitude climate zone. The peel adhesion of the tapes was determined before and after different numbers of artificial aging cycles. The results show that the peel adhesion range is very wide, from 11 to 61 N/24 mm. In most cases, a lower-rated peeling adhesion was obtained by peeling the tape from plastered cement–sawdust board. The change in peel adhesion depends more on the surface to which the tape is glued than it does on the number of climatic exposure cycles selected for the test.