Dyed fabric finishing process

Abstract

The invention relates to a process of treating a dyed fabric, in which fungi are used. The invention also relates to a package comprising a water impervious container and a fabric or a garment treated according to the process, and to a fabric or a garment as obtainable by the process of the invention.

Claims

1. A process of treating a dyed fabric, said fabric containing at least one dye, by removing different amounts of dye from different areas of said fabric and providing different colour shades to said fabric, characterized in comprising the steps of: i) selecting a fabric including at least one dye; ii) preparing a composition containing living fungi microorganisms apt to digest said at least one dye; iii) applying said composition to at least one area of said dyed fabric; iv) incubating said fungi microorganisms on said fabric, whereby said fungi microorganisms grow in a non-uniform way throughout said fabric to digest said dye and provide different shades of colour; v) removing said fungi from said fabric once the required colour shades have been obtained.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said composition and/or said fabric contains water in step iii) and said fabric is maintained in a humid condition during step iv).

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said dye is selected from indigo, an indigo derivative or mixtures thereof.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said composition includes a growing medium.

5. A process according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of: memorizing a plurality of the colour shades of said dyed fabric as obtainable by at least one fungus at different times of incubation; memorizing the incubation times required to obtain said colour shades; providing a chart of colour shades and corresponding incubation times; selecting one of the memorized shades; incubating the said fabric including said fungi microorganisms for the time corresponding to the selected shade.

6. A process according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of: producing a plurality of different colour shades obtainable by using different fungi and/or different growing mediums or mediums amounts, memorizing said different colour shades and preparing a chart showing said different colour shades wherein said chart of colour shades includes different shades according to different mediums.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein said fungi are selected from white rot fungi.

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein said fungi composition is applied to said fabric, and further comprising the step of packaging the fabric including the composition in a container to maintain the fabric in a humid condition during incubation.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein said incubation of said fabric in said container is carried out in any of a facility of the producer, a warehouse or a shop.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein said fabric is in the form or is part of a garment or apparel.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein step v) is carried out by the fabric producer or, when said fabric is part of a garment, by any of the garment producer, the garment seller or the final user or consumer, by washing said garment.

12. A process according to claim 11, wherein said step v) is carried out by said final user by home washing. a container to maintain the fabric in a humid condition during incubation.

13. The process according to claim 7, wherein said white rot fungi are selected from Acremonium, Gymnoascus, Penicillum, Funalia, Trametes and mixtures thereof.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(1) The invention will now be further disclosed with reference to the enclosed drawings, which have to be interpreted as illustrative and non-limiting schematic representations of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the different shades obtained by incubating for different periods a fabric treated with a fungi composition; and

(3) FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the steps of an exemplary embodiment of the process according to the invention.

(4) Referring initially to the flow chart of FIG. 2, such flow chart relates to an exemplary embodiment of the process of the invention, comprising the following steps.

(5) In step 1, testing of fungi and medium combinations, is carried out in order to evaluate the colour fading effect of such combinations. Each suitable microorganism is tested on dyed fabric in different compositions containing different growth, or supporting, mediums; the fading effect of the fungi on the dyed fabric is also monitored and detected at different incubation times. This activity is part of the preliminary steps of the process, and is not seen as a step that has to be necessarily repeated every time, since its aim is to determine the efficacy of such combinations of fungi and media. The results of the testing activities are memorized in suitable memory means; in other words, step 1 includes memorizing a plurality of colour shades of a dyed fabric as obtainable by using at least one fungus in a medium at different times of incubation, and memorizing the incubation times required to obtain said colour shades.

(6) In step 2, the results of the first step 1 testing activity are organized in a chart, which provides information about colour shades and, for example, corresponding incubation times, for at least one fungus. In this way, advantageously, the effects of the different fungus-medium combinations can be easily compared to one another, and to the starting shade of the fabric (e.g., a woven fabric, preferably a denim fabric), so that choosing which combination(s) to use is easy and clear. Advantageously, the chart may be in any format and the information may be provided in any suitable way, e.g. by photos or digitally, by figures expressing the colour intensity. Additionally, the chart may be a sample catalogue including samples of fabrics having different colour shades, each shade being obtainable through, for example, a specific combination of fungus, incubation time and medium. Advantageously, different charts may be provided for different kind of fabrics/garments; for example, different charts may be provided for fabrics which are dyed with different shades of colour before the treatment with fungi, according to the invention. Accordingly, successive step 3 comprises selecting a shade of colour, e.g. from those shown in the table generated in step 2. Each shade of colour refers to at least one of the combinations of fungus and medium and incubation time. According to embodiments, this step 3 of selecting a shade of colour may be carried out by a customer, including the final customer in a shop.

(7) According to the embodiment of FIG. 2, the process then continues (step 4) with the preparation of a suitable composition incorporating the fungus-medium combination that has been selected in step 3, with which composition the fabric/garment will undergo its incubating step. In step 5, a dyed fabric/garment (e.g., an indigo dyed fabric/garment) is provided. The fabric or garment is suitable to provide the required shades when incubated with the composition prepared in step 4. In other words, according to embodiments, the fabric or garment (or other textile article) to be treated with the fungus composition, is selected according to the tests previously carried out: for example, the type and content of dye in the fabric may be such that, when treated with the selected fungus and medium for the selected incubation time, the resulting shade substantially corresponds to the colour shade in the chart. With step 6 the composition prepared in step 4 is applied to the fabric/garment provided in step 5. The composition may be applied to the fabric or garment through known methods.

