DuPont Biomaterials and DyeCoo, a Dutch company recently entered a venture to announce their patented sustainable dyeing process for fabrics made from polyester or recycled polyester and Sorona®. DyeCoo are specialists in developing sustainable dying technologies. The launch of this new dying solution allows retailers and designers to produce high-performance apparel with a cleaner environmental footprint.

The fabrics made from a combination of polyester or recycled polyester can be dyed in bulk utilizing a carbon dioxide-based process developed and patented by DyeCoo. The newly developed technology shows no requirement for chemicals or water. This not only ensures the reduction in wastewater but lesser chemicals emitted into the environment. The carbon dioxide utilized for the process has been reclaimed from the existing industrial process, therefore, recycling over 95% of it through the closed-loop system.

The technology focuses on shorter batch cycles, utilization of efficient dyes, no wastewater treatment which leads to a significant reduction in the operation costs, and ecological footprint. This process has thus caught the eye of mills, brands and consumers focused on sustainability.

The CO₂ in the dying process is a closed-loop process. It is used in a pressurized, supercritical state as it has a higher solvent power that allows the dye to dissolve easily. Due to their high permeability, the dyes can easily be transported into fibers, creating vibrant colors. To make this process more effective dyeing polyester and Sorona fibers are the best combination to create high-end fashion fabrics, which come with superior performance, higher quality and a low environmental footprint.

Sorona has been constructed utilizing 37%  renewable plant-based ingredients. This high performance offers unique benefits that include softness, stretch and recovery, inherent stain resistance without the need for an overcoat. The polymer has been USDA certified and has received OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Certification.

Micke Magnusson, head of Commercial, DyeCoo Textile System B.V., stated that the company was very pleased to participate in a collaboration that highlighted how two complementary, sustainable offerings can deliver one solution that impacts the current industry. The company strongly believes that the Cross-industry collaborations are most important to drive the change in the industry. This collaboration has set the perfect example of how two core competencies as companies really strengthen each other

Hao Ding, the business manager at DuPont Biomaterials, stated that the collaboration on the unique CO2 will ensure Sorona® to be more sustainable. He stated that now the company was ready to offer stretch solutions with a substantially reduced carbon footprint. He added that now many apparel businesses will be able to benefit from the solution without compromising performance and value. He concluded by stating that they were on a progressive journey to create innovative products that enhanced performance while being environmentally responsible.

The utilization of the new dying technology ensures beautiful, vibrant colors to fabrics made from polyester and Sorona. The dye is evenly distributed evenly throughout the fabric and the technology allows easy color correction that creates intense colors with excellent quality characteristics.