WATER-LESS DYEING

FABRIC SCIENCE-3

Assignment-2
2018-22

SUBMITTED TO:- SUBMITTED BY:-

MRS. T. SRIVANI PRANJALI GUPTA
DFT-3
 What is Dyeing?

• Dyes are colored organic compounds used to impart color onto cloth.
• Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and
fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness
• Fabric was earlier being dyed with natural dyes. These however gave a limited and a dull range of
colors.
• The current process for dyeing textiles is operative, but inefficient and harmful.
• All of the current commercial dyeing methods use a significant amount of water, and pollute most
of that water during the process.
• The primary function of water in the dyeing process is to rinse excess dye off of the fabrics that
have been colored.
What would happen if Dyeing
was not there???
 So, Dyeing is important.

But,

” The fashion industry relies on water throughout the production process for textiles and
garments. It takes on average 10,000 litres of water to cultivate just one kilogram of raw
cotton.”

(And raw cotton being one-third of textiles produces globally and represent 90% of all
natural fibers used.)

It takes about 500 gallons of water to produce enough fabric to cover one sofa.
Dyeing section contributes to 15% - 20% of the total waste water flow.

Some 72 toxic chemicals have been identified in water solely from textile dyeing, 30 of which
cannot be removed.
Textile Dyeing Industry – An Environmental Hazard
• WH Perkins in 1856 discovered the use of synthetic dyes.
• Presence of sulphur, naphthol, vat dyes, nitrates, acetic acid, soaps, enzymes chromium compounds and heavy
metals like copper, arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, and cobalt and certain auxiliary chemicals all
collectively make the textile effluent highly toxic.
• Other harmful chemicals present in the water may be formaldehyde based dye fixing agents, chlorinated stain
removers, hydro carbon based softeners, non-bio degradable dyeing chemicals.
• These organic materials react with many disinfectants especially chlorine and form by products (DBP’S) that are
often carcinogenic and therefore undesirable. Many of these show allergic reactions.
• The colloidal matter present along with colors and oily scum increases the turbidity, gives the water a bad
appearance and foul smell and prevents the penetration of sunlight necessary for the process of photosynthesis.
• This in turn interferes with the Oxygen transfer mechanism at air water interface which in turn interferes with
marine life and self purification process of water.
• This effluent if allowed to flow in the fields’ clogs the pores of the soil resulting in loss of soil productivity.
• If allowed to flow in drains and rivers it effects the quality of drinking water in hand pumps making it unfit for
human consumption.
• It is important to remove these pollutants from the waste waters before their final disposal.
MAJOR CONCERN OF TEXTILE INDUSTRIES

• Higher Water Consumption

• Higher Energy Consumption
• Higher CO2 Emission
• Higher Effluent Generation
• Longer Dyeing Cycle
• Poor Reproducibility
• Intensive Labor
So ,what if we use no water at all ???

i.e
WATER-LESS DYEING
What is Water-less dying?
• It is a process where dying is performed without water.
• It is the process that requires less energy than traditional methods of
dyeing, while still achieving impressive colors in solids and prints.
• The use of water is cut to near-zero, sharply diminishing pollution.
• The quantity of chemicals is drastically reduced, while faster dyeing
cycles lead to a major drop in energy consumption.
 COMPANIES WORKING ON WATERLESS TEXTILES
• ColorZen: Its process modifies cotton’s molecular structure and allows dye to settle within the fibres
without requiring the massive discharge of water, eliminating the need to rise off fixing agents that
keep a fabric’s coloring consistent. Compared to conventional processes, ColorZen claims its
technology can finish cotton fabric using 90% less water and 75% less energy.
• AirDye: Instead of water, the company’s technology uses air to disperse dye. AirDye’s process embeds
dye within textile fibres instead of merely on them, so color lasts longer and is more resilient to
chemicals and washings.
• Adidas (“Dry Dye” Technology): Instead of water, Adidas’ supplier uses compressed and pressurized
carbon dioxide as the agent to disperse dye within polyester fabric. The CO2, which takes on liquid-
like properties, is contained in stainless steel chambers. After the dyeing cycle the CO2 becomes
gasified, and dye within the cotton fibres condenses as it separates from the gas. The CO2 is then
recycled and pumped back into the dyeing vessel. Adidas claims using CO2 is a safe and
environmentally-friendly option because the gas is contained and can be used repeatedly without the
risk of any emissions.
• DyeCoo: Uses supercritical CO2 gas rather than water to infuse fabric with color. Special temperature-
controlled pressure chambers force the carbon dioxide to act as a fluid similar to water (the
supercritical fluid CO2) which causes the polymer fiber to swell allowing the dispersed dye to easily
diffuse within the polymer, penetrating the fibers, and carrying the dyes into the fabric and dyeing it.
Air-Dyeing Technology
Airflow was the key element in the technology ,as air is an ideal transport
medium.

