Processes and installations for dyeing synthetic fibers and dyed fibers and fabrics containing said dyed fibers

Abstract

A method for dyeing, such as vat dyeing, or coating synthetic fibers, such as polyester fibers and/or polyamide fibers, or yarns or fabrics including these fibers can include providing a powdered dye or a powdered precursor dye (powdered leuko dye), or providing an aqueous dye formulation or an aqueous precursor dye formulation (an alkaline aqueous leuko dye formulation). An aqueous system including a lipase enzyme can be provided. The fibers/yarn/fabric can be pretreated with the aqueous system, and the pretreated fibers/yarn/fabric can be coated or dyed with the powdered dye or powdered precursor dye, or with the aqueous dye formulation or aqueous precursor dye formulation.

1 - 95 . (canceled) 
     
     
         96 . A method for dyeing or coating synthetic fibers, yarns including synthetic fibers, or fabrics including synthetic fibers, the method comprising:
 a) providing: a multitude of fibers including synthetic fibers, at least one yarn including the synthetic fibers, or at least one fabric including the synthetic fibers, or at least one yarn including the synthetic fibers; and   b1) providing at least one powdered dye or a powdered precursor dye, or providing at least one aqueous dye formulation or at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation,   c1) providing an aqueous system comprising at least one lipase enzyme,   d1) pretreating said multitude of fibers, said yarn, or said fabric with the aqueous system comprising the at least one lipase enzyme,   e2) coating or dyeing said pretreated multitude of fibers, said pretreated yarn, or said pretreated fabric with: said at least one powdered dye, said powdered precursor dye, said at least one aqueous dye formulation, or said at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation;
 or 
   b2) providing the at least one powdered dye or the powdered precursor dye, or providing the at least one aqueous dye formulation or the at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation,   c2) providing an aqueous system comprising nano-sized polyurethane particles, at least one cross-linking agent, and at least one wetting agent,   d2) pretreating said multitude of fibers, said yarn, or said fabric with said aqueous system comprising said nano-sized polyurethane particles, at least one cross-linking agent, and at least one wetting agent and   e2) coating or dyeing said pretreated multitude of fibers, said pretreated yarn, or said pretreated fabric with: said at least one powdered dye, said powdered precursor dye, said at least one aqueous dye formulation, or said at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation;
 or 
   b3) providing the at least one powdered dye, the powdered precursor dye, or providing the at least one aqueous dye formulation or the at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation, in   c3) providing an aqueous system comprising at least one base and optionally at least one wetting agent, and   d3) pretreating said multitude of fibers, said yarn, or said fabric with said aqueous system comprising the at least one base and optionally the at least one wetting agent, and   e3) coating or dyeing said pretreated multitude of fibers, said pretreated yarn, or said pretreated fabric with: said at least one powdered dye, said powdered precursor dye, said at least one aqueous dye formulation, or said at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation.   
     
     
         97 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein:
 the dye is a vat dye selected from the group consisting of indigo, indigoid dyes, isoindigo, indirubin, 6,6′-dibromoindigo, Tyrian purple, indanthren dyes, anthrachinon dyes, anthraquinone dyes, naphthalene dyes, and mixtures thereof; or   the precursor dye is a leuko dye selected from the group consisting of leuko-indigo, leuko-indigoid dyes, leuko-isoindigo, leuko-indirubin, leuko-6,6′-dibromoindigo, leuko-Tyrian purple, leuko-indanthren dyes, leuko-anthrachinon dyes, leuko-anthraquinone dyes, leuko-naphthalene dyes, and mixtures thereof.   
     
     
         98 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein the leuko dye is obtained from a corresponding vat dye by treatment in an aqueous alkaline system with a reducing agent, selected from the group consisting of thiourea dioxide, sodium dithionite, sodium hydrogen sulphite, hydroxyacetone, sodium hydroxymethylsulfinate, borohydride and mixtures thereof, and wherein the aqueous alkaline system containing the leuko dye is the least one aqueous precursor dye formulation. 
     
     
         99 . The method according to  claim 96 , further comprising:
 treating the coated or dyed multitude of fibers, yarn, or fabric of step e1), e2) or e3), respectively, with at least one oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of oxygen, air, heated air, inorganic peroxo compounds, hydrogen peroxide, potassium dichromate, sodium hypochlorite, peracetic acid, and mixtures thereof.   
     
