Camouflage printing process with high lasting color saturation and fastness and camouflage fabric
By combining acid dyes, vat dyes, and printing coatings, along with vat steaming color fixing and low-alkali mercerizing finishing, the problem of insufficient wash fastness of camouflage printed fabrics has been solved, achieving a high-fastness and environmentally friendly camouflage printing process suitable for camouflage clothing.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- LU FENG WEAVING & DYEING CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
Traditional camouflage printing processes suffer from insufficient colorfastness to washing, and the colors tend to fade after repeated washing, affecting the camouflage effect and service life. Furthermore, existing processes are complex and have poor environmental performance.
The process employs a compounding process of acid dyes, vat dyes, and printing coatings, combined with vat steaming for color fixing and synergistic finishing liquid. The fabric is printed using a rotary screen printing machine, and then finished with low-alkali mercerizing and liquid ammonia to form a cross-linked network, thereby improving the fabric's wash fastness and infrared reflectivity.
The fabric achieved a colorfastness of ≥4.5 after 50 washes, a wet rubbing fastness of ≥3.5, and an infrared reflectance of ≥50%, meeting military camouflage standards and improving the fabric's washability and environmental friendliness.
Smart Images
Figure CN121896846A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of textile printing and dyeing technology, specifically relating to camouflage printing technology and camouflage fabrics with high color saturation and fastness. Background Technology
[0002] Camouflage fabrics are widely used in camouflage clothing and require excellent washability, infrared detection resistance, and mechanical properties. Traditional processes such as pigment printing suffer from a stiff feel and poor colorfastness, while disperse / reactive dye processes are prone to color variations and staining. While existing technologies improve camouflage through dye blending, wash fastness is insufficient, and colors fade easily after repeated washing. Traditional camouflage printing shows significant fading after multiple washes, affecting camouflage effectiveness and service life. Although coatings or fiber modification can enhance functionality, these processes are complex and environmentally unfriendly. Therefore, developing a process that balances high colorfastness and environmental friendliness is of great importance. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a camouflage printing process with high and durable color saturation and fastness. The process is simple, environmentally friendly, and produces fabrics with high wash fastness. This invention also provides camouflage fabrics produced using the above process.
[0004] The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness described in this invention involves processing the fabric in the following steps: fabric pretreatment, printing, and functional finishing. Printing includes the following steps: printing → drying → steaming → baking → reduction and color fixing → washing → oxidative soaping → color fixing → washing. The printing process uses a rotary screen printing machine, and the printing paste includes acid dyes, vat dyes, printing coatings, adhesives, thickeners, and water. In the steaming process, the vat dye is impregnated and rapidly steamed at 130-140℃ for 12-25 seconds. In the baking process, the vat dye is baked at 190-205℃ for 85-90 seconds. In the oxidation and soaping process, hydrogen peroxide is used for oxidation before soaping.
[0005] The functional finishing process includes the following steps: stretching → washing → inspection and assembly; The stretching process includes padding with finishing solution and baking / curing.
[0006] Preferably, the fabric pretreatment includes the following steps: singeing → desizing → scouring → bleaching → mercerizing → liquid ammonia → whitening wash → pre-stretching.
[0007] In the mercerizing process, the caustic soda concentration is 170-200g / L, the dilute alkali concentration is 6-10g / L, and the machine speed is 65-80m / min. The mercerizing process can improve the luster and dimensional stability of the fabric, reduce the friction of the fabric surface, and prevent dye penetration. The use of low-alkali mercerizing technology reduces the problem of large strength loss and stiff hand feel caused by high-alkali mercerizing.
[0008] In the liquid ammonia process, the temperature in the liquid ammonia treatment chamber is 50-70℃, the steam temperature is stable at 100-120℃, and the speed is 50-70m / min. The liquid ammonia process changes the fiber structure, improving the fabric's hand feel and fullness.
[0009] In the whitening and washing process, the machine speed is 60 m / min, the steam oven temperature is 99℃, the material tank rolling pressure is 1.4 Bar, the penetrant WA-MZ (Zibo Lurui Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.): 2 g / L, hydrogen peroxide stabilizer 266 (Nantong Aor Biotechnology Co., Ltd.): 5 g / L, dispersant ZB (Busaite): 5 g / L, hydrogen peroxide: 15 g / L, liquid alkali: 3 g / L, and whitening agent CF-200 (Jiangsu Meide Chemical Co., Ltd.): 14 g / L. Steam whitening can achieve a more thorough whitening effect and a longer-lasting wash resistance.
