Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Asahi Kasei Spandex Europe GmbH 41519 Dormagen, Germany

Reg. NO 3083

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Contents 1. From Greige Goods to Finished Article 1.1 Relaxation 1.1.1 Relaxation on Steaming Tables 1.1.2 Relaxation by Steaming at the Tenter Feed End 1.1.3 Relaxation by Means of Hot Water 1.2 Hot-air Setting 1.3 Wet Treatment 1.3.1 Scouring 1.3.2 Dyeing Method 1.4 Aftertreatment 2. Article Characteristics and their Influences on the Procedure 2.1 Raschel Knits 2.2 Warp-knits 2.3 Knits 2.3.1 Flat Knits 2.3.2 Circular Knits 2.4 Wovens 3. Bleaching, Fluorescent Whitening and Dyeing 3.1 Dorlastan/Polyamide 3.1.1 Scouring 3.1.2 Fluorescent Whitening 3.1.3 Dyeing 3.2 Dorlastan/Polyester 3.2.1 Scouring 3.2.2 Fluorescent Whitening 3.2.3 Dyeing 3.3 Dorlastan/Wool 3.4 Dorlastan/Cotton Appendix

Page 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 7 7 7 8 10 10 10 12 13 13 13 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 24

Published by and responsibility gez. ppa. Schmidt Marketing Dorlastan

Approval gez. Nahl Geschftsfhrer

Edition:

01: 07/94 02: 09/98 03: 01/04 04: 07/04 05: 04/05 06: 03/06 2

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1. From Greige Goods to Finished Article

The characteristic features of an elastic fabric are extensibility and elastic recovery. They are achieved with the help of elastane threads which are incorporated in stretched condition during greige fabric production. In the course of the subsequent storage and finishing, the greige fabric with the elastane threads is relaxed and becomes compressed, and thus obtains its elasticity. The amount of stretch of an elastic fabric depends on the fabric structure formed by the non-elastic yarns, which in turn is strongly influenced by the processing technique (circular knit, warp knit, etc.). The elastic recovery is determined by the retractive force of the stretched elastane threads and by the resistance of the compressed textile structure. Greige fabric is not suited for making-up, so the appropriate conditions for achieving the desired finished article properties must be created prior to this step. They include color, luster and touch for both, elastic as well as non-elastic fabrics. Elastic fabrics must additionally provide reoverable stretch. To meet these requirements, suitable finishing processes must be chosen that are able to produce finished articles of nice appearance and hand with the desired technical and elastic properties. Greige fabric should always be delivered to the finisher on rolls because many qualities show a strong tendency to shrink if plaited down, which may result in irreversible crease and lay mark formation. Moreover, unrelaxed greige goods should not be stored for a long time in rolled-up, and particularly tightly rolled-up, condition because such storage may lead to moir formation. If stored in warm and humid condition, elastic greige goods, especially elastic knits, may start to become denser before finishing is even begun. As a consequence, fabric width and m2-weight may change. To enable the finisher to take such circumstances into account, the greige good supplier must provide him with all the details of manufacture. If such details are not available to the finisher, as it frequently happens, he should find out about the shrinkage by preliminary tests, especially if he is not familiar with the good and works with the fabric for the first time. A good method to determine the maximum density of any fabric is to boil a piece of the greige cloth and subsequently dry it tension-free, e.g. in a tumbler. Such treatment will cause any fabric to shrink extremely as it would never do in normal processing procedures. The degree of shrinkage tells the finisher which are the most suitable finishing procedures for the respective fabric. Regardless whether a greige fabric containing elastane displays a strong natural tendency to shrink or whether the shrinkage must be enhanced, the customers requirements must always have first priority. The maximum shrinkage must be appropriate to reach the desired m2-weight, running length and width in the finished product. If this is achieved after relaxation, and there is no other reason to apply it, you may well do without heat setting (e.g. in case of raschel power nets).

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

If however, the dimensions of the relaxed fabric does not meet the customers requirements for width and weigth, or if the edges show excess curl (e.g. with warp knits) heat setting is inevitable. Another important point in this context is dimensional stability (i.e. low shrinkage values). If hot air fixation is applied to influence m2-weight and stretch, it must be sufficient to create this stability. Once a greige good has been relaxed and possibly stabilized, it must be ensured that the resulting properties are not unnecessarily endangered or even lost during further processing. This means: Tensions in longitudinal direction should be kept as low as possible Wet treatment temperatures should not exceed 100C (except for articles containing polyester) Chemicals that impair the elastic properties of Dorlastan should not be applied The combined strain resulting from chemicals, time, temperature and tension should be reduced to a minimum. Like other fabrics, elastic fabrics must be subjected to all the standard operations of finishing, such as scouring, setting, dyeing, dressing and possibly raising, shearing or decatizing. In addition, however, further measures are necessary to develop, stabilize, and maintain or reverse the stretch effect You find a description of the various operations involved in the finishing of elastic fabrics in the following sections.

1.1 Relaxation
The greige fabric can be relaxed by means of steam or hot water. For this purpose, the fabric must be fed to the machine with low tension so that it can shrink freely at least to the desired cloth density.

1.1.1 Relaxation on steaming tables

This method is widely used. The shrinkage is largely determined by the article itself, but can be controlled to a certain extent via the steam amount and the feeding speed. The greige fabric is put onto the steaming table with overfeed, taken off tensionless and then rolled up. If the fabric has a strong tendency to curl at the edges (e.g. warp knits) or if a prescribed width must be achieved, it is recommended to use steaming tables with lateral spiked chain guides.