     
         100 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein dyeing of said pretreated fibers, yarn, or fabric with said aqueous dye formulation or with said at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation is conducted according to a pad-batch method. 
     
     
         101 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein
 in step d1) the pretreatment with the at least one lipase enzyme is conducted according to a pad-batch method at a temperature in the range from 25 to 60° C., and also at a pH in the range from 4.5 to 9.   
     
     
         102 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein in step e1), e2) or e3) the dye used for dyeing or coating is a powdered leuko dye, an alkaline aqueous leuko dye formulation, or an alkaline aqueous leuko-indigo dye formulation. 
     
     
         103 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein step b1), b2) or b3) comprises:
 providing at least one powdered leuko dye, a powdered leuko-indigo dye, or at least one aqueous leuko dye formulation, at least one alkaline aqueous leuko-indigo dye formulation, and providing at least one migration inhibitor, at least one dispersing agent, at least one wetting agent, and at least one cationic polymer or at least one cationic polymer based on polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin, and wherein said multitude of fibers, yarn, or fabric is dyed with said powdered leuko dye or said aqueous leuko dye formulation according to b1), b2) or b3).   
     
     
         104 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein step b1), b2) or b3) comprises:
 providing at least one powdered leuko dye, a powdered leuko-indigo dye, at least one aqueous leuko dye formulation, or alkaline aqueous leuko-indigo dye formulation, and providing at least one migration inhibitor, at least one dispersing agent, at least one wetting agent and at least one cationic polymer or at least one cationic polymer based on polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin, and wherein said multitude of fibers, yarn, or fabric is coated with said powdered leuko dye or said aqueous leuko dye formulation according to b1), b2) or b3).   
     
     
         105 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein the aqueous dye formulation comprises an indigo dye, at least one base, at least one wetting agent, and optionally at least one carrier agent. 
     
     
         106 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein in step a) a mixture of the multitude of synthetic fibers and cotton fibers are provided and/or at least one yarn or at least one fabric including the synthetic fibers and the cotton fibers is provided. 
     
     
         107 . The method according to  claim 96 , wherein:
 a fabric prepared from the synthetic fibers or from yarn including the synthetic fibers is subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), and the pretreated fabric is coated according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively;   the synthetic fibers or a yarn including the synthetic fibers are subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), said fibers, yarn formed into the fabric, and said fabric is coated or dyed according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively;   the synthetic fibers or yarn including the synthetic fibers are subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), said fibers or yarn are dyed according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively;   the synthetic fibers or yarn including the synthetic fibers are subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), said fibers or yarn are dyed according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively, said fibers or yarn are formed into the fabric, and said fabric is coated or dyed according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively;   the synthetic fibers or yarn including the synthetic fibers are subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), said fibers or yarn are formed into the fabric, said fabric is subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), and said fabric is coated or dyed according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively; or   the synthetic fibers or yarn including the synthetic fibers are subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), said fibers or yarn are dyed according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively, and are formed into the fabric, said fabric is subjected to pretreatment step d1), d2) or d3), and said fabric is coated or dyed, according to step e1), e2) or e3), respectively.   
     
     
         108 . Dyed synthetic fibers, dyed yarn, or dyed fabric obtained or obtainable according to the method according to  claim 96 . 
     
     
         109 . Coated synthetic fibers, coated yarn, or coated fabric obtained or obtainable according to the method according to  claim 96 . 
     
     
         110 . An installation for dyeing or coating synthetic fibers, yarn including the synthetic fibers, or fabric including the synthetic fibers or the yarn, according to  claim 96  comprising:
 x) a coloring station including a coating station or a dyeing station, configured to apply a dye formulation comprising at least one powdered dye, a powdered precursor dye, a powdered leuko-dye, and/or at least one aqueous dye formulation, at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation, or an alkaline aqueous leuko-dye formulation, to said fibers, yarn, or fabric being conveyed through said coloring station, and 
 w) a drying station configured to convey said fibers, yarn, or fabric through the drying station to dry said fibers, yarn, or fabric before said fibers, yarn, or fabric enter the coloring station such that said dye formulation is applied to dried fibers, a dried yarn, or a dried fabric within the coloring station. 
 
     
     
         111 . The installation according to  claim 110 , further comprising a pretreating station configured to pretreat said fibers, yarn, or fabric with one of the aqueous solutions c1), c2), or c3) by one of the pretreating steps d1), d2) or d3), before the fibers, yarn, or fabric is conveyed in series through said drying station and said coloring station. 
     
