DyeCoo uses reclaimed CO2 as the dyeing medium in a closed loop process
Organisation or Company
Type of organisation or company
Country
Netherlands
City
Weesp
Language for original content
Key Area
Scope
Ongoing
Yes
Description
DyeCoo, based in Weesp, the Netherlands, has more than 20 years' experience in CO2-based textile processing technology. In a nutshell, it dyes fabrics using CO2 rather than water – and is the only company which does this at industrial scale.
When pressurised, CO2 becomes supercritical (SC-CO2), a phase between a liquid and a gas. In this state CO2 has a very high solvent power, meaning that the dye dissolves easily and is very permeable. The dyes are therefore transported easily and deeply into fibres, creating vibrant colours.
It's a very efficient process:
- DyCoo uses reclaimed CO2 from existing industrial processes, making it a closed loop operation.
- No water is used and so no wastewater is generated.
- CO2 dyeing does not need added process chemicals to dissolve dyes.
- DyeCoo's technology uses 100% pure dyes and, with more than 98% uptake, nothing is wasted.
- Since the dying process is dry, no energy is needed to dry the fabrics. .
Main activity field
Identified challenge (s)
Main results
- Energy efficiency: CO2 dyeing is a dry process, meaning that there is no need to use energy to evaporate water.
- Lower process costs: short batch cycles, efficient dye use and no waste water treatment all contribute to significantly reduced operating costs.
- Big companies such as Nike, Adidas and Peak Performance use DyeCoo products.