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1.1.2 Relaxation by Steaming at the Tenter Feed End

Relaxation by steaming at the tenter feed end allows greater control of the cloth shrinkage by means of overfeed and width adjustment of the tenter frame. A special advantage of this method is the constant fabric width over the entire batch, so that the fabric can be rolled up evenly afterwards. This is an essential prerequisite for a subsequent treatment in the dyeing beam. When steamed in the tenter feed an elastic fabric does not shrink as much in width as it would during preshrinking in other equipment because of the heavy weight of the sagging fabric. The greige fabric should be fed to the tenter via roller drive and not be drawn from the roll; if it is drawn from the roll, the longitudinal shrinkage will increase from the beginning to the end of the batch because of the decreasing roll weight and the diminishing take-off tension going with it, i.e. the longitudinal shrinkage may vary over the entire batch length. The normal tenter temperature for shrinking ranges from 100140C. If shrinking and hot air setting are combined, the processing temperate is approximately 185195C.

1.1.3 Relaxation by Means of Hot Water

Scouring and shrinking can be combined in low-tension open-width washers at operating temperatures between 60 and 95C.

1.2 Hot air setting

Hot air setting must be applied if a fabrics shrinking tendency exceeds the customers specifications with regard to m2-weight, running length and cloth width. In addition, it has an area stabilization effect that can be used to eliminate or to reduce undesired edge curling. How much setting is required is highly dependent on the article, so no general rules can be established. Since it is essential to maintain the elastic properties of the fabric, the setting conditions should not be more severe than necessary, but sufficient to meet the customers requirements and to achieve good shrinkage values. Appropriate setting conditions can easily be determined by preliminary tests and will include exposure times ranging from 25 to 60 seconds. The setting temperature is determined first of all by the type of Dorlastan that is used. Polyether = 192196C, polyester = 185190C.

1.3 Wet Treatment 1.3.1 Scouring

Optimal preparatory treatment that guarantees good reproducibility of the entire process includes the thorough removal of both the silicone lubricant required for the processing of elastane and the lubricants of the non-elastic fiber components in order to avoid mutual reactions of the two lubricant types. DiadevinDSP has proven a suitable agent for this purpose.

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Whether scouring is performed in open-width or rope form depends primarily on the article, but also on what equipment is available.

1.3.2 Dyeing Method

Selection of the dyeing method is determined by the articles tendency to crease. Fabrics that are prone to creasing require open-width dyeing. This technique can be performed on jig or beam dyeing machines. Jig dyeing machines with sufficient controls to operate at very low tension, and compensate as the fabric shrinks during dyeing are required. If an appropriate low tension is guaranteed for the fabric feed, the jig is an economic solution for dyeing stable fabrics that do not curl at the edges (e.g. wovens). High qualities can be produced, if water pockets resulting from unnecessary standstills of the jig are avoided, and the exposure time and treatment temperature are limited to the required levels. Water pockets disturb the smooth running of the fabric and easily cause creasing. Once the pockets have formed, crease formation can only be avoided by increasing the fabric tension, which leads inevitably to lower qualities. By the treatment on the jig the elastic material is stretched. If the resulting elongation is only slight, it can well be reversed during the subsequent drying by an appropriate overfeed. However, increased fabric tension and extended exposure times at high temperatures as they are often required with dark colors sometimes lead to greater elongations, which cannot always be compensated for by the tenter overfeed during intermediate drying. The dyed fabric may be slightly longer compared to the relaxed greige fabric and may have a lower m2-weight combined with less stretch. To avoid these negative effects beam dyeing is often preferred. For beam dyeing, the elastic fabric must be subjected to optimal prior relaxation and, if necessary, also to hot setting. These measures are necessary to prevent the fabric shrinking in width in the autoclave resulting in the lateral perforations of the dyeing beam being uncovered. At the tenter feed end, the fabric is evenly wound on the dyeing beams at constant wounding tension. During the whole dyeing process, the liquid in the autoclave should circulate only from the inside to the outside, the differential pressure should be maintained at 0.10.2 bar by reducing the liquid flow rate, and the liquid temperature should be increased and/or decreased only slowly. In contrast to jig dyeing, dyeing on the beam always involves a risk of moir formation, especially with dark colors. The above mentioned even wounding tension, slow temperature change, and the use of dyeing beams of large diameters adequately wrapped with non-dyeing leader cloth help to reduce this risk to a minimum. Goods that are not prone to creasing can be winch beck dyed, overflow dyed or jet dyed in rope form.

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1.4 Aftertreatment
There are numerous possibilities for aftertreatment. Selection of the technique depends on the composition of the article and the customers specifications. This will not be covered in detail in this general description.