The replacement of dye liquor with air as a method of transporting piece goods
in jet-dyeing machines was a big step in reducing water and chemical
consumption.

The air-dye process employs air instead of water to help the dyes penetrate
fibers.

Air dye technology heats up fabric ,then injects dye directly into the fibers in form of
gas.
Air-Dyeing Technology
Benefits:-
• Uses 95 percent less water.
• Emits 84 percent less Green House Gases (GHG).
• Requires 87 percent less energy.
• Reduces damage to goods (Up to one percent of goods are damaged using Air Dyeing
procedure as compared to 10 percent of traditionally dyed garments).
• No rules to washing. Air dyed fabrics can be washed at any temperature, with whites or
colors, with or without bleach.
• Allows for new designs. Different sides of a single piece of fabric can be dyed in
different colors or designs.
• This unique dyeing process is already in use to create vibrant, double-sided swimsuits,
100% recycled PET ecochic t-shirts, window coverings, designer handbags and runway
fashions of New York design house.
 DYECOO : WATERLESS DYEING

• Dyecoo, a Dutch-based company founded in March 2008.

• It is the world’s first supplier of industrial CO2 dyeing equipment and a leading innovator in CO2
dyeing technology and processes.
• DyeCoo uses supercritical carbon dioxide gas rather than water to infuse fabric with color.
• Special temperature controlled pressure chambers force the carbon dioxide to act as a fluid similar
to water (the supercritical fluid CO2) which causes the polymer fiber to swell allowing the
dispersed dye to easily diffuse within the polymer, penetrating the fibers, and carrying the dyes into
the fabric and dyeing it.
• It is the first company to successfully apply the CO2 process to the commercial dyeing of polyester
fabric (the most commonly used fabric in the world).
• And they are on their way to apply their technology to other natural and synthetic fabrics.
Dyeing with Carbon Dioxide
• When carbon dioxide is heated to above 31 degrees Celsius and pressurized to above 74 bar, it becomes
supercritical, a state of matter that can be seen as an expanded liquid, or a heavily compressed gas.
• Above the critical point, carbon dioxide has the properties of both a liquid and a gas.
• Supercritical carbon dioxide, has liquid-like densities, which is advantageous for dissolving
hydrophobic dyes, and gas-like low viscosities and diffusion properties, which can lead to shorter
dyeing times compared to water.
• During the dyeing process, CO2 is heated to 120 degrees Celsius and pressurized to 250 bar.
• In its expanded liquid state, the CO2 penetrates the textile fibres, and acts as a swelling agent during
the process, which enhances the diffusion of dyes into the fibres.
• To fix the dye onto the fibres, CO2 is loaded with dyestuff that penetrates deep into the pore and
capillary structure of fibres, providing effective coloration of these hydrophobic materials.
• After the dyeing process, the remaining CO2 is gasified in order to precipitate the dye and the clean
CO2 can be recycled by pumping it back to the dyeing vessel.
• Compared to water dyeing, the extraction of spinning oils, the dyeing and the removal of excess dye can
all be carried out in one plant in the carbon dioxide dyeing process which involves only changing the
temperature and pressure conditions; drying is not required because at the end of the process carbon
dioxide is released in the gaseous state.
• The carbon dioxide can be recycled easily, up to 90% after precipitation of the extracted matter in a
separator. Furthermore, dyeing and removing excess dye can be carried out in the same vessel; and
residue dye is minimal and may be extracted and recycled.
 NIKE AND DYECOO
• In 2013, NIKE, Inc. celebrated the opening of a waterfree dyeing
