Chemistry education
Chemistry education

Celebrate National Chemistry Week 2022 with Resources on the Chemistry of Fabrics from the Journal of Chemical Education

Mary Saecker
  • 5 min read

National Chemistry Week, a community-based annual event uniting ACS local sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating and promoting the value of chemistry in our everyday life, is celebrated this year from October 16–22, 2022 with the theme “Fabulous Fibers: The Chemistry of Fabrics.” The Journal of Chemical Education has a wide range of articles […]

Celebrate National Chemistry Week 2022 with Resources on the Chemistry of Fabrics

National Chemistry Week, a community-based annual event uniting ACS local sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating and promoting the value of chemistry in our everyday life, is celebrated this year from October 16–22, 2022 with the theme “Fabulous Fibers: The Chemistry of Fabrics.”

The Journal of Chemical Education has a wide range of articles for exploring and experimenting with fabrics through topics such as textile fibers, fabric dyes, treating and cleaning fabrics, and the future of fabrics. These materials can be used to motivate students, illustrate important chemical concepts, and communicate the value of chemistry. Chemistry involving fabrics can be linked to advanced topics in organic, inorganic, analytical, physical, and polymer chemistry. Make the most of this annual celebration by connecting chemistry to students’ everyday lives through resources from the Journal of Chemical Education.

Textile Fibers

From Textiles to Molecules—Teaching about Fibers To Integrate Students’ Macro- and Microscale Knowledge of Materials
Hannah Margel, Bat-Sheva Eylon, and Zahava Scherz
Journal of Chemical Education 2006, 83 (10), 1552
DOI: 10.1021/ed083p1552

A Closer Look at Cotton, Rayon, and Polyester Fibers
Trevor M. Letcher and Nothando S. Lutseke
Journal of Chemical Education 1990, 67 (5), 361
DOI: 10.1021/ed067p36

Textile Chemistry for the Artist
Sara Butler and Sally Malott
Journal of Chemical Education 1981, 58 (4), 295
DOI: 10.1021/ed058p295

Fiber Identification: A Colorful Experiment for All Ages
Jean Allan
Journal of Chemical Education 1990, 67 (3), 256
DOI: 10.1021/ed067p256

Textile Fiber Identification: An Organic-Polymer Laboratory
Robert L. Flachskam and Nancy W. Flachskam
Journal of Chemical Education 1991, 68 (12), 1044
DOI: 10.1021/ed068p1044

Identification and Characterization of Textile Fibers by Thermal Analysis
Fiona M. Gray, Michael J. Smith, and Magda B. Silva
Journal of Chemical Education 2011, 88 (4), 476-479
DOI: 10.1021/ed1004068

Fabric Dyes

Tie-Dyeing with Foraged Acorns and Rust: A Workshop Connecting Green Chemistry and Environmental Science
Christian Machado, Anton O. Oliynyk, and Julian R. Silverman
Journal of Chemical Education 2022, 99 (6), 2431-2437
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00086

A Green Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction
Liza Abraham
Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 97 (10), 3810-3815
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00181

Tie-Dye! An Engaging Activity To Introduce Polymers and Polymerization to Beginning Chemistry Students
A. M. R. P. Bopegedera
Journal of Chemical Education 2017, 94 (11), 1725-1732
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00796

Introducing Students to Fundamental Chemistry Concepts and Basic Research through a Chemistry of Fashion Course for Nonscience Majors
Karen A. Tallman
Journal of Chemical Education 2019, 96 (9), 1906-1913
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00826

Colors to Dye for: Preparation of Natural Dyes
Journal of Chemical Education Staff
Journal of Chemical Education 1999, 76 (12), 1688A-1688B
DOI: 10.1021/ed076p1688A

Cooking Up Colors from Plants, Fabric, and Metal
Jennifer E. Mihalick and Kathleen M. Donnelly
Journal of Chemical Education 2007, 84 (1), 96A
DOI: 10.1021/ed084p96A

Using Metals To Change the Colors of Natural Dyes
Jennifer E. Mihalick and Kathleen M. Donnelly
Journal of Chemical Education 2006, 83 (10), 1550
DOI: 10.1021/ed083p1550

The Chemistry of Fabric Reactive Dyes
Marcia C. Bonneau
Journal of Chemical Education 1995, 72 (8), 724
DOI: 10.1021/ed072p724

The Chemistry of Plant and Animal Dyes
Margareta Sequin-Frey
Journal of Chemical Education 1981, 58 (4), 301
DOI: 10.1021/ed058p301

Colors for Textiles—Ancient and Modern
Max Bender
Journal of Chemical Education 1947, 24 (1), 2
DOI: 10.1021/ed024p2

Growth of the Dyestuffs Industry: The Application of Science to Art
R. E. Rose
Journal of Chemical Education 1926, 3 (9), 973
DOI: 10.1021/ed003p973