2. Article Characteristics and their Influence on the Procedure 2.1 Raschel Knits
Compared to other elastic knit fabrics most types of raschel fabrics are relatively stable, they have no or little tendency to curl at the edges, their shrinking tendency is sufficient and reproducible, and rarely exceeds the desired level. Raschel fabrics shrink most during relaxation at the beginning of the finishing process, but often they compact even further in the course of the subsequent finishing steps. Because of this the finished product has the precalculated and required width, weight of the fabric and extensibility. Given these facts, area stabilization by means of hot air setting is usually not necessary, which is a great advantage with regard to maintaining the fabric properties. Since raschel fabrics are prone to creasing they are preferably treated open-width. Relaxation of foundation garment fabrics is performed mostly on steaming tables or in modified steaming systems, rarely in open-width washers or dry cleaning machines. To ensure that the final products are free from creases, they should be processed roll to roll rather than plaited. Sometimes hot air setting is performed, e.g. to improve the elastane runback. The fabric is set at 180-195C for a period of approximately 2040 seconds. Exposure time and temperature should always be kept to a minimum. Most types of raschel fabrics are dyed open-width on beam dyeing machines. Some qualities, however, (e.g. jacquard nets) may be dyed in rope form on winch becks or, to reduce the risk of creasing, on overflow or jet dyeing machines. Intermediate drying can easily and economically be carried out in a jet ribbon drier; here, the foundation garment fabric is treated completely tensionless and can thus shrink freely, which is essential with regard to the stretch of the final product. Drying is effected at temperatures ranging from 80 to 130C. Nowadays, however, intermediate drying of foundation garment fabrics is normally carried out in the tenter at temperatures between 120 and max. 160C. The tentering width should be a few centimeters less than the required width of the final product and unless the desired running length and m2-weights do not allow for it the overfeed should be sufficient to enable optimal shrinking without disturbing the smooth and trouble-free running of the fabric.

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Raschel power nets are nearly always provided with a chemical finish to achieve the required hand and necessary dimensional stability. The finish is applied in a padder with good, uniform squeezing effect. Then the fabric is dried, and possibly cured, by feeding it continuously through the tenter. Today, mainly finishes containing little or no formaldehyde are used. Additional fillers or softening agents are only applied, if the customers specifications render them necessary, because the excessive use of softening agents may cause the Dorlastan threads to show an unfavorable tendency to creep back at the seams in the ready-to-wear apparel. Final drying of the finished foundation garment fabric is performed in the tenter at temperatures between 130 and 160C. With non-crosslinking finishing agents the actual temperature and contact time is determined exclusively by the drying effect; in case of crosslinking dressing agents it is the curing conditions to be observed that determine these variables. Make sure to adjust the correct overfeed for these goods that tend to stretch lengthwise, so that the defined weight of the fabric, running length and extensibility are achieved. It is quite common practice to enhance the whiteness of white foundation garment fabrics by adding suitable tints to the finish bath. To improve the touch and the surface smoothness of the fabric, decatizing is sometimes employed as aftertreatment. In such cases it is recommendable to work at temperatures between 120 and 130C and to expose the fabric to the steam for another 2 minutes after it has evaporated from the cloth before the articles are cooled down thoroughly by means of suction (for about 5 minutes).

2.2 Warp-knits
Knitted fabrics produced on warp-knitting machines with intermeshed Dorlastan filament yarns as looped threads are far less stable than raschel fabrics and are more likely to curl at the edges. Elastic warp-knits have a very pronounced shrinking tendency, which is much larger than that of raschel power nets. So if warp-knits were allowed to shrink freely, they would often shrink much more than is accepted by the customer; width and length would be insufficient, extensibility too large and thus weight of the fabric too big. Given the above mentioned additional strong curling tendency, hot air setting is a must in the finishing process of such qualities in order to avoid edge curling and to achieve the required final product data. So the finishing of warp-knits differs considerably from that of raschel power nets. On the other hand, warp-knits are less prone to creasing, so that they can safely be rope-dyed, if the necessary precautions have been taken.

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

The pronounced shrinking tendency of elastic warp-knits makes a controlled shrinkage absolutely necessary. A very good relaxation effect is reached by steaming the greige fabric on steaming tables. Given the strong tendency to curl at the edges, warp-knits should be pinned down at the edges and be fed to the machine with a defined overfeed. This prevents curling and excessive shrinkage. Tenter frames with steaming equipment at the tenter feed end provide a very economic solution to combine shrinkage and hot air setting. This method is often used, but it has the disadvantage that the lubricants of the unscoured fabric evaporate and may then precipitate on the tenter or on the fabric. Relaxation of the greige fabric can easily be combined with thorough cleaning of the greige fabric in an open-width washer working at low tension. It has proven useful to insert a scray as an intermediate cloth store between open-width washer and subsequent tenter. This reduces fabric tension because the warp tension is particularly low compared to the common method of immediately feeding the fabric to the tenter by means of saddle rolls. The insertion of a scray before the tenter permits continuous operation even if large numbers of rolls are combined to form batches, and if the ends of the individual pieces must be sewn together without interrupting the work flow. To avoid lay marks and creases, elastic warp-knits must always be conveyed from roll to roll from the time they arrive as greige goods up to hot air setting, and must never be plaited down in between. Warp-knits may be dyed in rope form on winch back, overflow or jet dyeing machines or open-width on beam dyeing machines. Even though warp-knits are not very susceptible to creasing, you should make sure that the liquor-fabric ratio is not too small if you dye in rope form, that temperatures are changed slowly and dyebath lubricants (e.g. 0.52.0 g/l PERSOFTALL or 0.10.5 g/l PERSOFTALLU) are added to prevent creasing. It is not really necessary to sew the dyed fabric into a tube, but it becomes increasingly recommended the more pronounced the fabrics tendency to curl at the edges (especially lock-knits) and the less intensive the prior heat setting was. Overflow or jet dyeing offer all the advantages of rope dyeing such as full volume, pleasant touch, strong density with the corresponding high extensibility, no risk of moir, and in addition to that a much lower risk of running creases compared to winch beck dyeing. For quality reasons, dyeing times and temperatures should be restricted as much as possible, i.e. the maximum working temperature is 98100C (except for polyester/Dorlastan blends that are dyed at 120130C). The most appropriate softening agents for warp-knits are those creating a soft, supple touch and a pleasant, smooth surface. Note that all softening agents with a smoothing effect also reduce the inner frictional forces in a fabric and thus increase extensibility at constant elongation force and improve elastic recovery.

Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

The commonly applied softening agents, such as PERSOFTALSWA01, PERSOFTAL ASN 01, PERSOFTAL U or PERSOFTAL OE, are well suited to meet the standard expectations with regard to fabric handle. They can be added either by the exhaust method or in the padder. Silicone rubber or silicone waterrepellent products are the right softening agents to meet particularly strict requirements with regard to smoothness and suppleness of the final fabric. Excessive smoothness, however, impairs safety in the manufacture of ready-towear apparels. For final drying, the tenter frame is used. The drying temperatures range from 120 to 160C. Overfeed and width of the frame must be adjusted accordingly to achieve the required length and width that have already been defined for heat setting. Sometimes a fabric is extended to much during dyeing due to excessive lengthwise tension. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to repair this undesirable effect by a corresponding overfeed in final drying, because the fabric has suffered re-fixation during the dyeing under tension at the boil. If, however, a fabric has shrunken in width or length during dyeing at low tension because the previous heat setting was insufficient, it is possible to compensate for this effect and to reach the required final product dimensions in the final drying process. But the finished product may still shrink later during storage, transport or scouring. Such undesirable subsequent shrinkage can be avoided by drying the fabric at 120160C as described above, and then subjecting it to a second heat setting in the defined final state. However, slight changes of shade may result from this procedure.

2.3 Knits
Knits are produced by two different methods, flat knitting and circular knitting. The finishing properties of knits are similar to those of warp knits. However, knits react even less sensitive to finishing processes and are less prone to creasing than warp knits because of the predominant use of spun yarns.

2.3.1 Flat Knits

Flat knits containing Dorlastan are usually dyed in the yarn, so that no piece dyeing is required. For waistbands and tops and fully fashioned knitwear, the finishing is restricted to steaming; yard goods require additional setting.

2.3.2 Circular Knits

Circular knits must be delivered either in tubular form or open-width. The greige goods must be divided into these two groups according to article characteristics and the intended field of application.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Fabrics that are processed and delivered in tubular form, e.g. elastic waistbands for underwear, are treated on becks, in jets, or in continuous machines. Relaxation takes place during the entire wet treatment. Subsequently, the goods are hydroextracted, dried in jet ribbon driers without setting, and then calandered. Since the product is not subjected to any setting, the required shrink resistance must be reached by shrinking the product sufficiently (by maximum overfeed in longitudinal direction, no stretching to the limit in vertical direction) during other finishing procedures. Recently, thermosetting of tubular knitted fabric on tube setting plants has been introduced into finishing; the tube can either be treated by the vertical or by the horizontal method. By this setting technology the article properties like m2-weight, extensibility, tube width and running length can be varied within certain limits like with open-width treatment. However, it must be taken into consideration that excessive vertical stretching may leave lateral marks (depending on the fiber). Circular knits that must be delivered open-width and be subjected to heat setting in order to create dimensional stability and to reduce the tendency to curl at the edges can be dyed in rope form or open-width. Which technique is chosen depends primarily on the fabric properties but also on the equipment availibility. Articles that are not prone to creasing can be rope-dyed without any risk of crease formation; additional advantages of this method are a large fabric volume and a soft touch. Knits that are prone to creasing should be dyed open-width on the beam to ensure a smooth finished product without creases. Any open-width dyeing must be preceded by a reliable heat setting. Otherwise the knitted fabric will shrink in width, which results in color irregularities because part of the beam perforation becomes uncovered. In addition, moir effects will occur. With beam dyeing, smooth, elegant, but also less voluminous final qualities are achieved. Knits should always be pre-scoured because they may contain lubricated fiber staple yarns or be produced from raw cotton. Both types of fibers may contain impurities, which should be removed prior to any heat setting. If the fabric is first set and scoured afterwards, it will be much more difficult to wash out any contaminations. Pre-scouring of non-set knitted fabrics must be performed very carefully because of the large risk of crease formation (liquor ratio, temperature control, moving the fabric during the process, possibly open-width treatment).

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

2.4 Wovens
In contrast to knits, for which mainly bare Dorlastan is used, wovens are produced exclusively with Dorlastan combination yarns. In combination yarns, the Dorlastan thread is normally well covered. There are two types of fabrics, mono- and bi-elastic ones. In mono-elastic fabrics, the Dorlastan is worked in either in warp or in weft direction. Bi-elastic fabrics have incorporated Dorlastan threads in both directions. Experience has shown that elastic fabrics with a large percentage of elastic yarns (in most cases knits made of smooth textile filament yarns) shrink more than is required to achieve the desired stress-strain properties. So the shrinkage must be controlled and limited. Elastic wovens, however, often contain only a very low percentage of Dorlastan, which is frequently combined with staple fiber yarns. This combination causes a high inner friction going along with a rather sluggish shrinkage. If the standard finishing methods for elastic wovens fail to produce sufficient compression to reach the defined stress-strain values, additional measures must be applied. A very effective technique to achieve a clearly improved shrinkage that normally meets standard requirements is a tension-free treatment with hot air (e.g. in the tenter providing for the possibility of shrinking) or dyeing at the boil (e.g. for piece dyeing in rope form). With wovens, it would be possible to create a greige fabric with optimal shrinkage, exactly the expected fabric weight and the desired degree of recoverable stretch and being a non-shrinking fabric also with good shrinking values, without applying any setting. The actual situation, however, is different. The conditions in greige good production as well as in finishing always vary from one batch to the next. Moreover, the buyer of the finished product may order qualities of different m2-weights or stretch values. Such variations can only be reached during finishing, which makes hot air setting necessary in nearly all cases, because it is hardly possible to obtain all required characteristics in the finished fabric by any other method. After hot air setting further finishing processes may be required to obtain the defined quality level. Such finishing may lead to an elongation of the elastic fabric, even if it is treated at low tension. If such an effect occurs, it must be reversed later by shrinking, so that the fabric properties obtained by the setting are regained. Possible methods are, for example, tension-free steaming or sanforizing.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

