The textile industry needs a high volume of water to carry out its processes, which among them; textile chemical finishing is the main responsible for high water expenditure. However, nowadays there is a worldwide concern regarding the scarcity of fresh water. This research aims to study the use of seawater in the cotton bleaching process and compare the results obtained with the bleaching process made with distilled water. The characterization of the substrates was performed through the following analyses: reflectance spectrophotometry, white degree (ºBerger), wettability, tensile strength, elongation, scanning electron microscopy and dispersive energy spectroscopy. The bleaching with seawater presented good whiteness index, high tensile strength values and excellent hydrophilicity, which suggest that it may be possible to perform this process in cotton fabric using seawater.

Textiles for military clothing face a complex set of challenges. They must provide protection, durability and comfort in a wide range of hostile environments. The general requirements of military textiles include damage resistance, comfort, sweat management, cold-weather conditions and the integration of high-tech materials into uniforms. This paper discusses the main concepts regarding the application of textiles in military uses, where the surrounding environments such as desert, jungle or extremely cold areas as well as the nature of the situations involved pose a threat to the soldier’s safety. Therefore, the improvement and development of fibrous materials, textile structures and finishing processes can bring new perspectives for saving lives.