Pigment dyeing Pigment dyeing is not really dyeing in its truest form because the pigments stick on the

fabric with the help of binder. Pigments are insoluble in water. They exist in the form of finely ground molecules, milled for garment purpose in to a paste. When anionic dispersing agents are added a slightly negative charge is present, thus the foundation for pigment dyeing is born. When a positively charged cationic pre-treat is added to the fiber a magnetic bond is formed. The process is completed when a cationic binder is added to lock the pigment into place. In pigment dyeing no actual reaction takes place between the dye and the fabric.

How dose the bleach work on colored fabrics? Color in most dyes and pigments are produced by molecules which contain chromophores, such as beta carotene. Chemical bleaches work in one of two ways: An oxidizing bleach works by breaking the chemical bonds that make up the chromophore. This changes the molecule into a different substance that either does not contain a chromophore, or contains a chromophore that does not absorb visible light. Reducing bleach works by converting double bonds in the chromophore into single bonds. This eliminates the ability of the chromophore to absorb visible light. Sunlight acts as bleach through a process leading to similar results: high energy photons of light, often in the violet or ultraviolet range, can disrupt the bonds in the chromophore, rendering the resulting substance colorless. Extended exposure often leads to massive discoloration usually reducing the colors to white and typically very faded blue spectrums. Why do we use softener in garments washing? General information The purpose of adding fabric softeners at the end of the washing process is to neutralize the very small amounts of detergents left in the textiles and thus prevent static electricity. During the rinsing cycle of laundering, the detergents are diluted between 1000 and 10000 times, so the concentration of detergents in the water of the last rinse is around 0.1% - 0.01% of the concentration in the initial washing lot. The simplest way to inactivate any detergents left in the fabric is to neutralize the pH to between 6.5 and 7.5 through addition of a small amount of acetic acid. Through this method, the activity of the alkali and surfactants is eliminated. For fabrics with a high content of synthetic fibers it may be necessary to add small amounts of cationic surfactants that can neutralize the charges of anionic surfactants and thus prevent static electricity. Using non-ionic or amphoteric surfactants normally makes such additions unnecessary. Sometimes the fabric softeners also include small amounts of perfume to provide a pleasant scent. Please refer to the section on other substances for further info. Acetic acid Acetic acid is not a fabric softener in principle but is often used for this purpose in professional laundries. Acetic acid is a weak organic acid - the key ingredient in vinegar. It is readily degradable and has no adverse effects in the environment except for the use of oxygen for degradation. It is also readily degradable under anaerobic conditions. Acetic acid has to be stored and handled with care

ENZYMATIC FINISHING PROCESS FOR GARMENTS In garment processing, apart from desizing with Amylase enzymes, Cellulase enzymes are widely used to impart: a) Fading by surface degradation of cotton fibers in indigo dyed denims. b) Clear finish by removing protruding fibers in cotton or blended garments in denim or non-denim category. c) To achieve soft, smooth feel with combination of a variety of exhaustible softeners. The finishing system based on cellulase enzymes can be divided into two basic categories. 1) Neutral Enzymes (Operative pH band of 6.5-7.0) 2) Acid Enzymes (Operative pH band of 4.0-4.5) Neutral Enzymes include systems operating around neutral pH range, which give characteristic softness with minimal back staining in case of denims, with better contrast between dyed and undyed yarns. Acid Enzyme systems are more economical in application, but give lesser clarity of denim pattern due to back staining. In case of other cotton garments dyed with reactive colours, hydrolysis of dye-cellulose linkages in acidic pH cannot be ruled out with the result, there is likely colour bleeding in enzyme bath. An anti-staining/anti-re-deposition specialty, CLEAROL DX can be added to bath to minimize this drawback of back staining. A number of formulations have been developed in our laboratories, and are being successfully used in denim processing industries, for certain consumer preferred fashions. The enzyme treated goods are more receptive to action of other finishing specialties due to opening of fiber structures and creation of more active sites. Judicious use of softeners in separate bath is recommended. Drum washers are the preferred machinery for garment processing. As the conditions require comparatively milder temperatures, mechanical agitation must be carefully controlled. The drums diameter should be around 100 cm, with baffles to give adequate agitation and uniform action. Drums should have rotation of around 30 rpm for woven garments and 10 rpm for knitted garments. Finishing of Cotton Knits: Cellulase enzyme treatments increasingly find applications in cotton hosiery sector to enhance aesthetic feel as well as surface clarity. ULTRAZYME SUPER is an enzyme-based formulation, well suited for use in winches or high turbulence soft flow machines. Adequate caution must be exercised to deactivate residual enzyme by elevating temperatures to around 80-85deg C., otherwise the reaction would continue to take place resulting in loss of physical strength of goods.