[0010] Preferably, the printing paste also includes urea and / or anti-dyeing salt as auxiliaries.
[0011] Preferably, the printing paste comprises the following components by weight: 80-100 parts of acid dye; 50-60 parts of vat dye; 15-30 parts of printing coating; 100-120 parts of adhesive; Thickener 50-60 parts; 680-700 portions of water; Urea: 50-70 parts; Anti-dyeing salt: 3-5 parts.
[0012] Preferably, the adhesive is the polymer ACRAMIN PSFC (Shanghai Tuona Chemical New Materials Co., Ltd.) or TF-321F (Transfar Group Co., Ltd.); the thickener is sodium alginate or composite paste FS-80E (Liaoning Hengxing Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.).
[0013] Preferably, the reducing solution includes: 120 g / L sodium hydrosulfite and 80 g / L caustic soda.
[0014] Preferably, the finishing solution includes: multifunctional sealing agent TF-6385, 20-80 g / L; cotton waterproof crosslinking agent TF-569A, 5-20 g / L; and locking finishing agent TF-6380A, 50-100 g / L. TF-6385, TF-569A, and TF-6380A are all purchased from Transfar Group Co., Ltd.
[0015] Preferably, in the stretching process, the pH value of the finishing solution is controlled at 5.0-6.5, the baking and curing temperature is 150-170℃, and the baking and curing time is 60-120s.
[0016] Preferably, the fabric is a polyester-cotton blend, nylon fabric, or pure cotton fabric, with a weight of 150-400 g / m². 2 .
[0017] The camouflage fabric produced by the camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness described in this invention. Preferably, the camouflage fabric has a soap wash color fastness of ≥4.5, a wet rubbing fastness of ≥3, and an infrared reflectance of ≥50% in the 700-1200nm band after 50 washes, which meets military camouflage standards.
[0018] This invention optimizes the dye system, leveraging the synergistic effect of acid dyes, vat dyes, and printing coatings. Dye fixation is ensured through reduction evaporation. The advantages of this dye blend are as follows: Acid dyes are responsible for coloring protein fibers (such as nylon), providing vibrancy and rapid dyeing ability. Their colorfastness and vibrancy are superior to other dyes due to their ionic bonding with the amino groups of fibers like nylon. Vat dyes achieve a chlorine fastness (20ppm) of grade 4 or higher and their high-temperature washing resistance (including strong detergents) far surpasses that of reactive dyes (which are prone to hydrolysis and fading), ensuring high colorfastness (wash / lightfastness). Color fixation through reduction-oxidation reaction supports infrared camouflage performance. Printing coatings are mechanically fixed by resin adhesives, suitable for cotton, synthetic fibers, and blended fabrics, enhancing color saturation and mechanically adhering to the fiber surface, improving hiding power and infrared reflectivity. In contrast, reactive dyes are less effective on synthetic fibers, and disperse dyes are limited to synthetic fibers. The blend of acid dyes, vat dyes, and printing coatings for camouflage printing improves the wash fastness and vibrancy of the fabric.
[0019] The adhesive forms a transparent film that coats the coating, enhancing adhesion and abrasion resistance and preventing peeling; the thickener adjusts the viscosity of the color paste, ensuring clear printing outlines and preventing bleeding; water and auxiliaries dissolve dyes, disperse particles, and assist in color fixation and process stability.
[0020] This invention features an innovative application of additives, employing TF-6385, a multifunctional sealing agent from Transfar Group, TF-569A, a waterproof crosslinking agent for cotton, and TF-6380A, a locking finishing agent, to form a crosslinking network and enhance wash durability.
[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. Addressing the existing technical pain point of significant fading after repeated washing of traditional camouflage printing, this invention achieves the following results through a three-system dye compound of acidic, reducing, and pigment dyes, combined with reducing steaming color fixing (sodium hydrosulfite + caustic soda, steaming) and sealing with auxiliaries in the finishing solution: color fastness is stable at ≥4.5 after 50 washes, far exceeding the national standard level 4 requirement, and wet rubbing fastness is ≥3.5.
[0022] 2. The dye compounding system of the present invention ensures that the fabric has a reflectivity of ≥50% in the 700-1200nm infrared band, which meets military standards and avoids thermal imaging reconnaissance.
[0023] 3. This invention improves the feel and comfort of traditional camouflage fabrics by using liquid ammonia finishing and low-alkali mercerizing, thus solving the problem of "hardness and roughness" in traditional camouflage fabrics.
