Indigo Mill Designs, Inc.

M Dean Ethridge

Ralph Tharpe

Howard Malpass

Sudhakar Puvvada

Vince Loy

Processes and apparatus for dyeing a textile product are provided whereby an undyed textile product is introduced into a substantially anaerobic dyeing chamber having an oxygen content of less than 1000 ppm oxygen therein, and at least two dye mixtures having a differential dye exhaustion rate of at least 10% are applied onto the textile product within the substantially anaerobic dying chamber. Thereafter the dyed textile product may be exposed to an oxygen-containing atmosphere so as to oxidize the applied dyes. At least one of the dyes may have a dye exhaustion rate of at least about 25%, or even at least about 50%. The embodiments herein are especially adapted to dyeing of textile products whereby one dye in the at least two dye mixtures is a sulfur dye and another dye in the at least two dye mixtures is a leuco indigo dye.

Methods and systems to dye textile materials with dye blend compositions having differential dye exhaust rates

Systems and methods are described whereby a deoxygenated liquid dye material is made by supplying the deoxygenated inert gas to a liquid dye material that is susceptible to oxidation, and mixing the liquid dye material in the presence of the supplied deoxygenated inert gas with water and at least one dye formulation component selected from the group consisting of reducing agents, pH adjusters, foaming agents, wetting agents and auxiliary chemicals to form a deoxygenated aqueous dye composition having an oxygen content of 30 ppm oxygen or less. A supply of inert gas may be provided which is then passed to a gas purifier to reduce oxygen content in the inert gas to, e.g., 1 ppb oxygen or less. The deoxygenated aqueous dye composition that is formed may have an oxygen content of 1 ppm or less.

Systems and methods for preparing deoxygenated dye compositions

Processes and apparatus are disclosed which substantially eliminate the formation of oxidized indigo dye before and during dye application onto a natural fiber yarn or fabric while allowing the leuco-indigo dye molecule to diffuse fully into the natural fibers of the yarn where it can fix to the fibers prior to oxidation (i.e., exposure of the leuco-dyed yarns to oxygen). Indigo dyed textile products (e.g., dyed cotton yarns that may be twill woven to form a denim fabric) exhibit exceptionally high colorfastness as determined by the AATCC Crock Test.

Indigo dyeing process and apparatus and indigo dyed yarns and fabrics made thereby

Processes are disclosed which substantially eliminate the formation of oxidized indigo dye before and during dye application onto a natural fiber yarn or fabric while allowing the leuco-indigo dye molecule to diffuse fully into the natural fibers of the yarn where it can fix to the fibers prior to oxidation (i.e., exposure of the leuco-dyed yarns to oxygen). Indigo dyed textile products (e.g., dyed cotton yarns that may be twill woven to form a denim fabric) exhibit exceptionally high colorfastness as determined by the AATCC Crock Test.

Growing community of inventors

Lubbock, TX, United States of America

M Dean Ethridge