Washing off

Prints
By Wolfgang Heitkamp
Washing off
Prints
Training 1 & 2
 Washing off prints
General principle
¾ dye fixation must be as high as
possible, which requires an optimal:

– fabric pretreatment
– print paste composition
– amount of dye used
– ideal fixation conditions

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing off prints
General principle

¾ washing machines with a

good efficiency

– long enough dwelling time

– good mechanical actions
– controlled temperature up to boiling

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing off prints
General principle
The optimum conditions for washing-off
must be selected for each dye-fiber
combination.
Staining of unprinted areas by adsorption of dyes from
the wash liquor is a major hazard where the
concentration of unfixed dye is allowed to build up in
the washing-off process.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing off prints
General principle
By careful selection of dyes and the
maximum usage ( see dye build-up),
thickening agents and conditions of
fixation, the amount of dye to removed can be minimized.
For the removal of unfixed dye it is absolute necessary
to adopt the right technique to shift the balance away
from adsorption.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing off prints
General principle
For optimum washing condition the
right washing machine has to be selected
for different dye-fiber combinations
as well.
– open width washer
– rob washer etc..
– woven or knitted fabrics
– sensitive, delicate fabrics ..
Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off

CIBACRON-P dyes

on cellulose fabric
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric

dirty wash

The objectives are:

• wetting and swelling the thickener film
• elimination thickening agent, unfixed dye
and auxiliary chemicals
• preservation of white arias
• providing brightness

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric

fastness wash

The objectives are:

• achieving the required fastness
• providing a good handle

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric

Important factors :

• washing temperature
• electrolyte in the washing bath
• mechanical action during washing-off
• time

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Influence of washing temperature

• increase of dye diffusion

• reduction of dye substantivity
• increase of dye solubility
• reduction of water surface tension
- better we-ability of fabric
• swelling of thickener can be increased
- elimination of thickener is faster

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Influence of washing temperature

high diffusion

medium

low affinity
0 20 40 60 80 100
temperature [°C]
Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Influence of electrolytes

• increase of dye substantivity

- aggregation of dye

• decrease the electrostatic repulsion between

fiber and dye
- increases back staining

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Influence of electrolytes

• surface active agents (detergents)

can also be electrolytes
- in most practical cases ineffective

- if the wash water is hard, the addition

of CIBAPON R helps to increase the
effectiveness of the wash-off process.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Influence of mechanical action

• separation of thickener, unfixed dyes

and chemicals from the fabric into the
wash bath can be accelerated

• distribution in the washing-liquor can be

speeded up

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
mechanical action

• small and large pressure roller to

force liquid through the fabric

• high pressured water sprayed in front and

back of the fabric

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Conventional washing-off
(Traditional)

2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min

20°C 20°C 40°C 60°C 98°C 98°C 40°C 20°C

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Conventional washing-off
Traditional
Open width washer

1 cold rinse with overflow

2 cold rinse with overflow
3 warm soap
4 hot soap
5 boiling soap
6 boiling soap
7 warm rinse
8 cold rinse

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Open width washing

Very often the customer has problems

to get the fastness his client is asking for,
even after 3 times washing on an open width
washing machine.
Customer already changed from local
dyes to CIBACRON – P

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Open width washing
In most cases the poor fastness is due
to an inefficient washing machine:

– washing temperature much too low

– not enough mechanical action etc..

- in those cases an intensive boiling in

a rob washer for ~ 5-10 min can solve
the problem.
Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Hot washing-off concept

2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min 2 min

98°C 98°C 98°C 98°C 98°C 98°C 98°C 20°C
Textile Effects counter flow
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Hot washing-off concept

• boiling temperature from the first to the last box

• fabric temperature must remain elevated between boxes
• full counter flow

boiling soft
water (<2°dH)

Textile Effects
RTC Printing counterflow with boiling water
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Advantage hot washing-off concept

Features
• slightly higher wet fastness level
• quicker swelling of thickener
• lowest substantivity of the due
• highest diffusion of the dye
• full counter flow

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Washing-off CIBACRON-P
dyes on cellulose fabric
Advantage hot washing-off concept
Benefit
• better quality
• better handle
• less danger of back staining
• quick removal of unfixed dye
• better utilization of wash water

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Examples of open width washing
machines
Fleissner washing line for woven and knit goods

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Fleissner washing line for woven
and knit goods

Perforated
Spraying Dwelling bath drum washer
Textile Effects compartment
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Fleissner washing line for woven
and knit goods
- maximum washing performance by
specific use of mechanic washing elements,
time, temperature and chemicals.
- uniform and gentle liquor flow through
the fabric.
- low tension and crease free fabric run with
minimum residual shrinkage values.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Fleissner washing line for woven
and knit goods
- draft free and safe fabric transportation
even at high speeds.

