Archroma and COLOURizd Offer Alternatives to Conventional Dye Methods

Archroma and COLOURizd, two leaders in textile dyeing solutions, have joined forces to set a new standard in producing sustainable textiles.

The collaboration enables fabric mills and brands to combine Archroma’s dyes with COLOURizd’s QuantumCOLOUR yarn-coloring technology to produce “high-quality, high-performance textiles with maximum consumer appeal and minimal environmental impact,” Archroma stated.

The QuantumCOLOUR process is an alternative to conventional fiber-reactive methods of dyeing cellulosic and synthetic yarns. Conventional methods involve multi-step resource-intensive processes that use up to 95 liters of water per kilograms of colored yarn and discharge approximately 94 liters of effluent.

By contrast, Colourized’s solution injects pigment and a binder directly into the yarn, using 0.95 liters of water per kilograms of colored yarn without producing effluent. QuantumCOLOUR reduces water consumption by 98 percent and produces zero wastewater discharge and zero discharge of harmful chemicals. The process also results in a 73 percent decrease in carbon footprint and a 50 percent reduction in energy use.

Archroma is a preferred supplier of pigment coloration solutions for QuantumCOLOUR. Joaquin Femat, Arcrhoma’s director, printing market segment, textile effects division, said the partnership is “challenging industry conventions to make textile and fashion production better for brands and mills, people and our planet.”

The addition of Archroma’s Just Color dye technology can add further value for manufacturers. Just Color is a formaldehyde-free pigment that is based on the specialty chemical company’s Printofix pigment technology, which is known for its fine dispersions and bright colors.

The process uses Archroma’s Helizarin binders which deliver soft fabrics with high fastness and durability, while driving higher productivity. The binders are designed for low temperature curing or no curing. This allows producers to reduce the fixation temperature and time compared to conventional pigment printing processes. In addition, manufacturers do not experience the fluctuation in shades that sometimes occurs with high-temperature processes.

“We are reimagining textile coloration in partnership with leaders like Archroma because we believe in a future where fashion is accessible, affordable and sustainable,” said Jennifer Thompson, COLOURizd CEO.

QuantumCOLOUR has been a source of development for COLOURizd. At ITMA, taking place through June 14 in Milan, the sustainable textile coloration company debuted a version of the machine designed specifically for denim. The QuantumCOLOUR Denim Machine creates yarns that emulate indigo and deliver the depth of color layers and vintage aesthetic that consumers love about denim.

Sustainability, quality and cost savings are among the machine’s benefits. It boasts larger capacity, consistent and reliable results and the ability for continuous processing. The company said it eliminates “the need to accept color variations often associated with washed-down effects.”

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