Review and development of textile auxiliaries

I, Review of the Development Process of Printing and Dyeing Assistants

The world additive industry began in the 1930s, initially almost entirely used in the textile industry, and later entered the daily chemical industry, such as detergents, but still dominated by textile additives. In the 1950s, it expanded to industries such as petrochemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, paper, leather, plastics, pharmaceuticals, mineral processing, and construction. In the 21st century, pre-treatment agents (such as desizing, scouring, bleaching stabilizers, chelating agents, etc.) account for 9.3% of foreign printing and dyeing auxiliaries; Dyeing aids (leveling, penetration, defoaming, fixation, deepening, dispersion, anti migration, carrier, bath softener) and printing aids (pastes, adhesives, thickeners, crosslinking agents, anti fouling agents, etc.) account for 38.7%; After finishing agents (soft, non ironing, waterproof, easy to remove dirt, anti-static, UV resistant, antibacterial and deodorizing, anti pilling, moisture wicking, flame retardant, stiff, etc.) account for 52.0%. The development of textile additives in China was relatively late. In the late 1970s, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, higher requirements were put forward for textiles. Not only has it stimulated the development and higher requirements of the textile printing and dyeing industry, but it has also put forward new requirements for the variety and quality of textile printing and dyeing auxiliaries in China. The establishment of printing and dyeing auxiliary enterprises has developed rapidly like mushrooms after a rain. According to the product structure classification of printing and dyeing auxiliaries currently produced in China, pre-treatment auxiliaries account for 18.4%, dyeing and printing auxiliaries account for 46.7%, and finishing auxiliaries account for 34.9%. The difference in product structure classification between foreign printing and dyeing auxiliaries is that the proportion of pre-treatment auxiliaries is too high, while the proportion of finishing auxiliaries varies greatly.

II, the selection principles of printing and dyeing auxiliaries

(1) Applicability: This is an inherent attribute and a fundamental requirement of additives. Printing and dyeing auxiliaries provide auxiliary effects throughout the entire textile processing process. Enable smooth, efficient, and stable processing; This is the key to selecting additives, so the use of additives must meet the processing technology and quality requirements.

(2) Stability: The stability of the quality of auxiliary products directly affects the processing quality and efficiency of textiles. Additives with poor stability can seriously affect process quality, causing rework and repair, and currently directly affecting costs and delivery times.

Economy: Currently, market competition is fierce and product prices are becoming more sensitive. It is wise to choose low-cost additives while meeting quality requirements and ensuring stability and reliability.

(3) Environmentally friendly: This is currently the first consideration that must be considered. In the international environment, non environmentally friendly additives will be rejected. In addition to controlling raw materials, auxiliary manufacturers also need to conduct third-party testing and certification of finished products, which many dyeing factories have their own MRSL requirements. The EU REACH regulation SVHC (Substances of High Concern) list is constantly updated, providing printing and dyeing enterprises with relevant standard certifications, such as OEKO-TEX Standard 100.

(4) Technical support: Printing and dyeing enterprises are increasingly dependent on technical services and support. Timely and effective technical support is becoming an increasingly important competitive tool for additive production enterprises.

(5) Physical and chemical analysis is higher than solid content: Printing and dyeing enterprises attach great importance to solid content and use the combination of content and unit price as the basis for selection. In fact, it is very unwise to do so. Physical and chemical analysis is the basis for checking the quality of additives, and solid content is only one indicator. The correct approach should be to conduct a comprehensive physical and chemical analysis before conducting a sample trial, and then determine the solid content as the basis for verifying the quality of the auxiliary batch after preliminary determination.

The scientific and reasonable selection of additives can not only save costs, but also greatly increase efficiency and quality, which is conducive to the sustainable development of the entire textile industry.

III. Future Development of Printing and Dyeing Aids

Printing and dyeing auxiliaries are not only essential chemicals in the textile dyeing and finishing process, but also can endow textiles with multifunctional, multi characteristic, and diversified properties, while also solving production problems in dyeing and finishing processing. With the maturity of the market, the previous dominance of foreign manufacturers has been broken, and domestic additives have reached or even surpassed imported additives. Domestic printing and dyeing additives have matured, and each manufacturer's unique and high-quality additives have gradually been recognized by the industry. More and more printing and dyeing enterprises have their own reliable auxiliary suppliers. With the increasingly strict environmental requirements, printing and dyeing auxiliary enterprises must develop innovative products that are energy-saving, emission reducing, environmentally safe, comply with national standards, and can increase the added value of printing and dyeing products.