Post-Enzymatic Treatment of Dyed Goods: Cellulase enzymes are highly substrate specific - any structural change of the substrate can have an adverse effect on the reactivity of the enzymes. Direct dyes are captured inside the fiber by relatively weak secondary forces as well as by physical entrapment through dye aggregation. We found that the hydrolysis rate, except for very small direct dyes, decreased to a certain extent when dyes were incorporated into the fiber structure. Fiber-reactive dyes, on the other hand, form true chemical bonds to the functional groups of cellulose, so the type, number and position of the reactive group had a decisive effect on hydrolysis. Color brightness was strongly dependent on the dye class and on the structure of the specific dye, fiber reactive dyes being generally the brightest. Special type of Enzymes:

Bioscouring Enzymes:

Before cotton yarn or fabric can be dyed, it goes through a number of processes in a textile mill. One important step is scouring the complete or partial removal of the non-cellulosic components of native cotton such as waxes, pectins, hemicelluloses and mineral salts as well as impurities such as machinery and size lubricants. Scouring gives a fabric with a high and even wettability that can be bleached and dyed successfully. Today, highly alkaline chemicals such as sodium hydroxide are used for scouring. These chemicals not only remove the impurities but also attack the cellulose, leading to a reduction in strength and loss of weight of the fabric. Furthermore, the resulting wastewater has a high COD (chemical oxygen demand), BOD (biological oxygen demand) and salt content. In 2004, AETL introduced Addscour that reduces environmental impact and, in most cases, works out more economical to use. Unlike other commercial bioscouring enzymes available based on alkaline pectinase, Addscour is effective for batch and continuous process and can be used for scouring of knit and woven fabrics and garments.The effectively comes because of right enzymes blended in Addscour over years of research. The new process is called Bio-Preparation. It has been welcomed because rinsing water can be reduced by more than half compared with traditional processes. This is especially advantageous since hot rinsing water is used, meaning that considerable amounts of energy can be saved. Quality improves too. The enzymatic treatment leaves the cellulose structure almost intact, so it reduces weight loss and strength loss. Bio-Scouring has a number of potential advantages over traditionally prepared textiles. It reduces total water consumption by around 25%, the treated yarn/fabrics retain their strength properties, and the weight loss is much less than for processing in traditional ways. Bio-Scouring also gives softer cotton textiles.

Bio-washing Enzyme: Abrasion Yarn the abrasive action of lightweight pumice stones on the garment surface, which removes some of the dye. However, too much abrasion can damage the fabric, particularly hems and waistbands. This is why denim finishers today use acid, hybrid or neutral cellulases to accelerate the abrasion by loosening the indigo dye on the denim. Since a small dose of enzyme can replace several kilograms of stones, the use of fewer stones results in less damage to garments, less wear on machines, and less pumice dust in the working environment. Productivity can also be increased through laundry machines containing fewer stones but more garments. With a stone-free process, the need for the removal of dust and small stones from the finished garment is reduced. There is also no sediment in the wastewater, which can otherwise block drains. Denim garments are dyed with indigo, which adheres to the surface of the yarn. The cellulase molecule binds to an exposed fibril (bundles of fibrils make up a fibre) on the surface of the yarn and hydrolyses it, but leaving the interior part of the cotton fibre intact. When the cellulases partly hydrolyse the surface of the fibre, the indigo is partly removed and light areas are created. Neutral cellulases or Neutrastone Series designed by AETL acting at pH 6-8, acid cellulases (Denicell Series) acting at pH 4-6 and hybrid cellulases (Addcool Series) acting at pH 5 6.5 are used for the abrasion of denim. There are a number of cellulases available, each with its own special properties. These can be used either alone or in combination in order to obtain a specific look. Application research in this area is focused on preventing or enhancing backstaining depending on the style required. Backstaining is defined as the redeposition of released indigo onto the garments. This effect is very important in denim finishing. Backstaining at low pH values (pH 4-6) is relatively high, whereas it is significantly lower in the towards neutral pH range. Neutral cellulases are therefore often used when the objective is minimal backstaining. Hybrid cellulases are effective tool to save energy cost as processing can be done at ambient or room temperature conditions.