(8) In step 7 of FIG. 2, the fabric/garment that has been provided with the desired fungi composition (according to step 6), is incubated, preferably at a temperature ranging from 20° C. to 35° C. This allows the fungi to carry their colour fading effects on the fabric/garment that is being incubated. As mentioned, incubation is carried out in suitable conditions, which means that the fabric/garment may be added with water before adding the composition, and that the composition itself may contain water and/or suitable additives to maintain the fabric in a humid condition throughout the incubation step 7. To this regard, it is advantageous to provide the fabric, or garment, with a container that is water impervious or in any case suitable to maintain the required humidity and water content in the fabric/garment during incubation step 7. Additional medium and/or fungi (chosen in above discussed step 3) may be added (according to optional step 8 of FIG. 2) to the fabric during the incubation started in step 7. This addition might be necessary in some cases, e.g. when there has been an unexpected decrease in the fungi population during the incubation process, or the incubation process must be carried out for a longer time than expected, and thus the fungi might need additional growth medium in order to continue their colour fading effect.

(9) Step 9 may be an optional step; in step 9 the status of the fabric (or garment) undergoing the incubation step 7 is evaluated to assess if the fading effect has reached the required level, i.e., if the shade of colour of the fabric is satisfactory, e.g., to a final customer.

(10) If the shade is not satisfactory (option “NO” according to FIG. 2), the incubation step 7 will proceed, with the addition of medium and/or fungi, according to step 8, if needed. If the shade is deemed satisfactory (option “YES” according to FIG. 2), the fungi composition is removed from the fabric (step 10 according to FIG. 2), and then the fabric is dried. According to embodiments, removal is carried out by washing the fabric. For example, washing might be done through hot cylinders, in presence of pressure, to remove fungi, by the fabric manufacturer or by the final producer, before selling the final product, e.g., the treated garment having the selected colour shade, to the final customer. In other words, according to embodiments, washing may be performed by the fabric producer, or when said fabric is part of a garment, by any of the garment producer, the garment seller or the final customer, i.e., the final user. Advantageously, the washing type and/or the washing conditions may be decided by the customer. According to embodiments, the fungi may be removed in a simple home washing; in this way, advantageously, the removal process could be carried out in an inexpensive way, by the fabric manufacturer or, possibly, by the final customer, i.e., through home washing of the treated garment.

(11) As above mentioned, a chart, providing information about colour shades and, for example, corresponding incubation times, for at least one fungus, may be obtained in step 2 of the exemplary embodiment of the process of the invention, above disclosed with reference to FIG. 2. According to embodiments, the chart may compare the fading effects given to a same starting product, e.g. an indigo dyed fabric, by different fungus-medium combinations after a certain incubation period, e.g., a 40-days incubation period. According to embodiments, the chart may show multiple fungus-medium combinations. For example, an exemplary chart may show five different genera of fungi (e.g., Trametes, Funalia, Acremonium, Gymnoascus, Penicillium), paired with four different support media (Potato Dextrose Broth “PDB” medium, malt extract medium, mineral medium, enriched mineral medium), for a total of 20 combinations.

(12) Advantageously, according to embodiments, the chart may also show the effects of incubating, e.g., an indigo-dyed denim, in the medium only, as well as a non-treated control sample and a sample where the denim is incubated in water only. In this way, advantageously, it is possible to evaluate the possibility that the medium by itself might have a colour fading effect. Advantageously, according to embodiments, the incubation of the fabric with different medium-fungus combinations may provide for different colour shades and/or fading effects.

(13) Advantageous technical effects of using fungi, according to the process of the invention, have been observed. In fact, it has been observed that the samples of fabric that were incubated without fungi, i.e. the ones where only water or the medium by itself have been used, show no discolouration when compared to the control sample not subjected to the process. Moreover, it has been observed that the distribution of the colour fading effect may be, advantageously, non-homogeneous in the fabric; for example, specific fungus-medium combinations (e.g. Gymnoascus-mineral medium, or Funalia-malt extract medium) may provide for a fading effect which is particularly non-homogeneous throughout the fabric. This gives a more natural look to the denim. Different tables can be prepared with reference to different incubation periods and/or different fungus-medium combinations.

(14) FIG. 1 provides an example of multiple shades obtained after different incubation periods in the same fungus-medium combination. FIG. 1 shows the results of applying the process of the invention, which may be carried out, according to embodiments, directly to a garment, for example blue jeans. The fabric samples have been ordered in FIG. 1 in a way where the ones to the left have been subjected to a shorter incubation period, while the ones to the right have been subjected to increasingly longer periods of incubation (as indicated by the arrow). As shown in FIG. 1, a longer incubation period (e.g., three months with respect to one or two months) results in a lighter shade of colour of the fabric, e.g., denim fabric. As previously discussed, the process can be used directly on a garment, instead of only a fabric sample. Advantageously, when the process according to the invention is carried out on a garment, the colour fading effect obtained is particularly is non-homogeneous, giving the garment a more natural faded look.

(15) Finally, it is noticed that the invention also provides the possibility of slowing the finishing process. The treated fabric, e.g. in a package, might be kept at a temperature lower than the above discussed incubation temperatures, of about e.g. 15-19° C., to slow the growth process, the temperature colder which will effect on digestion duration. If the seller wants to keep the package for a long time in the shop/company before sell it, during application of microorganisms to the fabric, less amount of medium might be provided to slow down the growth process and, therefore, the dye digestion process.