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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

NICE3: Dyebath reuse in carpet manufacturing

Book ·
OSTI ID:751074
Fact sheet on an analysis system for dyebath processes in the carpet manufacturing industry written for the NICE3 Program. The Georgia Institute of Technology (G.I.T.) has developed an effective automated dyebath analysis and reuse system that improves the energy, environmental, and economic performance of dyehouse batch operations. The new system enables dyeing solutions to be accurately monitored and adjusted for reuse. According to industry estimates, 160 pounds of water are used to produce each pound of textile product. The current wasteful batch dyeing process requires all water and residual chemicals, as well as the energy required to heat the mixture for dyeing, to be dumped after one application. Spent dyebaths can only be reused after they are sampled, analyzed, and reconstituted, a process requiring labor and expertise that are unavailable in the dyehouses. Therefore, successful commercial reuse depends on an automated analysis system that precisely analyzes dyebath samples in real-time and provides for reconstitution and reuse. If fully implemented throughout the carpet industry, this innovation is expected to reduce energy consumption by 3.6 trillion Btu/year. Waste and cost savings will also be substantial. Though this project was developed for nylon carpet dyeing, the technology holds promise for widespread implementation in carpet manufacturing. In addition, it offers several opportunities involving other textile products, fiber types, dye classes, and dyeing equipment.
Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC36-99GO10337
OSTI ID:
751074
Report Number(s):
NREL/FS-330-26865; DOE/GO-10099-899
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English