Smart rinsing: A step change in reactive dye application technology

The rinsing stages of reactive dyeing of cellulosic substrates take up an estimated 80% of. the water consumption, 90% of the energy, and 70% of the time of the total process have been neglected over recent years. ITMA 1995 saw the unveiling of a range of machines from manufacturers with "smart" rinsing systems in which fresh hot water is metered into the dyeing machine to dilute fabric contaminants, and dyes and processing chemicals are removed through low level overflow weirs. In addition to significant time savings and much more effective use of water, these systems offer a scientific approach to stages of the process that are normally left to subjective judgement.