[0024] 4. In contrast to existing technologies that rely on high-alkali mercerizing (which can easily damage fibers) and complex coating processes (which generate a lot of wastewater), this invention uses a low-alkali mercerizing process (caustic soda 170-200g / L, which is 30% less than traditional processes), liquid ammonia finishing to replace part of the chemical treatment (liquid ammonia process at 50-70℃, which effectively improves the hand feel and reduces the amount of additives), process integration (combining printing with functional finishing), simplified process, and reduced wastewater discharge. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a comparison chart of the fastness test of the fabric after 50 washes in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a comparison chart of the fastness test of the fabric after 50 washes in Comparative Example 1 of this invention. Figure 3 This is a comparison chart of the fastness test of the fabric in Comparative Example 2 of this invention after 50 washes. Detailed Implementation
[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0027] Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials used in the examples were commercially available.
[0028] Among them, the acid dyes, vat dyes and printing coatings in the printing paste raw materials were purchased from DyStar (Shanghai) Management Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Meide Chemical Co., Ltd., Jiangsu World Chemical Co., Ltd., Yorkshire (Zhejiang) Dyeing & Chemical Co., Ltd., and Ningbo Di Specialty Chemicals (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., respectively. See Tables 1 and 2 for details. ACRAMIN PSFC: Shanghai Tuona Chemical New Materials Co., Ltd.; TF-321F: Transfar Smart Logistics Co., Ltd. FS-80E: Liaoning Hengxing Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.; Anti-dyeing salt S: Zhejiang Xinhaitian Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Penetrant WA-MZ: Zibo Lurui Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.; Hydrogen peroxide stabilizer 266: Nantong Aor Biotechnology Co., Ltd.; Dispersant ZB: Poseidon; Whitening agent CF-200: Jiangsu Meide Chemical Co., Ltd.; In the embodiments, TF-6385, TF-569A, and TF-6380A were all purchased from Transfar Smart Logistics Co., Ltd. In the comparative examples, CLA and CLB were purchased from Shijiazhuang Kunpu Chemical; SMH-10 and WA-MZ were purchased from Lurui Fine Chemical; and EFR-3 and 531 were purchased from Shenzhen Advanced Hualian Fine Chemical. Table 1. Composition of Coloring Paste for Jungle Camouflage Printed Patterns (Unit: g / L)
[0029] Table 2. Composition of printing paste for desert camouflage patterns (unit: g / L)
[0030] (a) Jungle camouflage pattern The fabric weave specifications used in Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 are shown in Table 3 below. The printed pattern is jungle camouflage. By weight, the printing pigment is composed of the following components: 84 parts of acid dye; 58 parts of vat dye; 19 portions of printing coatings; 100 parts of TF-321F adhesive; 60 parts of FS-80E thickener; 680 portions of water; 60 parts urea; Anti-dyeing salt S, 4 parts.
[0031] The specific proportions of acid dyes, vat dyes, and printing coatings are shown in Table 1.
[0032] Table 3 Fabric Weave Specifications for Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2
[0033] Example 1 The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness involves processing the fabric in the following steps: fabric pretreatment, printing, and functional finishing; the fabric used is a blend of cotton, polyester, and lyocell. Fabric pretreatment includes the following steps: singeing → desizing → scouring → bleaching → mercerizing → liquid ammonia → whitening wash → pre-stretching; In the mercerizing process, the caustic soda concentration is 180 g / L, the dilute alkali concentration is 10 g / L, and the machine speed is 80 m / min; In the liquid ammonia process, the temperature of the liquid ammonia treatment chamber is 60℃, the steam temperature is stable at 110℃, and the vehicle speed is 60m / min; In the whitening and washing process, the machine speed is 60m / min, the steaming box temperature is 99℃, the material trough rolling pressure is 1.4Bar, the penetrant WA-MZ is 2g / L, the hydrogen peroxide stabilizer 266 is 5g / L, the dispersant ZB is 5g / L, the hydrogen peroxide is 15g / L, the liquid alkali is 3g / L, and the whitening agent CF-200 is 14g / L.
[0034] Printing includes the following steps: printing → drying → steaming → baking → reduction and color fixing → washing → oxidative soaping → color fixing → washing. The printing process uses a rotary screen printing machine (speed 40m / min). In the steaming process, the reducing solution (120 g / L sodium hydrosulfite and 80 g / L caustic soda) is impregnated and rapidly steamed at 130°C for 20 seconds. In the baking process, the product is baked at 200℃ for 90 seconds; In the oxidation soaping process, hydrogen peroxide at 3g / L is used for oxidation, followed by soaping at 90℃.
