A fabric has enhanced response characteristics for laser finishing. The fabric can be denim for denim apparel such as jeans. Software and lasers are used to finish apparel made of the fabric to produce a desired wear or distressing pattern or other design. The fabric allows for relatively fast color change in response to the laser, color changes in hue from indigo blue to white, many grayscale levels, and maintains strength and stretch properties. A method used to make the fabric includes spinning, dyeing, and weaving yarns in such a way to obtain the desired enhanced response characteristics for laser finishing.

The present invention relates to novel 3-oxindole derivatives, to a process for their preparation and to the use of said derivatives as dyes for manufacturing pH sensitive textiles and as indicators in titration methods. The invention also relates to a method to manufacture pH sensitive textiles and to textiles so obtained.

A fabric has enhanced response characteristics for laser finishing. The fabric can be denim for denim apparel such as jeans. Software and lasers are used to finish apparel made of the fabric to produce a desired wear or distressing pattern or other design. The fabric allows for relatively fast color change in response to the laser, color changes in hue from indigo blue to white, many grayscale levels, and maintains strength and stretch properties. A method used to make the fabric includes spinning, dyeing, and weaving yarns in such a way to obtain the desired enhanced response characteristics for laser finishing.

Indigo-dyed garments are treated with an anti-ozone agent to prevent ozone-related degradation of the garments before laser finishing. Without treatment, the garments can exhibit color loss (e.g., color change or fading) from exposure to ozone in the atmosphere. The indigo-dyed garments with anti-ozone treatment can serve as base templates in a laser finishing process flow. The anti-ozone treatment of the base templates can include a rinse including an ascorbic acid or vitamin C constituent during a base preparation process. Then quantities of these base templates can manufactured and stored for periods of time without exhibiting ozone-related degradation effects.

A dyeing and welding process may be configured to convert a substrate into a welded substrate having at least some color imparted thereto via a dye and/or coloring agent by applying a process solvent having a dye and/or coloring agent therein to the substrate, wherein the process solvent interrupts one or more intermolecular force between one or more component in the substrate. The substrate may be configured as a natural fiber, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and silk. The process solvent may include a binder, such as dissolved biopolymer (e.g., cellulose). After application of a process solvent comprised of a dye and/or coloring agent, the substrate may be exposed to a second application of a process solvent comprised of a binder, which second application may occur before or after a process temperature/pressure zone, process solvent recovery zone, and/or drying zone.

A dyeing and welding process may be configured to convert a substrate into a welded substrate having at least some color imparted thereto via a dye and/or coloring agent by applying a process solvent having a dye and/or coloring agent therein to the substrate, wherein the process solvent interrupts one or more intermolecular force between one or more component in the substrate. The substrate may be configured as a natural fiber, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and silk. The process solvent may include a binder, such as dissolved biopolymer (e.g., cellulose). After application of a process solvent comprised of a dye and/or coloring agent, the substrate may be exposed to a second application of a process solvent comprised of a binder, which second application may occur before or after a process temperature/pressure zone, process solvent recovery zone, and/or drying zone.

A multifunctional continuous dyeing apparatus provided at a bottom with a main body within which are formed in a sequence, with reference to the feeding direction of the yarn, at least a first dyeing group for the yarn, provided with a respective first squeezing device of the yarn, an oxidation or diffusion/fixation group, placed downstream of the first dyeing group and arranged for the oxidation of the dyed yarn or for the diffusion/fixation of the dye in the fiber of the dyed yarn, and at least a second dyeing group of the yarn, arranged downstream of the oxidation or diffusion/fixation group and in turn provided with a respective second squeezing device of the yarn, where at least the first dyeing group, the first squeezing device, the oxidation or diffusion/fixation group and the second dyeing group are hermetically sealing enclosed by at least one covering case, integral at the top with the main body, and provided with a plurality of doors which are at least partially openable to perform the dyeing of the yarn in an environment exposed to air and which are reclosable to perform the dyeing of the yarn in an inert environment under nitrogen.

An activated cotton material and a method for processing cotton to form the activated cotton material are provided. The activated cotton material includes a layer of natural wax that is locked to the surface of cotton fibers by a wax lock.

The invention generally relates to fabric dyeing, such as fabric dyeing using indigo or sulphur dyes. A process is provided which provides a dyed yarn having reduced dye penetration and a white core. The process involves modification of existing sulfur dye ranges to more efficiently and in an environmentally improved method produce dyed fabrics. The modification involves one or more of i) using of a barrier compound to subsequent dye applications; ii) performing a scouring stage without a caustic agent; iii) bypassing scouring and/or scour rising; iv) using sodium bicarbonate to control the pH of dye tanks; v) reducing the dye concentration and increasing the number of dye vats; and vi) adding a sizing stage to the dye range. The invention also is directed to yarns dyed on dye ranges through use of the process, and fabrics formed from the dyed yarns.

The invention generally relates to fabric dyeing, such as fabric dyeing using indigo or sulphur dyes. A process is provided which provides a dyed yarn having reduced dye penetration and a white core. The process involves modification of existing sulfur dye ranges to more efficiently and in an environmentally improved method produce dyed fabrics. The modification involves one or more of i) using of a barrier compound to subsequent dye applications; ii) performing a scouring stage without a caustic agent; iii) bypassing scouring and/or scour rising; iv) using sodium bicarbonate to control the pH of dye tanks; v) reducing the dye concentration and increasing the number of dye vats; and vi) adding a sizing stage to the dye range. The invention also is directed to yarns dyed on dye ranges through use of the process, and fabrics formed from the dyed yarns.