facility featuring high-tech equipment to eliminate the use of
water and process chemicals from fabric dyeing by entering into
a strategic partnership with DyeCoo.
• NIKE, Inc. has named this sustainable innovation “ColorDry”.
• ColorDry technology eliminates water by using heat and pressure
to convert liquid CO2 to supercritical fluid carbon dioxide, or
“SCF” CO2, which then permeates and carries the dye into the
fabric.
• Not only does ColorDry eliminate water from fabric dyeing, it
also reduces energy consumption by around 60% compared to
traditional dyeing, eliminates the use of process chemicals, and
uses nearly 100% of dye in the process, practically removing the
potential for wastewater pollution.
DISADVANTAGES
• The technology has some disadvantages regarding the dyeing process and machine
structure.
• The dyeing process is carried out at 260-280 bar and 130 °C. Such high pressures require
a special design of the textile machinery and up-scaling requires a very significant
investment. Pressures of 260-280 bar are unusual conditions for the textile industry and
may cause mental restrictions
• Due to the use of suffocating gas CO2, a control device for monitoring CO2
concentrations in air has to be installed for industrial labor safety reasons
• Classical color measurement will face some new challenges in this application, due to non
additive behavior of the dye components
• The machine is not suitable for dyeing natural (hydrophilic) fibers as the diffusion of
supercritical carbon dioxide is hampered by its inability to break the hydrogen bonds
• Reactive dyes, direct dyes and acid dyes may be damaged at such high temperatures and
pressure
 Can Waterless Dyeing Processes Clean Up the Clothing Industry?
• ‘The dyeing industry has made the cloth beautiful but turned the clean water black.’
• Water has been used to dye fabric for centuries, and textile firms have generally been reluctant to embrace
change. New waterless dyeing machines also are expensive to install and the technologies often can only be
used with certain kinds of cloth, such as polyester.
• The need to reform the textile-dyeing industry is urgent, especially in China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, and
Thailand.
• China’s textile industry discharges about 2.5 trillion liters of wastewater into its rivers annually, according to
a 2012 report from the non-profit Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE).
• “These toxic spills are emergency situations, but the daily discharge of hazardous substances is by itself already
an ongoing disaster,” Ma said. “Some suppliers of brands such as Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hugo
Boss, and Victoria Secret are very bad polluters, but these brands do not want to face this issue of pollution in
their supply chain.
• The intensifying development of waterless dyeing processes has the potential to change things if the
technologies are adopted on a large scale, textile experts say.
• One hurdle is the expense of waterless dyeing machines, which can cost up to $4 million apiece.
• Although DyeCoo’s and AirDye’s processes has proven to be successful, they can only be used now for
polyester, not cotton.
• “The industry will never accept such new technology unless it is cheap enough,” says Lin. “The dye industry is
typically a very low-margin industry, which is unfortunate because now the only way to make money is to
abuse the environment.”
EVERY SINGLE CONTRIBUTION MATTERS!!!

• Last year, for example, Adidas announced that by using one million
yards of DryDye fabric, the company was able to save 25 million liters
of water.
• Still, these savings are just a small fraction of the estimated annual 6
trillion liters of fresh water currently used by the global textile
industry.
THANK YOU !!!