     
         112 . An installation for dyeing synthetic fibers, yarn including the synthetic fibers, or a fabric including the synthetic fibers or the yarn, according to  claim 96 , comprising:
 X1) one dyeing station configured to apply a dye formulation comprising at least one powdered dye, a powdered precursor dye, a powdered leuko-dye, and/or at least one aqueous dye formulation, at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation, or an alkaline aqueous leuko-dye formulation to said fibers, yarn, or fabric being conveyed through said dyeing station; and   Y1) one drying station and/or one warm air ventilation station configured to dry said fibers, yarn, or fabric applied with said dye formulation, wherein said dyeing station comprises only one vat filled with said dye formulation, and drums that are arranged such that said fibers, yarn, or fabric merge once with the dye formulation and leave the dye formulation and head to said drying station and/or warm air ventilation station without again merging with the dye formulation.   
     
     
         113 . The installation according to  112 , further comprising a pretreating station configured to pretreat said fibers, yarn, or fabric with one of the aqueous solutions c1), c2), or c3) by one of the pretreating steps d1), d2) or d3), before the fibers, yarn, or fabric is conveyed through said one dyeing station, and one drying station and/or one warm ventilation station. 
     
     
         114 . An installation for dyeing or coating synthetic fibers, yarn including the synthetic fibers, or fabric including the synthetic fibers or the yarn, according to  claim 96 , comprising:
 X2) a coating station configured to apply a dye formulation comprising at least one powdered dye, a powdered precursor dye, a powdered leuko-dye, and/or at least one aqueous dye formulation, at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation, or an alkaline aqueous leuko-dye formulation, to said fibers, yarn, or fabric being conveyed through said coating station.   
     
     
         115 . The installation according to  claim 114 , further comprising:
 a pretreating station configured to pretreat said fibers, yarn, or fabric with one of the aqueous solutions c1), c2), or c3) by one of the pretreating steps d1), d2) or d3), before said fibers, yarn, or fabric is conveyed through said coating station.   
     
     
         116 . An installation for dyeing or coating synthetic fibers, yarn including the synthetic fibers, or fabric including the synthetic fibers or yarn, according to  claim 96 , comprising:
 x) a coloring station including a coating station or a dyeing station, the coloring station being configured to apply a dye formulation comprising at least one powdered dye, a powdered precursor dye, or powdered leuko-dye, and/or at least one aqueous dye formulation, at least one aqueous precursor dye formulation, or an alkaline aqueous leuko-dye formulation, to said fibers, yarn, or fabric being conveyed through said coloring station; and   Z1) a thermal fixation station, through which said fibers, yarn, or fabric applied with said dye formulation is conveyed after leaving the coloring station, configured to fix the applied dye formulation to said fibers, yarn, or fabric by heating said fibers, yarn, or fabric, or   Z2) at least one chemical fixation station, through which said fibers, yarn, or fabric applied with said dye formulation is conveyed after leaving the coloring station, configured to apply an aqueous formulation containing at least one condensation product of an aliphatic polyamine and epihalohydrine, to said fibers, yarn, or fabric, for fixing the applied dye formulation to said fibers, yarn, or fabric.   
     
     
         117 . Synthetic fibers a yarn including the synthetic fibers, or a fabric including the synthetic fibers or yarn, wherein said fibers are dyed and/or coated by the method according to  claim 96 . 
     
     
         118 . Synthetic fibers, a yarn including the synthetic fibers, or a fabric including the synthetic fibers or the yarn, wherein:
 said fibers are dyed or coated with a dye formulation comprising at least one powdered indigo dye or a powdered precursor indigo dye, and/or said fibers are dyed or coated with at least one aqueous indigo dye formulation, at least one aqueous precursor indigo dye formulation, or an alkaline aqueous leuko-indigo dye formulation; and   said dyed and/or coated fibers have a dry rubbing fastness in a range from 1.0 to 5.0, the dry rubbing fastness being determined by ISO 105-X12:2001(E), and/or said dyed and/or coated fibers have a wet rubbing fastness in a range from 0.5 to 3.0, the wet rubbing fastness being determined by ISO 105-X12:2001(E).   
     
     
         119 . The synthetic fibers, or the yarn, or the fabric according to  claim 118 , wherein said fibers have been pretreated with an aqueous system comprising at least one lipase enzyme or with an aqueous system comprising nano-sized polyurethane particles, at least one cross-linking agent, and at least one wetting agent.