Econtrol Dyeing Process: An Ecological and Economical Approach

Abstract

Ecology and economy are among the most used catch words of our time, and their significance is of the greatest possible importance for the survival of textile industry. Econtrol dyeing process was introduced by Dystar and Monforts in ITMA in 1995 to provide the textile dyer with a dyeing system that would produce a simple, rapid, and economical, continuous dyeing method for cellulosic fibers with minimal chemical usage. The most significant and unique feature of this process is that it does not use a separate fixation step, i.e., steaming, curing, or dwell time, which is essential and associated with the conventional reactive dyeing methods in practice. It can be used to dye all ranges of shades that can be obtained with reactive dyes through various dyeing processes on all cellulosic fibers such as cotton, viscose, tencel, and linen. This paper represents a review of the economical and ecological merits offered by this process in comparison with other continuous dyeing methods. The example of Afroze Textile Mills Limited, Karachi, Pakistan, is provided as a case study which is running this process successfully since last 5 years.