3. Bleaching, Fluorescent Whitening and Dyeing

These important processes should be performed very carefully, because they do not only give the fabric its final color, but also have a decisive influence on the quality of elastic fabrics. For piece dyeing which does not require staining of the Dorlastan fiber, dyestuffs exclusively determined for the non-elastic fibers are used. Below you find some information about the various blends that are available.

3.1 Dorlastan/Polyamide
From the point of dyeing, polyamide filament yarns or fibers are ideal partners for Dorlastan, because both fiber types can be dyed with the same categories of dyestuffs, and the quality of the elastane is not impaired under the normal dyeing conditions.

3.1.1 Scouring
As already explained in item 1.3.1, pre-scouring is recommended to achieve optimal final colors. Continuous scouring Impregnation in the 1st compartment of the washing machine 3 ml/l Diadevin DSP pH 89 Temperature: 80C Discontinuous scouring 3 ml/l Diadevin DSP pH 89 Exposure time: 30 min. Temperature: 80C

Rinsing in the 2nd and 3rd compartment Rinse twice: 15 min. at 70C at 7080C (counterflow), Rinse twice: cold with overflow th 4 compartment cold (counterflow)

3.1.2 Fluorescent Whitening

Today, scouring, fluorescent whitening and reduction bleaching are preferably combined, whereby a fluorescent whitening agent shows mostly affinity to the polyamide. Optimal color light fastness is best achieved with BLANKOPHOR CLE products. The one-bath method and the following recipe is applied: 0.51.0 ml/l Diadevin NSE or Diadevin UN (APEO-free) 2.03.0 g/l Blankit CP 2.02.5 BLANKOPHOR CLE as liquid (or CLE liquid B) pH 5 (acetic)

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

3.1.3 Dyeing
The following classes of dyestuffs can be used for pure polyamide as well as for polyamide/Dorlastan blends. Acid dyestuffs for light and medium shades Metallic complex dyestuffs for medium and dark shades or afterchroming dyestuffs for very dark shades, particularly black In special cases disperse dyestuffs may be used for very light shades. Although polyamides and elastanes can be dyed with the same types of dyestuffs, they react differently to the various classes. This must be taken into consideration when selecting the dyestuff. Whereas disperse dyestuffs are absorbed by polyamides and elastanes with more or less the same intensity, so that no larger differences in shade occur, acid dyestuffs create darker shades with polyamides than with elastanes. The difference in shade varies, however, from dyestuff to dyestuff. In addition to that, the dyeing properties within the group of polyamides differ considerably from fiber to fiber, and in particular between polyamide 6 and polyamide 6.6. In extreme cases, the combined effect of the above mentioned differences in dyeing behavior may result in hardly stained elastanes that grin through, if certain acid dyestuffs (with better affinity to polyamides) or metallic complex dyestuffs are used. The grin-through effect does not occur with clear Dorlastan (types V 500, V 800), because the clear Dorlastan thread is transparent. Nevertheless, the percentage of Dorlastan and the geometric appearance of Dorlastan in the article must still be taken into consideration when choosing the dyestuff. When using acid dyestuffs, it must be taken into account that dull and clear Dorlastan appear differently in Dorlastan/polyamide blends. The right choice of dyestuff and auxiliary agent is important, especially in case of high elastane content (more than 30%). Articles made of polyamide and dull Dorlastan can be dyed with acid or metallic complex dyestuffs that are exclusively tailored to the polyamide component with regard to affinity and fastness, if the elastane share does not exceed 20%. In case of darker shades, however, the aftertreatment must include the stained Dorlastan and be appropriate to stabilize its shade. To avoid grin-through in articles made of polyamide and matted Dorlastan, special measures are required. They must either be dyed with selected dyestuffs that produce satisfactory tone-on-tone dyeing with standard leveling agents, or, in special cases, with the help of suitable auxiliary agents like ASTRAGAL PAN, which enhance the solid dyeing. The use of such agents, however, will entail a slight unavoidable deterioration of the wet and crock fastness. With unfavorable dyeing conditions (unfavorable liquor circulation, little liquor exchange) it is

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

essential to choose the best possible combination of dyestuffs and to use no cationic auxiliary dyeing agents. Standard combinations of auxiliary dyeing agents 0.51.0% AVOLAN IS 0.21.0% LEVEGAL FTS K 01 or 0.42.0% LEVEGAL LPA ph 84 Recipe for better staining of Dorlastan 2% AVOLAN IW ph 7.55.5 x% TELON, SUPRANOL, ISOLAN dyestuff 0.52.0% ASTRAGAL PAN (and keep at 98C for heat up from 40C to 98C within 45 minutes, keep at 98C for 30 minutes 30 minutes)

(With some dyestuffs, this combination of auxiliary dyeing agents should not be used; see dyestuff table in the appendix.) The Dystar product range of acid and metallic complex dyestuffs has been tested with the two aforementioned combinations of auxiliary agents and has been optimized to produce proper tone-on-tone dyeing of blends containing polyamide and Dorlastan. The attached dyestuff table will help the dyer to select the best dyestuff.

