Water saving of 97% from new Archroma-Somelos idea
Specialty chemicals group Archroma has worked with Portugal-based textile manufacturer Somelos, to develop a dyeing and finished process for cotton that generates no wastewater.
In conventional cotton dyeing and finishing, traditionally water-intensive processes include one to achieve colour intensity and another to achieve a washed-down contrast. “Relying on such resource-intensive processes is of particular concern in locations affected by drought and water scarcity, like Portugal,” they said.
Their alternative is called the Dry Dyeing Ox Finishing process. It is based on Archroma’s Pad-Ox dyeing process, which combines oxidation and fixation into one step, and the latest technologies for wash-down effects, including ozone and laser treatments.
Tests so far show that this delivers water savings of up to 97% compared to conventional cotton dyeing and finishing, only using water to prepare the dye and oxidation baths.