Treating and Cleaning Fabrics

CO2 Dry Cleaning: A Benign Solvent Demonstration Accessible to K–8 Audiences
Reuben Hudson, Henry M. Ackerman, Lindsay K. Gallo, Addison S. Gwinner, Anna Krauss, John D. Sears, Alexandra Bishop, Kristin N. Esdale, and Jeffrey L. Katz
Journal of Chemical Education 2017, 94 (4), 480-482
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00412

Experimenting with Synthesis and Analysis of Cationic Gemini Surfactants in a Second-Semester General Chemistry Laboratory
Mary E. Anzovino, Andrew E. Greenberg, and John W. Moore
Journal of Chemical Education 2015, 92 (3), 524-528
DOI: 10.1021/ed500395u

Using a Flatbed Scanner To Measure Detergency: A Cost-Effective Undergraduate Laboratory
J. A. Poce-Fatou, M. Bethencourt, F. J. Moreno-Dorado, and J. M. Palacios-Santander
Journal of Chemical Education 2011, 88 (9), 1314-1317
DOI: 10.1021/ed100635z

Future of Fabrics

Transforming a Classic Polymer Demonstration into a Flexible, Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experience for Lower and Upper Division Laboratories
Ani Nvehr Davis, Stephan Georgiev Michaelov, Clayton Joshua Rogers, Leighann Rose Weber, Brycelyn Marie Boardman, and Gretchen Marie Peters
Journal of Chemical Education Article ASAP
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00361

Detecting Microplastics in Soil and Sediment in an Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry Laboratory Experiment That Promotes Skill Building and Encourages Environmental Awareness
Laura Rowe, Maria Kubalewski, Robert Clark, Emily Statza, Thomas Goyne, Katie Leach, and Julie Peller
Journal of Chemical Education 2019, 96 (2), 323-328
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00392

Chemical Oxidative Polymerization of Polyaniline: A Practical Approach for Preparation of Smart Conductive Textiles
Nedal Y. Abu-Thabit
Journal of Chemical Education 2016, 93 (9), 1606-1611
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00060

Synthesis, Characterization, and Secondary Structure Determination of a Silk-Inspired, Self-Assembling Peptide: A Laboratory Exercise for Organic and Biochemistry Courses
Tyler J. Albin, Melany M. Fry, and Amanda R. Murphy
Journal of Chemical Education 2014, 91 (11), 1981-1984
DOI: 10.1021/ed5001203

Chemistry of Durable and Regenerable Biocidal Textiles
Gang Sun and S. Dave Worley
Journal of Chemical Education 2005, 82 (1), 60
DOI: 10.1021/ed082p60

Using Fabrics to Teach Chemical Concepts

The Hunt for Maya Purple: Revisiting Ancient Pigments Syntheses and Properties
Jean-Yves Winum, Laurent Bernaud, and Jean-Sébastien Filhol
Journal of Chemical Education 2021, 98 (4), 1389-1396
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01306

An Advanced Spectroscopy Lab That Integrates Art, Commerce, and Science as Students Determine the Electronic Structure of the Common Pigment Carminic Acid
Suqing Liu, Asami Odate, Isabella Buscarino, Jacqueline Chou, Kathleen Frommer, Margeaux Miller, Alison Scorese, Marisa C. Buzzeo, and Rachel Narehood Austin
Journal of Chemical Education 2017, 94 (2), 216-220
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00644

Adsorption of a Textile Dye on Commercial Activated Carbon: A Simple Experiment To Explore the Role of Surface Chemistry and Ionic Strength
Angela Martins and Nelson Nunes
Journal of Chemical Education 2015, 92 (1), 143-147
DOI: 10.1021/ed500055v

Analysis of a Natural Yellow Dye: An Experiment for Analytical Organic Chemistry
Alexandre Villela, Goverdina C. H. Derksen, and Teris A. van Beek
Journal of Chemical Education 2014, 91 (4), 566-569
DOI: 10.1021/ed400331f

Identification of Onion Dye Chromophores in the Dye Bath and Dyed Wool by HPLC-DAD: An Educational Approach
Cristina Barrocas Dias, Marco Miranda, Ana Manhita, António Candeias, Teresa Ferreira, and Dora Teixeira
Journal of Chemical Education 2013, 90 (11), 1498-1500
DOI: 10.1021/ed100668k

Accurate, Photoresistor-Based, Student-Built Photometer and Its Application to the Forensic Analysis of Dyes
Anna L. Adams-McNichol, Rayf C. Shiell, and David A. Ellis
Journal of Chemical Education 2019, 96 (6), 1143-1151
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00862

Adsorption Kinetics and Isotherms: A Safe, Simple, and Inexpensive Experiment for Three Levels of Students
Polly R. Piergiovanni
Journal of Chemical Education 2014, 91 (4), 560-565
DOI: 10.1021/ed400267j

Want the latest stories delivered to your inbox each month?