Material ConneXion, announced the winner of the third annual MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year, naming Netherlands-based DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V. as the winner. Material ConneXion has cited the company for the development of revolutionary commercial dyeing machine technology. Its ability to use supercritical CO2 as a replacement for water is an innovation that will make enormous contributions in terms of reducing energy consumption, environmental pollution and pioneering water stewardship.
The award recognizes materials and processes juried into the company's materials library within the past year that demonstrate outstanding technological innovation and the potential to make a significant contribution to the advancement of design, industry, society and the economy. Significant advances in sustainable material innovation can be seen in materials such as Arnitel Eco which uses an alternative source for plastic and rubber products that can now be manufactured from #
As the world's leading materials library of innovative and sustainable materials and innovation consultancy, Material ConneXion has unparalleled insight into the materials, processes and emerging technologies that are having the greatest impact on design worldwide and, ultimately the consumer. In addition to DyeCoo, the company is recognizing nine Material of the Year honorable mentions whose exemplary material and process innovation makes them particularly worthy of note.
With climate change threatening harsher droughts and water scarcity for nearly 60% of humanity, water is critical to any vision of sustainability. The textile industry is one of the biggest consumers of water. In conventional dyeing, large amounts of water are used both in terms of intake of fresh water and disposal of wastewater. DyeCoo uses supercritical CO2 gas rather than water to infuse fabric with color. Special temperature controlled pressure chambers force the carbon dioxide to act as a fluid similar to water (the supercritical fluid CO2) which causes the polymer fiber to swell allowing the dispersed dye to easily diffuse within the polymer, penetrating the fibers, and carrying the pigments into fabric bolts and dyeing them. DyeCoo is believed to be the first company to successfully apply the SCF CO2 process to the commercial dyeing of polyester fabric (the most used fabric in the world), and research is already underway to apply the technology to other natural and synthetic fabrics.
DyeCoo recently entered into an important strategic partnership with NIKE, Inc. “Waterless dyeing is a significant step in our journey to serve both the athlete and the planet, and our partnership with DyeCoo reinforces Nike's long-term strategy and deep commitment to innovation and sustainability,” says Eric Sprunk, Nike's Vice President of Merchandising and Product. “We believe this technology has the potential to revolutionize textile manufacturing, and we want to collaborate with progressive dye houses, textile manufacturers and consumer apparel brands to scale this technology and push it throughout the industry.”
“DyeCoo's new process has the potential to significantly lower the environmental impact of dyeing. The elimination of process-water and chemicals are a breakthrough for the textile dyeing industry. Combine that with the reduction in energy use, and the process is twice as fast. The technology can also improve the quality of the dyed fabric, allows for greater control over the dyeing process, enabling new dye capabilities and transforming fabric dyeing so that it can take place just about anywhere,” says Dr. Andrew H. Dent, VP Materials Research at Material ConneXion. “We chose DyeCoo as the winner of this year's award because it embodies the direction that materials and processes are taking: sustainability and high performance.”
“DyeCoo is honored to accept the MEDIUM award,” says Reinier Mommaal, CEO of DyeCoo. “We hope more industry leaders will join us in leveraging this innovative technology in the near future,” he added. DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V. was founded in March 2008 and is the world's first supplier of industrial CO2 dyeing equipment and is a leading innovator in CO2 dyeing technology and processes. DyeCoo Textile Systems B.V. is a spin-off of the Dutch Feyecon Group, an innovator in the field of CO2 process technology.
The ten materials and processes are handpicked according to the far reaching results they can achieve and to Material ConneXion's innovation parameters which include: being a new process, an advancement to an existing material or process, technology transfer and sustainability.
News
Articles
Interviews
Webinars
Events
Advertise with us
About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
