Vat-Dyed Nylon Yarn Composition for Ozone-Resistant Tweed Carpets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processes for producing colored nylon floor coverings, such as carpets, face issues with acid dyes leading to staining, ozone fading, and difficulty in achieving a consistent tweed or heathered appearance due to lack of tight color control and lightfastness.
Innovation Solution
The use of yarns comprising plies dyed with vat dyestuffs, where a denier ratio and reflectance ratio between the plies create a desired color differential, allowing for a tweed or heathered appearance, with the option to dye both plies in the same dyebath to enhance process efficiency and lightfastness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If acid dyes are used for coloration of nylon fibers, then ease of dyeing is improved, but staining resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of dye chemistry from acid dyes to vat dyes, which have different molecular structures and bonding mechanisms with nylon fibers. Vat dyes form more stable, less transferable color bonds that resist staining while maintaining dyeing feasibility through controlled reduction and oxidation processes.
2Reliability
If acid dyes are applied to nylon fibers, then coloration is achieved, but lightfastness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from acid dye chemistry to vat dye chemistry, fundamentally changing how the dye interacts with the nylon fiber. Vat dyes penetrate deeper into the fiber and form more stable color bonds that are resistant to ozone and UV degradation, thereby improving lightfastness while maintaining color stability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If treatments are applied to improve ozone fading resistance, then lightfastness is improved, but shade accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dyeing approach from acid dyes with protective treatments to vat dyes that inherently provide ozone resistance. This eliminates the need for additional treatments that would compromise shade accuracy, as vat dyes maintain their color properties without requiring modifying agents.
4Shape
If acid dyed nylon plies are individually produced, then tweed or heathered appearance is achieved, but color consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple plies into a single yarn structure before dyeing, allowing the vat dye to penetrate and color all plies simultaneously through capillary action and fiber-to-fiber contact. This unified dyeing approach ensures consistent color distribution across all plies while maintaining the visual texture of the tweed or heathered appearance.
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 achieves enhanced lightfastness, wet fastness, and color stability, providing a consistent tweed or heathered effect while resisting ozone fading and household bleach, and can be applied to various textile products including carpets.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the yarn with a dyeing composition comprising at least one vat dyestuff in reduced form. Once applied to the first and second plies, the vat dyestuff is oxidized
Data Source
AI summary
Yarns are described herein which, in some embodiments, comprise plies or single strands dyed with at least one vat dyestuff yielding a tweed or heathered appearance. In one aspect, a yarn comprises a first ply and a second ply each dyed with at least one vat dyestuff, wherein a difference in color depth (DL*) between the dyed first single strand and the dyed second single strand has an absolute value of at least 2 when the vat dyestuff is in an oxidized state. As described further herein, the first ply and the second ply are dyed in the same dyebath. In another aspect, a yarn comprises a first ply and a second ply each dyed with at least one vat dyestuff, wherein a reflectance ration between the second ply and the first ply ranges from 0.05 to 0.95.