Associate Professor
and In Charge Colour Research Lab
Department of Textile Engineering
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro Pakistan
Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology
(Impact Factor 0.6 Web of Science JCR 2023)
Professional Engineer
and Programs Evaluator
Charted Textile Technologist
and Associate (2009)
Licentiate (2006)
Professional Biography
Engr. Dr. Awais Khatri is a textile professional with more than two decades of experience in academia, research, and industry engagement, and has seamlessly integrated his expertise with a passion for education, research, and sustainable innovation. He is a recognized Professional Engineer by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and holds other professional titles of Chartered Textile Technologist and Associate of The Textile Institute UK, and Licentiate of the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) UK. Holding a Ph.D. in Textiles from RMIT University Australia, a Professional Diploma in Coloration from SDC UK, and a Bachelor of Textile Engineering from Mehran University Pakistan, he currently serves as an Associate Professor of Textile Engineering and Editor for the Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (A Web-of-Science Indexed Impact Factor Journal).
In the pursuit of R&D services, Dr. Khatri focuses on sustainable textile manufacturing, processing and product development. Collaborating with industry leaders such as Archroma, Soorty, Artistic, Gul Ahmed, Popular, Zaman, TESO and K-Fabric, and receiving fundings from provincial/federal governments and NGOs such as WWF and USAID (totalling around PKR 40 million), he has developed various technological solutions for the textile industry of Pakistan. His notable achievements include the development of a commercial plant-based natural indigo dye for the denim industry and development of multifunctional finishes for apparel and hospital textiles. His impactful publications and citations underscore the depth and breadth of his work and advancement of textile knowledge through research.
In academia, Dr. Khatri has significantly contributed to uplifting Pakistan’s educational and research standards in the textile sector. His impactful roles include national curriculum development, policy framing, program evaluation and peer-review for organizations like Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, PEC, National Technology Council (NTC), Pakistan Science Foundation, Sindh HEC, WWF-Pakistan and various universities, and research mentorship. Additionally, as a program evaluator and master trainer of PEC and NTC accreditations, he has played a pivotal role in implementing the Outcome-Based Education System, ensuring alignment with industry needs and global standards.
Existing Projects
Development of Indigo Dye-house Wastewater Treatment Simulator and Its Recovery
Ph.D. Supervision in collaboration with Soorty Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
Development of Framework for Environmental Compliance to Global Standards for Pakistan's Textile Industry
Masters Supervision in collaboration with Soorty Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
Improving sustainability of the Denim Garment Washing Process
Bachelors Supervision in collaboration with Artistic Milliners
Development of Durable Microencapsulated Fragrance Finish for Textiles
Bachelors Supervision in collaboration with Archroma Pakistan Ltd.
Featured Project
Development of commercial natural indigo dyes for dyeing cotton textile from indigenous indigo plants
Brief: Archroma Pakistan Ltd. collaborated with Mehran University of Engineering and Technology in 2016 for making the natural indigo dye from the indigenous indigofera tinctoria plant to be utilized particularly in Pakistan’s denim manufacturing industry. In collaboration with HEC Pakistan and WWF-Pakistan, a swift technology of making natural indigo dye from the plants that is suitable for denim manufacturing industry was successfully developed and transferred to Archroma Pakistan Ltd. in 2019.
Recently Completed Funded Projects
Coloration of Electrospun Nanofibrous mats
Brief: We pioneered this work in 2012 at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Pakistan, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Zeeshan Khatri doing PhD at Shinshu University Japan back then, as an aesthetic importance of such fibres when used in functional apparels and home textiles. However, afterward this particular research area matured to the extent of other technical applications and commercial interests, and more development is progressive. HEC Pakistan supported this project by awarding an NRPU fund that has been completed lately. The project has produced eight such technologies which are published in various Clarivate Q1 category (impact factor) journals such as Cellulose, Coloration Technology and Journal of the Textile Institute, and produced four postgraduate theses. The funded project has been successfully completed in 2023.
Development of graphene coated multifunctional nonwoven materials
Brief: Dr. Khatri was a co-co-principal investigator in a HEC’s NRPU project on developing functional textiles using graphene material for various applications in energy and wastewater treatment sectors. Couple of impact factor research papers have also been published in that area such as in the Materials Chemistry and Physics. The NRPU project has been successfully completed in 2023.
Recent Publication
Digital ink-jet printing of regenerated cellulose nanofibrous mats with reactive inks
Abstract: The versatility of nanofibres enables them to be used for various technological applications such as filtration, biomedicine and healthcare, composites, protective and functional textiles. Recently, in addition to the functional properties of electrospun nanofibrous mats, their aesthetic properties have been explored. Herein, attempts have been made to develop digital ink-jet printing of regenerated cellulose nanofibrous mats with reactive inks. First, a cellulose acetate polymer was created to fabricate electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibrous mats, which were then converted into regenerated cellulose nanofibrous mats through deacetylation. Next, the cellulose nanofibrous mats were treated with an alkaline solution then coloured with four (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) commercially available reactive inks by a digital ink-jet printing method using a piezoelectric digital ink-jet printer. Various parameters were investigated, including the optimal concentration of the pretreatment agents, fixation temperature and time, colour yield and the absorbency of the electrospun nanofibrous mats. The digital ink-jet printed cellulose nanofibrous mats exhibited excellent colour yield and colour fastness properties. Morphological analysis through scanning electron microscopy and chemical analysis through Fourier Transform–infrared were also carried out.
Featured Publication
A Sol-Gel Finishing of Bamboo Fabric with Nanoparticles for water repellency, soil release and UV Resistant Characteritics
Abstract: This research work reports on the preparation of a durable hydrophobic bamboo knitted fabric with multifunctional properties using sol–gel coating method. The titania nanoparticles (TNPs) and silica nanoparticles (SNPs) composite sols were made using citric acid as cross-linking agent. The bamboo knitted fabric was functionalized by the dip-pad-dry-pad-cure method. Different ratios of TNPs and SNPs were made. All process and solution parameters of sol–gel coating method were optimized to achieve the desired fabric properties. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, EDS and SEM analysis were carried out to characterize the untreated and sol–gel coated bamboo knitted fabrics. The hydrophobicity, soil release, UV resistance and wash-durability of bamboo knitted fabrics functionalized with NPs (nanoparticles) were measured. The results revealed that the sol–gel coating of TNPs and SNPs on bamboo fabric was durable up to five industrial washes. Moreover, air permeability and fabric handle did not change after sol–gel finishing indicating that the fabric inherent comfort remained unaffected.