[0035] The functional finishing process includes the following steps: stretching → washing → inspection and assembly; The stretching process includes padding with finishing solution and baking / curing.
[0036] In the stentering process, the pH value of the finishing solution is controlled at 6, the baking and curing temperature is 170℃, and the baking and curing time is 120s. The finishing solutions include: TF-6385, 50g / L; TF-569A, 10g / L; TF-6380A, 80g / L.
[0037] Comparative Example 1 The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the finishing solution composition is different. The finishing solution includes: CLA, 120 g / L; SMH-10, 40 g / L; WA-MZ, 2 g / L; CLB, 12 g / L.
[0038] Comparative Example 2 The difference between this comparative example and Example 1 is that the finishing solution composition is different. The finishing solution includes: EFR-3, 120 g / L; SMH-10, 40 g / L; WA-MZ, 2 g / L; 531, 36 g / L.
[0039] (ii) Desert camouflage pattern The fabric weave specifications used in Examples 2, 3, and 4 are shown in Table 4 below. The printed pattern is desert camouflage. By weight, the printing paste is composed of the following components: 81 parts of acid dye; 54 parts of vat dye; 23 portions of paint; 100 parts of TF-321F adhesive; 60 parts of FS-80E thickener; 680 portions of water; 60 parts urea; Anti-dyeing salt S, 4 parts.
[0040] The specific proportions of acid dyes, vat dyes, and printing coatings are shown in Table 2.
[0041] Table 4 Fabric Weave Specifications for Example 2, Comparative Example 3, and Comparative Example 4
[0042] Example 2 The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness involves processing the fabric in the following steps: fabric pretreatment, printing, and functional finishing; the fabric used is cotton / nylon. Fabric pretreatment includes the following steps: singeing → desizing → scouring → bleaching → mercerizing → liquid ammonia → whitening wash → pre-stretching; In the mercerizing process, the caustic soda concentration is 180 g / L, the dilute alkali concentration is 10 g / L, and the machine speed is 80 m / min; In the liquid ammonia process, the temperature of the liquid ammonia treatment chamber is 60℃, the steam temperature is stable at 110℃, and the vehicle speed is 60m / min; In the whitening and washing process, the machine speed is 60m / min, the steaming box temperature is 99℃, the material trough rolling pressure is 1.4Bar, the penetrant WA-MZ is 2g / L, the hydrogen peroxide stabilizer 266 is 5g / L, the dispersant ZB is 5g / L, the hydrogen peroxide is 15g / L, the liquid alkali is 3g / L, and the whitening agent CF-200 is 14g / L.
[0043] Printing includes the following steps: printing → drying → steaming → baking → reduction and color fixing → washing → oxidative soaping → color fixing → washing. The printing process uses a rotary screen printing machine (speed 40m / min). In the steaming process, the nylon is impregnated with a reducing solution (120g / L sodium hydrosulfite and 80g / L caustic soda) and rapidly steamed at 140℃ for 15 seconds to shorten the time and ensure the strength of the nylon. In the baking process, the product is baked at 200℃ for 90 seconds; In the oxidation soaping process, hydrogen peroxide at 3g / L is used for oxidation, followed by soaping at 90℃.
[0044] The functional finishing process includes the following steps: stretching → washing → inspection and assembly; The stretching process includes padding with finishing solution and baking / curing.
[0045] In the stretching process, the pH value of the finishing solution is adjusted to 5.5, the baking and curing temperature is 170℃, and the baking and curing time is 120s. The finishing solutions include: TF-6385, 50g / L; TF-569A, 10g / L; TF-6380A, 80g / L.
[0046] Comparative Example 3 The difference between this comparative example and Example 2 is that the finishing solution composition is different. The finishing solution includes: CLA, 120 g / L; SMH-10, 40 g / L; WA-MZ, 2 g / L; CLB, 12 g / L.
[0047] Comparative Example 4 The difference between this comparative example and Example 2 is that the finishing solution composition is different. The finishing solution includes: EFR-3, 120 g / L; SMH-10, 40 g / L; WA-MZ, 2 g / L; 531, 36 g / L.
[0048] (III) Performance Testing The camouflage printed fabrics obtained in Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 were subjected to a color change test after washing according to GB / T3921-2008 (Textiles - Tests for Color Fastness). The washing temperature was 60℃ (simulating field cleaning), the detergent was a bleach-containing detergent (simulating extreme conditions), and the number of washes was 50 (military durability). Mechanical action was performed by increasing the number of steel balls to 25. The color change rating method was based on the GB / T 250 color change chart (level 5 is best, below level 3 is unacceptable). For military camouflage, a color fastness of ≥4 after 50 washes is specifically required. The results are shown in Tables 5 and 6.
