Method for introducing dyes and other chemicals into a textile treatment system

• US 6,261,326 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2000
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Smith, C. Brent, Hendrix, Walter A., Butcher, Donald L., Montero, Gerardo A.
• Primary Examiner(s): EINSMANN, MARGARET V
• Application Number:
  US09/482,371
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 847/5, 814/92, 815/8, 815/9
• US Class Current: 8/475
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 19/00 Treatment of textile materials by liquids, gases or vapours, not provided for in groups D06B1/00 - D06B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 23/205 for adding or mixing constituents of the treating material
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 4/60 Optical bleaching or brightening
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/105 Processes in which the solvent is in a supercritical state
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 1/94 using dyes dissolved in solvents which are in the supercritical state

Abstract

A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a textile treatment system, particularly a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SCF-CO₂) treatment system. The process includes the steps of providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a textile treatment system; loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel; dissolving or suspending the textile treatment material in near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel; and introducing the dissolved or suspended textile treatment material into the textile treatment system. The textile treatment material can be selected from a group including a brightening agent, a whitening agent and a dye. A system suitable for use in carrying out the process is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a textile treatment system, the process comprising:

(a) providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a textile treatment system;

(b) loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel;

(c) dissolving or suspending the textile treatment material in near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide at a first set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions to form a solution or a suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel; and

(d) introducing the solution or suspension of textile treatment material into the textile treatment system at a second set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions controllably independent from the first set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of isolating the preparation vessel from the textile treatment system when dissolving or suspending the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of mixing the textile treatment material with the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel when dissolving or suspending the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the mixing is accomplished by circulating the textile treatment material and the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide through the preparation vessel.

5. The process of claim 3, wherein the mixing is accomplished by stirring the textile treatment material and the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the textile treatment system is a supercritical fluid textile treatment system.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of filtering a solution of textile treatment material formed in step (c) prior to introducing the solution into the textile treatment system.

8. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of treating a textile material with the textile treatment material in the textile treatment system.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the textile treatment material is selected from the group consisting of a lubricant, a brightening agent, a whitening agent, a dye, an ultra-violet treatment agent and combinations thereof.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the dye is a disperse dye.

11. The process of claim 6 wherein the supercritical fluid textile treatment system is a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system.

12. The process of claim 11, further comprising the step of diverting carbon dioxide from the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system to the preparation vessel while introducing the dissolved or suspended textile treatment material into the textile treatment system from the preparation vessel.

13. A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a textile treatment system, the process comprising:

(a) providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a textile treatment system;

(b) loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel;

(c) dissolving or suspending the textile treatment material in near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide to form a solution or a suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel; and

(d) introducing the solution or suspension of textile treatment material into the textile treatment system at an introduction point characterized by high fluid shear.

14. A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a textile treatment system, the process comprising:

(a) providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a textile treatment system;

(b) isolating the preparation vessel from the textile treatment system;

(c) loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel;

(d) introducing near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide into the preparation vessel at a first set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions;

(e) mixing the textile treatment material with the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel to form a solution or a suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel;

(f) re-establishing fluid communication between the preparation vessel and the textile treatment system; and

(g) introducing the solution or the suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide formed in step (e) into the textile treatment system at a second set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions controllably independent from the first set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the mixing of step (e) is accomplished by circulating the textile treatment material and the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide through the preparation vessel.

16. The process of claim 14, wherein the mixing of step (e) is accomplished by stirring the textile treatment material and the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel.

17. The process of claim 14, wherein the textile treatment material is selected from the group consisting of a lubricant, a brightening agent, a whitening agent, a dye, an ultra-violet treatment agent and combinations thereof.

18. The process of claim 14, further comprising the step of filtering a solution of textile treatment material produced in step (e) prior to introducing the solution into the textile treatment system.

19. The process of claim 14, further comprising the step of treating a textile material with the textile treatment material in the textile treatment system.

20. The process of claim 17, wherein the dye is a disperse dye.

21. A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a textile treatment system, the process comprising:

(a) providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a textile treatment system;

(b) isolating the preparation vessel from the textile treatment system;

(c) loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel;

(d introducing near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide into the preparation vessel;

(e) mixing the textile treatment material with the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel to form a solution or a suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel;

(f) re-establishing fluid communication between the preparation vessel and the textile treatment system; and

(g) introducing the solution or the suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide formed in step (e) into the textile treatment system at an introduction point characterized by high fluid shear.

22. A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system, the process comprising:

(a) providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system;

(b) isolating the preparation vessel from the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system;

(c) loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel;

(d) introducing near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide into the preparation vessel at a first set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions;

(e) mixing the textile treatment material with the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel to form a solution or a suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel;

(f) re-establishing fluid communication between the preparation vessel and the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system; and

(g) introducing the solution or the suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide formed in step (e) into the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system at a second set of temperature, pressure and flow conditions controllably independent from the first set of temperature. pressure and flow conditions.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein the mixing is accomplished by circulating the textile treatment material and the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide through the preparation vessel.

24. The process of claim 22, wherein the mixing is accomplished by stirring the textile treatment material and the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel.

25. The process of claim 22, wherein the textile treatment material is selected from the group consisting of a lubricant, a brightening agent, a whitening agent, a dye, an ultra-violet treatment agent and combinations thereof.

26. The process of claim 22, further comprising the step of filtering a solution of textile treatment material produced in step (e) prior to introducing the solution into the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system.

27. The process of claim 22, further comprising the step of diverting carbon dioxide from the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system to the preparation vessel while introducing the dissolved or suspended textile treatment material into the textile treatment system.

28. The process of claim 22, further comprising the step of treating a textile material with the textile treatment material in the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide treatment system.

29. The process of claim 22, wherein the dye is a disperse dye.

30. A process for introducing a textile treatment material into a supercritical fluid dioxide textile treatment system, the process comprising:

(a) providing a preparation vessel in fluid communication with a supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system;

(b) isolating the preparation vessel from the supercritical carbon dioxide textile treatment system;

(c) loading a textile treatment material into the preparation vessel;

(d introducing near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or supercritical fluid carbon dioxide into the preparation vessel;

(e) mixing the textile treatment material with the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel to form a solution or a suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide in the preparation vessel

(f) re-establishing fluid communication between the preparation vessel and the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide textile treatment system; and

(g) introducing the solution or the suspension of the textile treatment material in the near-critical liquid carbon dioxide or the supercritical fluid carbon dioxide formed in step (e) into the supercritical fuild carbon dioxide textile treatment system at an introduction point characterized by high fluid shear.