3.2 Dorlastan/Polyester
A Dorlastan/polyester combination is a difficult blend for the finisher, because polyester types with normal dyeing properties must be dyed at higher temperatures than polyamide (HT conditions: 120130C) or require the use of carriers. This may lead to a deterioration of the elastic properties of the final article, although Dorlastan still surpasses all competitive elastanes. Since the disperse dyestuffs used for this blend also stain the elastane component considerably, an alkaline reductive aftertreatment is required to obtain good wet fastness. If the polyester type in the blend allows the use of cationic dyestuffs, the Dorlastan is hardly stained, provided the correct dyestuff is chosen.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

3.2.1 Scouring
The following scouring procedure has proven to be a good choice: 2.04.0 ml/l Diadevin DSP possibly 1.0 ml/l RESPUMIT NF possibly 1.52.0 ml/l PERSOFTAL L or 0.20.5 ml/l PERSOFTAL LU pH 89 2030 minutes 7080C 1:10 2 x at 80C 1 x cold with overflow

Exposure time: Temperature: Liquor ratio: Rinsing:

3.2.2 Fluorescent Whitening

In addition to the exhaust method with carriers, there are some other methods that are particularly recommended for fluorescent whitening because of their cost efficiency: Thermosol method In this method, the brightening agent is padded in the foulard. Subsequently, the fabric is thermosoled in the tenter without intermediate drying. This step may be combined with hot air setting. The following recipe is suggested for greige good treatment: 1.05.0 g/l BLANKOPHOR ER liquid 330% 01 For shading: Dianix brilliant violet B Dianix brilliant violet R Liquor absorption: Drying at: Thermosoling: 6080% 140C 2030 s at 190195C

AF method (adsorption/fixation method) Here, the brightening agent is applied as an additive on the surface of the fabric by the exhaust method (a fabric pretreated that way acquires a yellow cast). After rinsing, the fabric is dried and heatset in the tenter. During this stage, the fluorescent whitener is thermosoled into the fabric to produce the desired level of whiteness.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

When applying the AF method, no anionic auxiliary agents must be used, i.e. previous anionic scouring is not allowed, because this would impair an undisturbed absorption of the whitener by the fabric. Adsorption phase 0.10.3% BLANKOPHOR ER liquid 330% 01 12% Glauber salt Acetic acid ph 4.5 The treatment is always started cold. The degree to which the fluorescent whitener is adsorbed is highly dependent on the dyeing conditions. With rope or jig dyeing, no adsorption will usually occur when the liquor is cold. For dye-bath exhaustion, a temperature of about 4050C is required. The temperature is raised slowly, i.e. by about 1C per minute. The adsorption phase is completed with a cold rinse. Fixation phase After drying at 140C, the fabric is finally set at 190195C for 20 to 30 seconds. If no fiber setting is required, the whiteness may also be developed by drying at 170180C.

3.2.3 Dyeing
To keep the damage to the elastic properties of a fabric made of a polyester/ Dorlastan blend within acceptable limits, the dyeing temperature must be increased carefully and suitable carriers must be selected in the appropriate amounts. Two methods are available: Dyeing with carriers: Temperature increase and carrier (type, amount) must be adjusted to each other to reach an acceptable compromise. The following procedure is applied: 12% LEVEGAL DLP x% carrier, e.g. LEVEGAL PTN 01 y% disperse dyestuff pH 4.5 maximum dyeing temperature 108115C

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Dyeing without carriers If carriers cannot be used for ecological reasons, dyeing can be performed under HT conditions. The following procedure is applied. 12% LEVEGAL DLP y% disperse dyestuff pH 4.5 maximum dyeing temperature 125130C maximum exposure time 3045 minutes The range of disperse dyestuffs offered by DyStar with the respective application information is enclosed in the appendix. Starting temperature, heat-up rate and carrier amount used in the dyeing process depend on the dyeing rate of the polyester and on the type and the quantity of the applied disperse dyestuff. For further information, please refer to the recommendations of the dyestuff manufacturers. After dyeing, the fabric needs alkaline reductive aftertreatment in order to improve colorfastness. The following recipe is used: 24 ml/l caustic soda 50% 24 g/l hydrosulphite 2030 minutes at 80C (For lighter shades, 70C and 3g/l soda ash instead of caustic soda suffice.)

