The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel has worked hard to deliver technologies that are applicable to the textiles industry. One newest example is the Quick Test System for Formaldehyde in Textiles and Clothing which was awarded the silver medal in the 39th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

Formaldehyde is a common chemical found in our living environment, such as in carpets, cigarettes and paints. It has been applied in a variety of industries. The textiles industry has used it in the form of formaldehyde-based resins as finishes to make fabrics easy to care for such as wrinkle reduction in cotton fabrics.

Since formaldehyde can cause allergic reaction in some people, the pollutant of this chemical has aroused much attention as the living standard has increased. Although the standard formaldehyde test can provide an accurate and reliable measurement of the chemical content in textile products, the methods require special reagents, equipment and user training which are not easily accessible by the public.

A number of countries and trade zones have imposed stringent requirement on textile products’ ingredients. The Hong Kong industry has expressed the need for a user-friendly measurement device in this aspect. Therefore, with the support of HKRITA, Prof Hu Jin Lian of Institute of Textiles and Clothing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University initiated a project to develop a novel quick testing sensor of formaldehyde for textile products.

This handy device allows the user to measure formaldehyde content in textile products without the use of any reagents. The application is user-friendly as no special training is needed. Each test cycle takes no more than 10 minutes. The system can be widely used for measuring formaldehyde emission in textile or other products, such as household items, new furniture, painting, walls and car interior decorations.