Desizing Enzyme: Enzymes like heat stable amylase, fungal amylase are used for desizing woven fabrics because of their highly efficient and specific way of desizing without harming the yarn. As an example, desizing on a jigger is a simple method where the fabric from one roll is processed in a bath and re-wound on another roll. First, the sized fabric is washed in hot water (80-95C) to gelatinize the starch. The desizing liquor is then adjusted to pH 5.5-7.5 and a temperature of 60-80C depending on the enzyme. The fabric then goes through an impregnation stage before the amylase is added. Degraded starch in the form of dextrin is then removed by washing at 90-95C for two minutes. The jigger process is a batch process. By contrast, in modern continuous high-speed processes, the reaction time for the enzyme may be as short as 15 seconds. Desizing on pad rolls is continuous in terms of the passage of the fabric. However, a holding time of 2-16 hours at 20-60C is required using low-temperature alpha-amylases before the size is removed in washing chambers. With high-temperature amylases, desizing reactions can be performed in steam chambers at 95-100C or even higher temperatures to allow a fully continuous process.

Dehairing Enzyme: Enzymatic Dehairing in tanneries has been envisaged as an alternative to Sulfides. Tanneries are constantly concerned about the obnoxious odor and pollution caused by the extremely toxic sodium sulfide used in the Dehairing process step. Deaths due to this toxic chemical process have even been reported. Worldwide, it is estimated that 315 million bovine leathers are produced per year. Considering a waste treatment cost of $0.30 per m2 of leather produced, more than $1 million is spent per day to treat the waste from tanneries around the world. We report here a novel keratinase from Bacillus subtilis that has the potential to replace sodium sulfide in the Dehairing process. Hides and skins have hair attached to them that must be removed for their use as leather. The conventional way to remove hair from hides is to use harsh chemicals such as lime and sodium sulfide. These chemicals completely dissolve the hair and open up the fiber structure. With enzyme-assisted Dehairing, it is possible to reduce the chemical requirements and obtain a cleaner product and a higher area yield with fewer chemicals in the wastewater. Since the enzyme does not dissolve the hair as the chemicals do, it is possible to filter out the hair, thus reducing the chemical and biological oxygen demand of the wastewater.

Biopolishing Enzyme: Abrasion Yarn the abrasive action of lightweight pumice stones on the garment surface, which removes some of the dye. However, too much abrasion can damage the fabric, particularly hems and waistbands. This is why denim finishers today use acid, hybrid or neutral cellulases to accelerate the abrasion by loosening the indigo dye on the denim. Since a small dose of enzyme can replace several kilograms of stones, the use of fewer stones results in less damage to garments, less wear on machines, and less pumice dust in the working environment. Productivity can also be increased through laundry machines containing fewer stones but more garments. With a stone-free process, the need for the removal of dust and small stones from the finished garment is reduced. There is also no sediment in the wastewater, which can otherwise block drains. Denim garments are dyed with indigo, which adheres to the surface of the yarn. The cellulase molecule binds to an exposed fibril (bundles of fibrils make up a fiber) on the surface of the yarn and hydrolyses it, but leaving the

interior part of the cotton fiber intact. When the cellulases partly hydrolyse the surface of the fiber, the indigo is partly removed and light areas are created. Neutral cellulases or Neutrastone Series designed by AETL acting at pH 6-8, acid cellulases (Denicell Series) acting at pH 4-6 and hybrid cellulases (Addcool Series) acting at pH 5 6.5 are used for the abrasion of denim. There are a number of cellulases available, each with its own special properties. These can be used either alone or in combination in order to obtain a specific look. Application research in this area is focused on preventing or enhancing backstaining depending on the style required. Backstaining is defined as the redeposition of released indigo onto the garments. This effect is very important in denim finishing. Backstaining at low pH values (pH 4-6) is relatively high, whereas it is significantly lower in the towards neutral pH range. Neutral cellulases are therefore often used when the objective is minimal backstaining. Hybrid cellulases are effective tool to save energy cost as processing can be done at ambient or room temperature conditions. Bio-carbonizing: Polyester / cellulosic blends after dyeing and/ or printing are occasionally treated with strong solution of sulphuric acid to dissolve cellulosic component. The resultant goods are soft and have a peculiar fluffy feel. This process is risky due to highly corrosive acid that is also difficult to treat in an ET plant. The process developed at UNO, has none of the above drawbacks. It offers a safe and eco-friendly to the obnoxious practice of using sulphuric acid. The goods are treated with cellulose enzyme based formulation to achieve dissolution of cellulosic fibers.