- low consumption of water and energies.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Fleissner washing line for woven
and knit goods
- excellent washing effect with intense
spraying by high liq. circulation rate

- direct bath heating and steam injection

- rolled edges are avoided

- liquor cleaning be revolving filter belt
Spraying
compartment

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Fleissner washing line for woven
and knit goods Dwelling bath

- high mass transfer by

concentration grading with
repeated plaiting of fabric.
- addition of clean liquor
through counter-flow
- re-plaiting of fabric package from one bath to the next
- bath temperature up to boiling
- controlled fabric guidance
Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Benninger washing line for woven
goods
BEN- INJEKTA

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Benninger washing line for woven
goods
BEN- INJEKTA

The fabric is led trough a

shaft divided into two casings.
Here it is subject to high
turbulence and temperature of
over 100ºC. Steam and/or boiling
water are applied on both sides.
The substances to be washed-out
are dissolved in seconds.
The dwelling time in heavily dirtied
washing liquor is only a few seconds.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Benninger washing line for woven
goods
1 BEN-INJECTA
2 EXTRACTA
high washing efficiency
at low water consumption
closed, steam-tight range
1 TEMPACTA
relaxing, boiled wash

1 EXTRACTA
rinsing

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Kuesters washing line for woven
goods

High efficient open-width washing machine for

woven goods.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Kuesters washing line for woven
goods

3-4 Compacta

2 Stepmaster

1-2 Turboflash

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
Arioli washing line for woven
and knit goods

Uniwash

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Arioli washing line for woven
and knit goods

Uniwash

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Arioli washing line for woven
and knit goods
Uniwash
The machine has been designed for tension-
less washing of fabrics. The particular type
of transportation, achieved with large
perforated drums, powered by constant
torque motors with adjustable speed.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Arioli washing line for woven
and knit goods
Uniwash
SAT 2 is a washing tank with 2 perforated
drums of a diameter of 770 mm: SAT 2 Tank

2 water blades on the face 2 water blades on

the back of the fabric, water circulation pump
for 200 m³/h water flow.
direct steam heating

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Arioli washing line for woven
and knit goods

Uniwash

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Moenus/Artos washing line for
woven fabric
Convi-tex

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Moenus/Artos washing line for
woven fabric
Spry-Flow open-width washing machine
for woven and knitted fabric

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Goller continue washing line for
woven fabric
Goller Effecta

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Goller continue washing line for
woven fabric
Goller Effecta
Example of the wash-bath combination

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Goller continue washing line for
woven fabric
Goller Effecta

Open-width washer
with air passage
in the beginning of
the washing process,
ideal for washing of
after 2 phase vat
fixation.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Goller continue washing line for
woven fabric

Goller Effecta

Open-width washer
with air passage
in the beginning of
the washing process,
ideal for washing of
after 2 phase vat
fixation.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Mezzera washing line for
woven fabric
Excellent countercurrent liquor washing machine
with lots of operating
versatility.

Completely automatic

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Mezzera washing line for
woven and knitted fabric
Concord continuous washing in rope form

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Mezzera washing line for
woven and knitted fabric
Concord continuous washing in rope form
- fabric is transported by overflow
action and is therefore tensionless
- different temperature in the various
treatment sections (up to boiling)
- independent squeezing mangle for
each channel
- high interchange between fabric and
countercurrent liquor
Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Mezzera washing line for
woven and knitted fabric
Concord continuous washing in rope form
Very interesting machine in terms
of flexibility and possibilities.
The Concord consist of 8-16 channels
which could be divided into four to five
washing sections.
Each channel can hold 500 l of liquor and
up to 50 kg of fabric.

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 Mezzera washing line for
woven and knitted fabric

Concord

Each channel has its own control unit, which

looks after temperature chemical additions and
constant pre-set quantity of fabric etc..

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 MCS washing line for
woven and knitted fabric
Lavaprint range

MR Soft

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 MCS washing line for
woven and knitted fabric
Lavaprint range
MR Soft

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific
 MCS washing line for
woven and knitted fabric
Lavaprint range

A special made machine for after print

washing of knitted and woven fabric.

- open width in combination with

a very efficient rope washing machine

Textile Effects
RTC Printing
Asia / Pacific