Nike Inc., Beaverton, Ore., has opened a water-free dyeing facility at its Taiwan-based contract manufacturer Far Eastern New Century Corp. (FENC). The new facility utilizes the Netherlands-based DyeCoo Textile Systems BV’s recycled supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) dyeing technology to dye polyester fabrics. The recycled CO2 replaces water and additional process chemicals in the dyeing process. The colors achieved using the process, called “ColorDry” by Nike, are reportedly more saturated and consistent than colors achieved using traditional dyeing processes.
“Compared to traditional dyeing methods, the ColorDry process reduces dyeing time by 40 percent, energy use by around 60 percent and the required factory footprint by a quarter,” said Kuenlin Ho, executive vice president, FENC. “It’s also the most saturated, intense and consistent color we’ve seen,” he added. FENC is using dyes from Huntsman Textile Effects, Singapore, which has teamed with DyeCoo to commercialize the CO2 technology.
DyeCoo plans to open a service office in Taiwan and also is working to develop the technology to use with cotton and other natural-fiber fabrics.
January/February 2014
