Today, there’s a finish for every thinkable textile challenge. You can add them to clothes to make people feel more comfortable and to keep them dry, while other finishes soften bed linen, make tent canvases flame-retardant or protect upholstery from damaging. The question is: how do you apply them to specific parts of your textiles? Our experts are working on the answer and found a promising chemical solution to integrate functionalised finishes by digital (valve jet) printing it on the fabric.
TANATEX Solution
We have developed a jettable compound as basis for your applications which guarantees a smooth run ability of valve jet for hours. Simplified: Just mix the compound with water and add the needed chemicals to achieve functionality.
Why valve jet and not inkjet?
Valve jet, rather than inkjet is the best technology to provide a solution to print in certain areas thanks to the technology’s flexible pick-up. This is higher than inkjet. Additionally, with valve jet, existing standard chemicals can be applied, without creating new ones for available finishes.
Valve jet application - Challenges for chemicals
Textile printing is nothing new. People have been adding colour to textiles for ages, through several printing methods. High quality digital printing of functionalities is quite revolutionary, though. TANATEX experts are experienced in applying thickeners and auxiliaries for valve jet and found a way to print all kind of functionalities digitally as well. The functional finishes need to meet several requirements for printing:
• Rheology suitable for jetting (shear thinning property)
• No drying during jetting and over run length
• Variable viscosity, depending on requirements
Advantages of functionalised inks for valve jet printing
Digital textile printing creates ultimate flexibility. Today, textile manufacturers can print all imaginable patterns on textiles,
independently of repeating patterns. Countless designs can be produced without chemicals and fabric wastage. Moreover, the adjustment of the printing system and the alignment of the printing templates that are so time-consuming have become a thing of the past. Imagine the flexibility you’ll have to apply several functionalities on a selected part of the fabric, or integrated in the design. All done in the same run, or personalised for specific customers. This saves a lot of time and considerably reduces the consumption of water and chemicals and the contamination of waste water. You can imagine the applications for apparel, medical, technical or home textiles:
• Thermal effects (cooling, heating)
• Moisture management (water-/oil repellency, hydrophilic effects)
• Odour control
• Antibacterial
• Anti-slip
• Anti-crease
• Conductivity
• Optical effects
We see several opportunities like insect protection at the inside of a collar, stain repellents applied to the front of a shirt, and anti-abrasion for the elbow zone or anti-odour finishes for the armpits. And what about scarves, handkerchiefs, ties, lingerie, fresh smelling sheets, towels, garments, et cetera. Do you have ideas or want to know more? Contact TANATEX experts to explore the options.
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