Supercritical Fluid Technology in Textile Processing:  An Overview

In light of environmental concerns, the textile industry has accelerated efforts to reduce or eliminate water consumption in all areas of yarn preparation, dyeing, and finishing. Supercritical fluid dyeing technology has the potential to accomplish this objective in many commercial textile applications around the world, both at present and in the future around the world. Increased interest in this technology has made a fundamental understanding of thermophysical (equilibrium solubility) and transport (kinetics) properties of such fluids and fluid mixtures necessary. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) is one of the most environmentally acceptable solvents in use today, and textile processes using it have many advantages when compared to conventional aqueous processes. − Positive environmental effects range from drastically reduced water consumption to eliminating hazardous industrial effluent. Furthermore, economic benefits include increased productivity and energy savings. Successfully commercializing supercritical fluid CO2 processing will improve the economics of dyeing and other textile chemical processes by eliminating water usage and wastewater discharges and increasing productivity by reducing processing times as well as required chemicals and auxiliaries and reducing energy consumption and air emissions. As a result, SC-CO2 processing will be more rapid, more economical, and more environmentally friendly.