Swiss colour and speciality chemicals manufacturer Archroma has launched a new formaldehyde-free low temperature curing binder to tackle some of the challenges of pigment printing.
Prints are increasingly popular in apparel, but creating soft and vibrant prints can be challenging for textile manufacturers. Pigment printing is usually applied to the fabric with a binder that often contains formaldehyde, needs a high temperature for curing, and can make the fabric harsh to the touch.
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The new Helizarin LTC New binder can be used for pigment printing on all kinds of fibres – including polyester and polyamide – and contains formaldehyde that is “below limits of detection,” Archroma says.
Designed for low temperature curing or no curing, it allows a reduction in the fixation temperature and time compared to conventional pigment printing processes. In addition, manufacturers will not experience the change of shades that sometimes occur with high temperature processes, the company adds.
This also helps manufacturers improve the productivity of their printing process and reduce their energy consumption.
The new product will be the core of Archroma’s Cool Print formaldehyde-free system, which includes Luprintol softening and fixing auxiliaries and Printofix pigment preparations, and allows manufacturers to realise potential savings of up to 30% in processing time, 45% in energy consumption and 44% CO2 emissions – compared to benchmark pigment printing – it explains.
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