#Textile chemistry

2019-07-03

ARCHROMA to introduce new eco-advanced "indigo clone" solution

Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has recently launched at the ITMA exhibition its new Diresul® Smartdenim Blue, a liquid sulfur blue dye designed to mimic indigo.

Diresul® Smartdenim Blue liquid was developed in compliance with “The Archroma Way: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The approach finds its origin in Archroma’s deep belief that it is possible to make the textile industry sustainable, economically and ecologically.

The new product will be the core of Archroma's Indigo Reflection, a coloration system that behaves like indigo, with an even more sustainable and efficient application process compared to indigo.

With this new innovation, Archroma completes its spectrum of eco-advanced denim coloration solutions, from this new indigo-mimicking Diresul® Smartdenim Blue which is aniline-free* and can be used in Archroma’s water-saving Advanced Denim technology, to its recent launch of the purest indigo, the aniline-free* pre-reduced liquid Denisol® Pure Indigo liquid.

The sulfur-based Diresul® RDT Indicolors dyes have been introduced by Archroma back in 2007 to offer a water-saving alternative to indigo for blue denim, especially when applied with Archroma’s recommended Advanced Denim application processes, Denim-Ox and Pad-Sizing-Ox.

Diresul® Smartdenim Blue is a liquid sulfur dye that behaves like liquid indigo in elegant neutral-green blue tone and in the most common wash-down processes.

Diresul® Smartdenim Blue has been especially designed to address the limitations of the Indicolors earlier technology. The new Diresul® Smartdenim Blue has a greener shade, better fastness to minimize back staining, and allows to create overall wash-downs much closer to actual indigo than any other dyestuff, whilst avoiding greyish cast especially in bleaching with hypochlorite.

Diresul® Smartdenim Blue can be applied in all the standard dyeing methods recommended for sulfur dyes, including pad-ox, pad-steam, exhaust, denim in all its variations (color denim, bottoming and topping of indigo), as well as in the Advanced Denim procedures (Denim-Ox, Pad-Sizing-Ox).

The innovation is the brain child of the Global Competence Center for Denim & Special Dyes experts in Archroma’s Castellbisbal plant, near Barcelona, Spain, where Diresul® Smartdenim Blue is produced.

Diresul® Smartdenim Blue meets the requirements of the major brand and retailer manufacturing restricted substances list (MRSL) and eco-labels such as C2C**, and it is aniline free*.

“In the current context of tight availability of indigo precursors,” says Albert Llort, Head of Archroma’s Global Competence Center for Denim & Special Dyes, “Archroma offers with Diresul® Smartdenim Blue an alternative dyestuff to create new blue denim articles that is aniline-free* and light in water consumption, but also offers a reliable supply source. Because it’s our nature!”

Archroma and Lameirinho partner in pioneering deployment of InOneGO single-step dyeing

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, and Lameirinho, a leading home textiles manufacturer based in Portugal, are collaborating to bring InOneGO by Archroma, a new single-step dyeing process, into commercial production. Lameirinho’s first InOneGo bedlinens collection is now available worldwide.

Archroma wins ICIS Innovation Award for sulfur dye breakthrough

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, has won a coveted 2026 ICIS Innovation Award for Best Product Innovation from a Large Company for FiberColors®. These high-performance sulfur dyes are synthesized from pre-consumer wool waste, reducing industry reliance on petroleum-based inputs while contributing to the circular economy by upcycling unwanted wool that farmers would otherwise pay to dispose of.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.

ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.

Fashion for Good launches DW(O)R-X to navigate the emerging landscape of PFAS-free finishes

Fashion for Good announced the launch of Project DW(O)R-X, a collaborative initiative designed to benchmark PFAS alternative durable water- and oil-repellent (DW(O)R) chemistries. Responding to growing market demand for alternatives to PFAS‑based finishes, the project aims to generate reliable, comparable data that can support informed sourcing decisions and the assessment of emerging chemistries.

New Cotton Review examines competitiveness, market risk, and opportunities

From moving record volumes of Brazilian cotton to market, to managing price volatility, unlocking Ethiopia’s production potential, and strengthening African textile trade, the latest edition of Cotton: Review of the World Situation examines some of the most consequential opportunities and challenges facing the global cotton industry.

Long John puts KARL MAYER's RDJ 7/3 into operation and strengthens its position as a market leader

KARL MAYER has just unveiled its new RDJ 7/3 Jacquard Double Needle Bar Raschel Machine in the international trade press, and the innovation is already causing a stir in the market: The Long John Group, a leading manufacturer of performance footwear fabrics and a long-standing partner of renowned brands, was the first customer to invest in the new machine and celebrated its official launch at its Indonesian plant on August 20.

Patricia Urquiola in the Trend Space: Evolution and new design elements for Heimtextil 2027

At Heimtextil 2027, the Trend Space brings the Heimtextil Trends 27/28, curated by Alcova, to life. Within this framework, Heimtextil’s collaboration with Patricia Urquiola continues into its third year in 2027. In the Trend Space, the architect and designer presents three sculptures: alongside the familiar element “Bambi”, Urquiola is developing two new pieces specifically for Heimtextil. Thereby, she offers her unique interpretation of the trend theme “The Performance of Everyday Living”.