Ozone Tumbler Treatment for Wool Shrinkage and Felting Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for inhibiting felting and shrinkage of wool garments during industrial and domestic processing are either environmentally harmful, complex, or not cost-effective, particularly due to the instability and low concentration issues of ozone solutions, and the impracticality of existing ozone gas treatment methods for large-scale industrial use.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the treatment of wool garments with ozone gas inside a rotative tumbler at controlled concentrations (20-150 g ozone/Nm³) and rotation speeds (10-25 rounds/min) for 15-60 minutes at ambient temperature, with optimal water-to-garment weight ratios (40-70%) to prevent felting and shrinkage effectively and efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chlorine treatment is used to prevent felting and shrinkage, then the effectiveness of preventing felting and shrinkage is improved, but environmental harm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter from chlorine to ozone, maintaining the oxidizing function while eliminating environmental harm. Ozone decomposes into oxygen, providing the same felting prevention effect without persistent harmful residues in the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
Ozone is used as a temporary treatment agent that decomposes completely into oxygen. This disposable approach eliminates the need for persistent chemical residues, allowing effective felting prevention without long-term environmental contamination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If aqueous ozone solution is used to prevent felting and shrinkage, then environmental friendliness is improved, but process complexity increases due to instability and concentration maintenance issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses gaseous ozone instead of aqueous ozone solution. The gas phase eliminates solubility and stability issues associated with dissolved ozone, allowing simple generation and application of ozone gas directly to the wool fabric without complex solution preparation and maintenance systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameter from aqueous solution to gas phase. This transformation eliminates the instability and concentration maintenance problems inherent in aqueous ozone solutions, simplifying the overall process while maintaining environmental friendliness.
3Productivity
If conventional washing and drying processes are used, then productivity is improved, but felting and shrinkage occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies ozone treatment before the washing and drying processes. This preliminary oxidation modifies the wool fiber surface to prevent felting, allowing subsequent high-speed washing and drying to proceed without causing shrinkage or dimensional changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The ozone treatment creates a preliminary protective effect against felting by oxidizing the fiber surface. This anti-action occurs before the mechanical forces of washing and drying are applied, preventing the harmful felting effect while allowing productive processing to continue.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides a fast, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective solution for preventing felting and shrinkage of wool garments on an industrial scale, ensuring uniform treatment and minimal energy consumption while maintaining the quality and appearance of the garments.
Implementation Method 1
Chlorine is known to cause the oxidation of the surface of the wool fibers and it is believed that this causes the aforementioned desired prevention of the felting and shrinkage of the wool garments. Nevertheless, the use of chlorine in the processing of garments is also known to have a significant negative environmental impact.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for the treatment of wool garments with ozone gas to control and inhibit their felting and shrinkage during their subsequent industrial finishing process and/or domestic washing care, is described. The method comprises wetting the garments, and treating the garments inside the interior of a rotative tumbler for a time period of between 15 and 60 minutes at ambient temperature with ozone gas, said ozone gas being at a concentration in air of between 20 g ozone/Nm3 and 150 g ozone/Nm3, wherein the rotative tumbler which contains the garments is rotated at a speed of between 10 rounds/min and 25 rounds/min. The method is improved by adding treating the garments with enzymes.