Systems and methods for dyeing fibers

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices are described that dispense microdroplets of dye onto individual filaments or fibers and infuse them into the interior of such filaments and/or fibers in a highly controlled manner. Control of dye dispensing permits changing the dye applied to a fiber during a dyeing operation, and supports the generation of patterns in woven products via the dyeing process. The resulting systems and methods require much less water and generate much less waste than conventional dyeing processes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for producing a colored filament comprising:
 a source of a filament, the filament comprising a polymer;   a colorant application unit configured to receive the filament from the source, comprising a print head, wherein the print head is in fluid communication with a primary colorant;   a colorant infusion unit configured to received a coated filament from the colorant application unit, comprising a source of infrared radiation, wherein the colorant infusion unit is in communication with a first vacuum source; and   a drive unit configured to impel the filament from the source and through the colorant infusion unit and the colorant infusion unit.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the print head is in fluid communication with a secondary colorant. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the print head is configured to dispense the primary colorant during a first time interval and to dispense the secondary colorant during a second time interval. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the polymer comprises a crystalline phase, and amorphous phase, and an intermediate phase interposed between the crystalline phase and the amorphous phase. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the source of infrared radiation emits a wavelength of infrared radiation at an energy corresponding to a boson peak in an infrared energy absorbance profile of the polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the primary colorant is a disperse dye. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the primary colorant is a reactive dye. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the interior of the colorant infusion unit has an internal pressure that is less than ambient air pressure. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a take up reel configured to receive a colored filament from the colorant infusion unit. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fabrication unit configured to receive a colored filament from the colorant infusion unit. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the fabrication unit is a knitting machine. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a preheating module configured to receive the coated filament, wherein the preheating module is interposed between the colorant application unit and the colorant infusion unit. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the colorant infusion unit is in communication with a second vacuum source. 
     
     
         14 . A method of providing a colored filament comprising;
 impelling a filament through a colorant application unit and a colorant infusion unit;   dispensing a primary colorant to a first segment of the filament as it is moves through the colorant application unit by a print head of the colorant application unit to generate a first segment of a coated filament; and   applying a first infrared irradiation to the coated filament at a pressure below that of ambient air pressure as it moves through the colorant infusion unit, thereby dispersing the primary colorant within the coated filament to generate a first segment of a colored filament.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 dispensing a secondary colorant to a second segment of the filament as it moves through the colorant application unit by the print head of the colorant application unit to generate a second segment of the coated filament; and   applying a second infrared irradiation to the coated filament at a pressure below that of ambient air pressure as it moves through the colorant infusion unit, thereby dispersing the secondary colorant within the coated filament to generate a second segment of the colored filament.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein a gap between the first segment of colored filament and the second segment of colored filament is equal to or less than 2 cm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the primary colorant is a disperse dye and the secondary colorant is a reactive dye. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising transferring the first segment of the colored filament to a take up reel. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising transferring the first segment of the colored filament to a fabricator. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the fabricator is a knitting machine. 
     
     
         21 . A system for producing a colored filament comprising:
 a first source providing a first filament, the first filament comprising a first polymer;   a second source providing a second filament, the second filament comprising a second polymer;   a first colorant application unit configured to receive the first filament from the first source, comprising a first print head, wherein the first print head is in fluid communication with a source of a first primary colorant;   a second colorant application unit configured to receive the second filament from the second source, comprising a second print head, wherein the second print head is in fluid communication with a source of a second primary colorant;   a first colorant infusion unit configured to received a first coated filament from the first colorant application unit, comprising a first source of infrared radiation, wherein the first colorant infusion unit is in communication with a first vacuum source;   a second colorant infusion unit configured to received a second coated filament from the second colorant application unit, comprising a second source of infrared radiation, wherein the second colorant infusion unit is in communication with a second vacuum source;   a first drive unit configured to impel the first filament from the source and through the first colorant application unit and the first colorant infusion unit; and   a second drive unit configured to impel the second filament from the source and through the second colorant application unit and the second colorant infusion unit.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first print head is in fluid communication with a first secondary colorant and second print head is in fluid communication with a second secondary colorant. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the first print head is configured to dispense the first primary colorant during a first time interval and to dispense the first secondary colorant during a second time interval, and wherein the second print head is configured to dispense the second primary colorant during a third time interval and to dispense the second secondary colorant during a fourth time interval. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first polymer comprises a first crystalline phase, and first amorphous phase, and a first intermediate phase interposed between the first crystalline phase and the first amorphous phase, and wherein the second polymer comprises a second crystalline phase, and second amorphous phase, and a second intermediate phase interposed between the second crystalline phase and the second amorphous phase. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first source of infrared radiation provides a first wavelength of infrared radiation at an energy corresponding to a first boson peak in an infrared energy absorbance profile of the first polymer, and wherein the second source of infrared radiation is configured to provide a second wavelength of infrared radiation at an energy corresponding to a second boson peak in an infrared energy absorbance profile of the second polymer. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first primary colorant is a disperse dye. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first primary colorant is a reactive dye. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the second primary colorant is a disperse dye. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the second primary colorant is a reactive dye. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the interior of the first colorant infusion unit and of the second colorant infusion unit both have internal pressures that are less than ambient air pressure. 
     
     
         31 . The system  claim 21 , further comprising a first take up reel configured to receive a first colored filament from the first colorant infusion unit and a second take up reel configured to receive a second colored filament from the second colorant infusion unit. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a fabrication unit configured to receive a first colored filament from the first colorant infusion unit and a second colored filament from the second colorant infusion unit. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the fabrication unit is a knitting machine. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a first preheating module configured to receive a first coated filament from the first colorant application unit, wherein the first preheating module is interposed between the first colorant application unit and the first colorant infusion unit; and   a second preheating module configured to receive a second coated filament from the second colorant application unit, wherein the second preheating module is interposed between the second colorant application unit and the second colorant infusion unit.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the first colorant infusion unit is in communication with a third vacuum source and the second colorant infusion unit is in communication with a fourth vacuum source.