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Polypropylene fibres possess a number of attractive properties when compared to other fibres used in apparel. Despite of desirable properties, polypropylene fibres traditionally have suffered from a major drawback that has limited its usage in textile apparel applications and the main reason behind this was dyeing. Polypropylene can now easily be dyed with disperse dyes in aqueous media in a standard industry process
yeable polypropylene fibre is a revolutionary new fibre for the apparel market created by FibreVisions, one of the worlds largest producers of polyolefin staple fibres. CoolVisions is the industrys premier disperse-dyeable polypropylene fibre, created to address the needs of the manufacturer and the desires of the consumer. Dyeable polypropylene fibres offer a vast array of inherent benefits and properties of traditional polypropylene fibres: Lightweight and comfortable, with moisture management, durability, thermal insulation and stain resistance. Unlike traditional polypropylene fibre, this new fibre is dyeable with disperse dyes, and its unique design results in a soft hand.
new colour concept to the final fabric or garment can be long. Ideally, it should have a dyeing profile similar to or compatible with large-volume fibres such as polyester, nylon or cotton, so that it is compatible with the dyeing and related processes that are already well-established. Furthermore, it should not change the essential benefits of polypropylene fibres presented in Table 1 especially its low density and its low surface energy. There have been several attempts to make dyeable polypropylene fibres, but they have not been successful because the resulting product did not meet these criteria.
diminished, resulting in good colourfastness. As with polyester fibres, high-energy disperse dyes should be used to obtain optimum colourfastness. The approach of encapsulating the additive within the polypropylene fibre has many benefits. The surface of the fibre is essentially unchanged, resulting in excellent aqueous stain resistance and low water absorption. The polypropylene fibre also serves to protect the dyes from chemicals such as chlorine, resulting in excellent bleach fastness. Since the ability to dye the polypropylene fibre is imparted by the incorporation of an additive, the level of the additive affects the depth of shade. This has a couple of benefits; the additive level can be controlled quite well, resulting in reduced shade sensitivity to processing conditions. In addition, the level can be intentionally changed to produce fibres that dye to different depths, thereby offering an additional styling tool.
Thermal insulation Dyeable polypropylene fibres provide better insulation than most other fibres. Insulation power is the ability to insulate against heat conduction through the fibre, relative to the insulation power of air. In cold weather, the greater the insulation power, the greater warmth wearer will feel in the fabrics.
0.2
0.1
0.05
Density (g/cm 3)
0
Polypropylene Polyester Polyamide Acrylic Cotton Wool Silk
Stain resistance Stain resistance is one of the superior advantages of dyeable polypropylene fibres. Polypropylene fibre is inherently resistant to water-based stains.
Stain resistance
W
Moisture management Dyeable polypropylene fibres out perform all other dyeable fibres in low-moisture-absorption tests. In addition, garments made from polypropylene tend to have a high moisture-vapour-transmission providing the industrys fastest drying garments. This is important in comfort, especially when one wants the skin to stay cool and dry. The mechanical properties of polypropylene fibres are not affected when the fabric is wet an inherent advantage compared to fibres like rayon, which can lose strength substantially. As with traditional polypropylene, dyeable polypropylene offers excellent chemical resistance and aqueous stain resistance. Bleach and other household cleaning chemicals do not affect the fibres, which also are not attacked by microbial organisms such as mold, mildew and bacteria.
15
Po
Polypropylene Polyester
Polyamide
Acrylic
Cotton
Wool
Silk
Chlorine bleach resistance Bleach and other household cleaning chemicals do not affect dyeable polypropylene fibres.
Excellent
Good
Good
Good
Conclusion
Fashion designers and textile manufacturers are facing increasing demands for style, sophistication and above all, performance. They are trying delivering everything from the simplest everyday garments to the most glamorous fashions, and they also have an ambition to create more value-added products through innovation and stronger branding. The challenge now is to go beyond the basics and respond quickly to market needs. Invention of dyeable polypropylene fibre provides brilliant colour shades to meet fast-moving market trends by providing new styling options for apparel. Dyeable polypropylene fibre is well-suited for any lifestyle as it is easy care, easy wear. Further, dyeable polypropylene fibres also offers immense production possibilities where manufacturers benefit from increasing their operational effectiveness, reducing the inventory of coloured yarns, streamlining the production process and obvious better margins. Retailers are also getting benefited because of product differentiation, speed to market and most importantly consumer satisfaction
By Vasant R Kothari, Assistant Professor, NIFT, Bangalore (Author can be contacted @ www.vasantkothari.com)
Polypropylene Polyester
Polyamide
Acrylic
Cotton
Wool
Silk
10
Durable Dyeable polypropylene fibres have excellent toughness and abrasion resistance resulting in durable products that wear longer than most other fibres.
Excellent Excellent
Durability
Light weight and comfort Cottony softness Easy care, easy wears Moisture management Durability Breathability Thermal insulation Stain resistance
Perspiration escapes as water vapor through microscopic pores. These pores are too small for water droplets to penetrate.
Polypropylene Polyester
Polyamide
Acrylic
Cotton
Wool
Silk
Today global brands such as Terramar and The North Face are using dyeable polypropylene fibres in their products. The North Face flannel Tekware shirts for men and women were introduced at outdoor retailer winter market last year itself. The North Face garments are blends of dyeable polypropylene fibres and cotton.
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