Supercritical CO2 Textile Dyeing With Integrated Waterless Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional textile dyeing processes are inefficient and environmentally harmful due to high water consumption and contamination, with a lack of integrated waterless processing techniques for pre-processing, dyeing, and post-processing.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide for waterless processing of textiles, including pre-processing to remove grease and impurities, simultaneous dyeing and functional material addition, and post-processing to wash off unfixed dyes, with recycling of carbon dioxide for continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional water-based dyeing process is used, then textile materials can be dyed effectively, but large amount of water is consumed and water contamination is created
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning from liquid water to supercritical carbon dioxide as the processing medium. This involves changing the physical state and chemical properties of the fluid carrier, allowing dyeing without water while maintaining effective dye penetration and fixation on textile fibers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses supercritical carbon dioxide as an intermediary substance to replace water in the dyeing process. The supercritical CO2 acts as a solvent carrier that can dissolve dyes and deliver them to textile fibers, performing the same function as water but without the associated environmental contamination issues
2Productivity
If pre-processing and post-processing are performed separately from dyeing, then each step can be optimized, but total processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges pre-processing (cleansing), dyeing, and post-processing (washing) into a single integrated supercritical fluid treatment process. All these operations are performed simultaneously in the same reactor vessel using supercritical CO2, eliminating the need for separate processing steps and reducing total processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The supercritical carbon dioxide system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a cleansing agent to remove impurities, as a solvent carrier for dye delivery, and as a washing medium to remove excess dyes. This multi-functionality allows all processing steps to be combined in one operation
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
This method significantly reduces water usage, processing time, and environmental impact by enabling efficient, continuous cleansing, dyeing, and functional material integration, while maintaining high efficiency and reducing chemical additives.
Implementation Method 1
The supercritical carbon dioxide is a superb non-polar solvent, which can dissolve oil grease, oily material and impurities on some functional materials or textiles
Implementation Method 2
utilizes the recycled carbon dioxide emitted by industries as the carrier and carry the dyes onto the textiles to be dyed in a supercritical state
Implementation Method 3
The carbon dioxide is then depressurized and separated. The carbon dioxide in gaseous state is then collected for recycling
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application is directed to a method of waterless processing of textile materials using supercritical fluid, including the use of supercritical fluid to dye the textile materials, the use of supercritical fluid for a pre-processing procedure of cleansing the textile materials, and the use of supercritical fluid to wash off unfixed dyes and cleansing of the textile materials and to perform the post-processing procedure of adding functional materials after the use of supercritical fluid to dye the textile materials. The present application provides an integrated technology of pre-processing, dyeing and post-processing of textile materials using supercritical fluid. At the same time, cleansing and dyeing are performed which effectively raises the efficiency.