[0049] Table 5. Color Change Test Results After Washing for Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2
[0050] Table 6. Color Change Test Results After Washing for Examples 2, 3, and 4
[0051] The camouflage printed fabrics obtained in Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were subjected to color fastness tests, and the results are shown in Tables 7 and 8.
[0052] Table 7 Colorfastness Test Table for Example 1, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 2 (Unit: Grade)
[0053] Table 8 Colorfastness Test Table for Examples 2, 3, and 4 (Unit: Grade)
[0054] As shown in Tables 5-8, the embodiments of the present invention are superior to the comparative examples in terms of color fastness, color durability, stain resistance, and environmental friendliness.
[0055] As shown in Table 5 and Figure 1-3 As shown, the color fastness of Example 1 after 50 washes is 1.5 grades higher than that of Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2. After 50 washes, the color fastness of Example 1 still maintains a grade of 4.5 or higher. Figure 1 (the color remained almost unchanged), while comparative examples 1 and 2 had dropped to level 3 after 30 washes ( Figure 2 , 3 (Obviously faded and turned white) As shown in Table 7, the wet friction fastness of Example 1 is 0.5 grades higher than that of Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, which improves wear resistance and makes it more suitable for harsh outdoor environments. The method according to the National Military Standard (GJB 1089A-2003), using a scanning spectrophotometer (wavelength range 190–3200 nm, resolution 0.1 nm) and sampling points (near-infrared band 780–2500 nm), uniformly selecting ≥35 wavelength points to calculate the average reflectance, yielded the following results: reflectance in the infrared band 700–1200 nm. Example 1 showed 51%, and Example 2 showed 52%, both conforming to military standards and avoiding thermal imaging reconnaissance.
[0056] In summary, the production process of this invention achieves a green upgrade by forming a cross-linked network through the multifunctional sealing agent TF-6385 and the locking finishing agent TF-6380A, thereby improving the color fastness of the fabric and reducing wastewater generation.
[0057] This invention achieves a breakthrough in color durability of camouflage fabrics under extreme washing conditions by leveraging a synergistic additive system (TF series) and optimized processes, while simultaneously solving the pollution and functional defects of traditional processes, providing a highly reliable solution for military equipment.
Claims
1. A camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness, characterized in that, The fabric is processed in the following steps: fabric pretreatment, printing, and functional finishing. Printing includes the following steps: printing → drying → steaming → baking → reduction and color fixing → washing → oxidative soaping → color fixing → washing. The printing process uses a rotary screen printing machine, and the printing paste includes acid dyes, vat dyes, printing coatings, adhesives, thickeners, and water; the steaming process involves padding with the vat dye solution. The functional finishing process includes the following steps: stretching → washing → inspection and assembly; The stretching process includes padding with finishing solution and baking / curing.
2. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 1, characterized in that, Fabric pretreatment includes the following steps: singeing → desizing → scouring → bleaching → mercerizing → liquid ammonia → whitening wash → pre-stretching.
3. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 1, characterized in that, By weight, printing paste comprises the following components: 80-100 parts of acid dye; 50-60 parts of vat dye; 15-30 parts of printing coating; 100-120 parts of adhesive; Thickener 50-60 parts; 680-700 portions of water.
4. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 3, characterized in that, The binder is the polymer ACRAMIN PSFC or TF-321F; the thickener is sodium alginate or composite paste FS-80E.
5. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reducing solution consists of: 120 g / L sodium hydrosulfite and 80 g / L caustic soda.
6. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The finishing solutions include: multi-functional sealing agent TF-6385, 20-80 g / L; cotton waterproof crosslinking agent TF-569A, 5-20 g / L; and locking finishing agent TF-6380A, 50-100 g / L.
7. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 1, characterized in that, During the stretching process, the pH value of the finishing solution is controlled at 5.0-6.5, the baking and curing temperature is 150-170℃, and the baking and curing time is 60-120s.
8. The camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fabric is a polyester-cotton blend, nylon fabric, or pure cotton fabric, with a weight of 150-400 g / m². 2 .
9. A camouflage fabric produced by the camouflage printing process with high color saturation and fastness as described in any one of claims 1-8.
10. The camouflage fabric according to claim 9, characterized in that, The camouflage fabric, after 50 washes, exhibits a soap wash colorfastness of ≥4.5, a wet rubbing fastness of ≥3, and an infrared reflectance of ≥50% in the 700-1200nm wavelength band.