3.3 Dorlastan/Wool
A Dorlastan/wool blend is not problematic with regard to dyeing, because the standard conditions of wool piece dyeing (acid dyestuffs and temperatures below 100C) do not have a negative effect on the elastic properties of Dorlastan. Acid dyestuffs usually produce solid dyeing of both the wool and the Dorlastan threads; no special dyestuffs or auxiliary agents are necessary. Moreover, the elastane share of such blends is usually rather small and hardly visible in the finished fabric.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

3.4 Dorlastan/Cotton
The standard medium for cotton dyeing and finishing is an alkaline medium. Blends containing Dorlastan, however, must not be exposed to the alkaline agents without control. The agents effect combines with those of heat and time and might have a negative impact on the properties of the elastane. The following dyeing and finishing procedures are recommended: Substantive dyeing Can be applied without hesitation even with a fastness improving aftertreatment, if required. Reactive dyeing With dyestuffs that are suited for a dyeing temperature of 50C according to the manufacturers data. Indanthren dyeing By the IK, IW, and IN method up to max. 60C. Sulfur dyeing By procedures with a reduced amount of alkali additives (e.g. sulfhydrate) at approx. 70C. Boiling off Should be performed with the lowest possible amount of alkali additives (2g/l soda) Bleaching Caustic treatment and mercerizing Can be applied without negative effects despite of the high amount of alkali additives because processing temperatures are low.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Add the usual stabilizers. In practice, the following recipe is applied successfully: Winch back, liquor-fiber ratio1:30 soft water 0.2 g/l magnesium sulfate 2.04.0 m/l DIADAVIN DSP 01 (APEO free) 0.30.5 ml/l BAYSTABIL LF 0.51.0 g/l BAYSOLEX EXT-N 6.010.0 ml/l hydrogen peroxide 35% Caustic soda pH 10.511.0 0.20.8% BLANKOPHOR BA liquid for 3060 minutes at 9095C Rinse thoroughly and apply the following aftertreatment to improve the white effect: 2.0 g/l BLANKIT IN 3.0 g/l sodium sulfate for 30 minutes at 70C Special surface finishes, e.g. by enzyme treatment (Biofinish) are possible, since they are not detrimental to the Dorlastan.

Note
If you have any questions on dyeing or finishing matters, please do not hesitate to contact our Marketing Dorlastan department: Dormagen, Germany Bushy Park, USA Phone +49 21 33 / 51-50 85 Phone +1 84 38 20-65 10

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Dyeing of Polyamide / Elastan Blends: Staining on Dorlastan Type V 500, V 850 and V 900
Dyeing Procedure (%) 1/1 S.D. Telon Yellow FG Telon Yellow RLN micro Telon Yellow FRL micro Telon Yellow 4R micro Telon Brown 3G Telon Red FRL micro Telon Red 2BL micro Telon Red 2B Telon Red BRL micro Telon Blue RR Telon Blue BRL micro Telon Blue GGL 0,5 0,65 1,0 0,65 3,4 1,2 0,7 0,8 0,7 0,7 1,2 1,7 V 500 2 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 1 2 V 850 1 1r 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2y 2 1 V 900 2 1 2 2 1r 3 3r 3 3 3 1 2y

Telon Yellow A3GL Telon Yellow ARB Telon Yellow A2R Telon Yellow A3R Telon Orange AGT Telon Red A2FR Telon Red AFG Telon Rubine A5B Telon Blue AR Telon Blue AGLF Telon Blue AFN Telon Blue A3GL Telon Navy AMF Telon Black AMF

0,7 1,0 0,9 0,85 0,5 1,3 0,65 0,35 2,6 1,8 3,0 2,5 1,6 1,75

3 3 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 3b 2 1br

2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1y

3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 2r 1r

Telon Flavine M-7G Telon Yellow M-5GL Telon Yellow M-4GL Telon Orange M-GSN Telon Red M-R Telon Red M-GWN Telon Red M-BL Telon Red M-3B Telon Rhodamine M-BN Telon Violet M-RWN Telon Blue M-BLW

0,75 1,7 1,0 1,3 0,6 1,1 0,85 0,5 0,3 1,4 2,7

2 1r 2 1 1 2 2 1 3bl 1 2

1r 2 2r 2 1 1 1 1 2bl 2 3

2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1r 3bl 3 3r

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Dyeing of Polyamide / Elastan Blends: Staining on Dorlastan Type V 500, V 850 and V 900
Dyeing Procedure (%) 1/1 S.D. Telon Blue M-RLW Telon Blue M-GLW Telon Blue M-2R Telon Turquoise M-GGL Telon Turquoise M-5G Telon Green M-BW Telon Green M-6GW 2,7 2,8 1,8 2,1 2,3 1,6 2,0 V 500 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 V 850 3 3 2 3y 3y 2 1 V 900 3r 3 2 3 3 2bl 2bl

Isolan Yellow K-GLN 250 % Isolan Yellow GRL Isolan Yellow K-PRL 200 % Isolan Orange K-RLS 150 % Isolan Scarlet K-GLS 150 % Isolan Bordeaux R 220 % Isolan Brown K-3GLS 150 % Isolan Blue 3GL Isolan Grey K-PBL 200 % Isolan Black 3RL

1,0 0,9 1,3 2,0 1,9 0,95 2,1 1,3 1,3 2,7

2 2 1br 2 3 1 1y 2 2 2

2 1 1r 2bl 3 1bl 1r 1 1 3

2 1 1r 2bl 3 1bl 1r 1 1 3

Isolan Yellow SP-2RL Isolan Red SP-G Isolan Blue SP-R Isolan Grey SP-G

1,8 1,2 1,1 1,1

2 2 2 2r

2br 1r 1 1

2 2r 2 2

Isolan Orange S-RL Isolan Red S-RL Isolan Brown S-GLN Isolan Brown S-RL Isolan Navy Blue S-RL Isolan Olive S-G Isolan Grey S-GL Isolan Black 2-BGL

1,2 1,0 1,0 1,0 2,0 1,0 1,8 2,9

1br 1 1 1 1r 1 1 2r

1 1 2 1r 2r 2 3 3

2r 2 2 2 2 2 3 3

Isolan Yellow 2S-GLN Isolan Yellow 2S-RL Isolan Scarlet 2S-L Isolan Red 2S-BR Isolan Bordeaux 2S-B Isolan Brown 2S-BL

