Photos by Amber Isabel
A Dutch company has unveiled what it believes to be the first commercial dyeing machine to replace water with supercritical carbon dioxide—a pressurized form of the gas with unusual liquid-like properties. Heated up to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressurized to 74 bar, CO2 takes on the characteristics of both a liquid and a gas, allowing for the dissolution of compounds such as dyes. For DyeCoo Textile System’s purposes, scCO2 is heated to 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressurized to 250 bar. Behaving as both a solvent and a solute, the supercharged carbon dioxide penetrates textile fibers and disperses the preloaded dyes without extra chemical agents.
LOAD OF GAS
Once the dyeing cycle is complete, the CO2 is gasified to recover the excess dye. Unburdened, the clean CO2 cycles back into the dyeing vessel for reuse, a maneuver that saves energy, water, and the heavy metals that comprise much of the toxic runoff into our planet’s polluted waterways, according to DyeCoo.
Once the excess dye is recovered, the clean CO2 cycles back into the vessel for reuse.
DyeCoo’s waterless innovation, which the company has branded DryDye, took 11 years to develop. Its parent company, FeyeCon, previously engineered scCO2 systems for industrial applications, including chemical extraction in pharmaceutical production.
The process isn’t without its limitations, however. DyeCoo is currently only able to dye scoured (or prewashed) polyester fabric, although the company notes that it’s working on a version that will dye unscoured fabric, as well as reactive dyes for cellulosic textiles made from plants.
NO H2O
Netherlands-based designer Fioen van Balgooi, for one, was inspired. Determined to show her fellow designers the potential that this new dyeing technique holds, van Balgooi conceived of the “No H2O,” a drapey, cowl-neck blouse that alludes to the rippling effect of water.
Fioen van Balgooi’s “No H2O” is a drapey, cowl-neck blouse that alludes to the rippling effect of water.
The garment, along with photos of the DryDye process, will be on view at the Audax Textile Museum in Tilburg from September 25, 2010 to January 30, 2011.
How long it will take to commercilize this technique to save our earth from the toxication of water.I want this technology to popularize for use at large to replace the conventional method of dyeing. I belong to a city which is using the water & contaminating the ground water to such a level that it will be of no use for the coming generation. I am proud of you that you have developed soch a technology for dyeing so that the generation will not be ashemed of us. You have done miraculous work by inventing this method of dyeing.
Thanks a lot
good process
if this technology is suitable for all knid of textile dyeing the environment is producted from pollution & also save dyeing industry’s
I would like to know is it possible to do such a processing method for cotton clothes cos present day of consume the cotton based textile takes 80% share in supplying garments, what is a minimum investment required to accrue this technology.
we need more details about this technology
Is it can really done
This is informationis new to me, But you have done a good job. To save the earth , We need to implement all the dyeing house. what will be cost of the machine? Is possible to any color? What about the quality of dyed parts,We are interested to implement. Kindly send the full details.
I am preparing presentations for garment dyeing for a seminar in Mexico. What potential does this have for applying cotton dyes such as reactives, directs or sulfurs and recovering unused dyes?
Harry Mercer
we need more details about this technology
This is most powerful tchnology to save water ,but when it will be commercialze ?