LITEX

Motivation 

Textile production and finishing require a great deal of energy. A significant portion of this energy is used for drying. Many facilities still generate the necessary heat by burning gas and use it with only limited efficiency in conventional drying systems.

Objectives and Approach

This is where LITEX comes in: The project is developing large-area infrared emitters that specifically tailor their radiation to the drying process. Spectrally modified emitters selectively transfer infrared energy into the water. This allows moisture to be efficiently removed from the fabric while protecting the textile.

A flat emitter, geometrically and spectrally adapted to the process, is designed to evaporate the water in the textile and discharge it specifically through integrated openings. To achieve this, the researchers are structuring the emitter surface on a micrometer scale. Periodic microstructures with tailored structural parameters control how the emitter radiates energy spectrally and spatially.

The goal of the project is to develop a practical, pre-competitive functional prototype. Under real-world operating conditions, it is intended to demonstrate how energy consumption can be reduced, process efficiency increased, and textile materials dried more gently.