0,92 0,85 1,3 1,2 0,95 0,85

2 2 1y 2 1y 1y

1r 2r 1 2r 1 1r

2 2 1 2 2 1

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Dyeing of Polyamide / Elastan Blends: Staining on Dorlastan Type V 500, V 850 and V 900
Dyeing Procedure (%) 1/1 S.D. Isolan Dark Blue 2S-GL Isolan Olive 2S-BGL Isolan Black 2S-LD Isolan Black 2S-LGN Liq. 2,4 1,0 2,5 6,25 V 500 1br 1y 2r 1y V 850 2 1r 3 2 V 900 2 1r 3r 2y

Blends: PA / Dorlastan 80/20 PA: PA 6.6 Elastan: Dorlastan V 500, V 850, V 900 Evaluation: 1 = slight dyeing of Dorlastan fibre 2 = medium dyeing of Dorlastan fibre 3 = ton-in-ton-dyeing

y = yellowish r = reddish br = brownish bl = bluish

dyeing procedure: 0,5 % Levegal FTSK 01 0,5 % Avolan IS only M.C. dyes pH depending on the dye range 98 C / 45 min.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Appendix
1. Dyestuff recommendations for dyeing PES/Dorlastan blends The even exhaustion and diffusion properties of composite dyestuffs are key factors for a successful dyeing of PES/Dorlastan blends. Due to these properties the exposure time is shorter and reproducibility is optimized RightFirst-Time . The optimized reproducibility helps to avoid a subsequent addition of dyestuffs with its negative effect on the characteristics of Dorlastan. 1.1 Dyeing at 125130C Right-First-Time dyeing of PES/Dorlastan blends with good reproducibility and optimal wet fastness can be achieved with the selection of dyestuffs listed below. 1.1.1 Dianix AC-E dyestuffs for light shades

b 110

90

Yellow AC-E new

70

50

30

10

Red AC-E 01

-10

-30

Blue AC-E
-50 -70 -50 -30 -10 0 10 30 50 70 a

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1.1.2

Selected medium energy range Dianix dyestuffs for medium to dark shades

b 110

90

yellow SE-G

70

yellowish brown CC
50

30

red C-4G 150%

10

red CC red K-2B

black CC-G
-10

ruby CC

green CC navy CC

-30

blue CC turquoise S-BG

-50 -70 -50 -30 -10 0 10 30

violet CC brilliant blue R

50

70 a

Three-color combinations: Medium shades: Dianix yellowish brown CC/ruby CC/blue CC. Dark shades: Dianix yellowish brown CC/ruby CC/navy CC. In bluish red shades (cherry red, wine red), washfastness can be increased by the use of Dianix red K-2B.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1.1.3 Selected Dianix XF/SF dyestuffs for dark shades of ultimate washfastness
b 110

flavin XF

90

70

50

yellowish brown XF

30

scarlet XF

10

carmine SF

black XF ruby XFN

-10

navy XF
-30

blue XF

-50 -70 -50 -30 -10 0 10 30 50 70 a

Three-color combinations: Dianix yellowish brown XF/ruby XFN/navy XF Dianix flavin XF/scarlet SF/bleu XF for ultimate washfastness. 1.1.4 Advantages Tone-on-tone staining creates optimal reproducibility and minimizes shade corrections. Good general fastnesses with Dianix AC-E dyestuffs and selected medium energy range Dianix dyestuffs. Three-color combinations including tone-on-tone staining of the elastane fiber after reduction cleaning minimize grin through and shade changes during post-setting. Very good washfastness with selected Dianix XF/SF dyestuffs.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1.2 Dyeing at 115C 1.2.1 Dianix AC-E dyestuffs for light shades
b 110

90

yellow AC-E new

70

50

30

10

red AC-E 01

-10

-30

blue AC-E
-50 -70 -50 -30 -10 0 10 30 50 70 a

1.2.1.1 Advantages Tone-on-tone staining creates optimal reproducibility and minimizes shade corrections. Good general fastnesses. Largest possible dyestuff standardization creates optimal reproducibility. Good level dyeing properties and covering of differences in material. Extraordinary light fastnesses.

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Dorlastan Dyeing and Finishing of Woven and Knitted Fabrics

1.2.2 Selected medium energy range Dianix dyestuffs for medium to dark shades
b 110

90

yellow SE-G

70

yellowish brown CC
50

30

red C-4G 150%

10

red CC red K-2B black CC-G ruby CC

-10

green CC

navy CC

-30

blue CC turquoise S-BG

-50 -70 -50 -30 -10 0 10 30

violet CC brilliant blue R

50

70 a

Three-color combinations: Medium shades: Dianix yellowish brown CC/ruby CC/blue CC. Dark shades: Dianix yellowish brown CC/ruby CC/navy CC. In bluish red shades (cherry red, wine red), washfastness can be increased by the use of Dianix red K-2B. 1.2.2.1 Advantages Tone-on-tone staining creates optimal reproducibility and minimizes shade corrections. Good general fastnesses. Three-color combinations including tone-on-tone staining of the elastane fiber after reduction cleaning minimize grin through and shade changes during post-setting. The Dianix XF/SF dyestuffs are not always recommendable for dyeing at 115C because color build-up and fastness levels are considerably reduced at this dyeing temperature.

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