Neochromato Polyester Fabric Discharge Printing Technology Strips Dye From Printed Polyester Fabric To Allow Re-Use

PRESS ROOM

22 Aug

Written By Debbie Mckeegan

Elephantech Inc. is pleased to announce the joint development with NICCA CHEMICAL CO., LTD. of the “Neochromato process” polyester fabric discharge printing technology with the aim of achieving zero-waste in fashion textile.

In collaboration with Elephantech, Nicca have developed an innovative technology that can discharge only dyes from polyester fabrics dyed with disperse dyes almost completely in a matter of minutes, by a high-safety chemical product, without using large-scale equipment.

Discharged areas can be dyed and printed, and you can enjoy new designs as many times as you like with this technology (Please see the picture above).

There will be a wide range of scenes using this technology, whenever we want to change the design of everyday T-shirts according to the season and mood, also for the seasonal redesign of sports uniforms, the redesign of polyester signage which is no longer needed and for the discharging of polyester fabrics to make it a raw material for material recycling, where we expect to make a significant contribution to Zero waste in fashion textile and the circular economy.

As the momentum to reduce greenhouse emissions gathers pace, there is a growing trend toward greater consideration of society’s impact on the environment.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, “the fashion industry has been identified as having a significant impact on the environment due to the amount of energy required for its production and the shortness of its product lifecycle, making it a global issue” that needs addressing, and sustainable approaches moving away from the current mass production, mass consumption and mass disposal have been brought into focus.

The Neochromato process jointly developed by Elephantech and NICCA CHEMICAL contributes significantly toward reducing the industry’s environmental impact and has the following characteristics:

・Allows discharge printing on polyester fabric dyed with dispersed dye
・The Sublimation transfer printing process allows the discharge and print process to be repeated on the fabric immediately after the initial discharge.

Water-less discharge printing has been successfully achieved by removing the dye from the polyester fabric and transferring it to a backing paper.

This backing paper used to collect the dye can be disposed of as burnable waste, minimizing wastewater pollution and making the technology sustainable.

Furthermore, the sublimation transfer printing process can be used on discharge printed fabrics, allowing for the discharge and printing process to be repeated immediately after the initial discharge.

This contributes not only to expanding the scope of expression for polyester-based fabrics but also to increasing upcycling possibilities for clothing and other fabric-based products.

The process was perfected with its easy implementation in mind, requiring no other equipment than a heat press machine used for sublimation transfer printing and allowing most factories and workplaces to use it immediately.