Microscale model of a Titania-silver nano-detergent flow in woven fabric pores: Experimental properties and real laundering features

Understanding the transport behavior of detergent solutions inside textile pores is essential for improving laundering efficiency while reducing energy and water consumption. In this study, a hybrid TiO 2 –Ag nanodetergent is investigated through a combined experimental–numerical approach to evaluate its performance during oil-stain removal from woven fabrics. A commercial detergent solution (CDS) consisting of 90 vol% water and 10 vol% liquid detergent is used as the base fluid, while TiO 2 and Ag nanoparticles are dispersed at total volume concentrations of 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%. The effective thermal conductivity and viscosity of the nanodetergents are measured experimentally over the temperature range of 44–52 °C and subsequently employed as direct inputs to the numerical model. A microscale hydro-thermal model of a plain-weave fabric pore containing an oil stain is developed using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method and dynamic mesh technique. The simulations are performed under realistic laundering conditions for Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.35 to 1.40. The effects of nanoparticle concentration on pressure drop, convective heat transfer coefficient, flow field, temperature distribution, and stain-removal behavior are systematically analyzed. The experimental results show that increasing nanoparticle concentration enhances thermal conductivity by up to 4.8% and viscosity by up to 16.0% relative to the CDS base fluid. Numerical simulations reveal that both pressure drop and convective heat transfer coefficient increase with Reynolds number and nanoparticle loading. The TiO 2 –Ag nanodetergent consistently exhibits higher flow resistance and stronger heat-transfer performance than the commercial detergent solution, leading to enhanced fluid–fabric interactions and improved washing conditions. The results confirm that the TiO 2 –Ag nanodetergent improves laundering performance through the combined effects of increased wall shear stress and enhanced thermal transport. The proposed experimental–numerical framework provides a realistic tool for the design and optimization of next-generation nano-enabled detergent systems for sustainable textile laundering.