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Cleaner Technology Projects in Denmark 1996
Further Development of Water Dilutable Textile Print Colours for Cool Flash Printing
Videreudvikling af vandfortyndbare tekstiltrykfarver til Cool Flash trykning
Arbejdsrapport nr. 79, 1996, Miljøstyrelsen
The report consists of a description of ordinary piece-print on textiles and the Cool
Flash technique. The aim of the project was to; describe the print technique with regards
to piece printing of textiles; to improving the already existing water dilutable textile
colours; and to carry out an evaluation of the existing environmental impacts by comparing
traditional textile printing with the new "Cool Flash" technique. This includes
an evaluation of the print colour’s primary life cycle from production to waste.
As a part of the project the procedure of manufacturing piece-print with serigraphy
is described, including how traditional water dilutable printing differs from Cool Flash
printing. Besides the actual manufacturing process, different types of print colour
– including water dilutables and plastisols and their hardening conditions – are
described.
In the course of the project different guidelines for Cool Flash colours that differ
from ordinary water dilutable colours by having a freeze temperature of between -10°C and
+ 5°C, are given.
The developed freeze colours are estimated to have some technical properties that
roughly correspond to the commercial products that have been examined. These include
reology, elasticity, dry rub sustainability and wash ability. The wet rub sustainability
is though just below what is acceptable. This property can be improved via optimisation
and choice of cross-links that increases the cross binding at the binders.
The environmental impact of printing with water dilutable print colours, Cool flash
colours and plastisol colours is described based on three company tests.
The work has proven that there are pros and cons with all the different ways of
printing. The advantage with the plastisol colours is the relatively low consumption of
energy, and that there is no water usage.
The advantage with the Cool Flash method is the low energy usage and the improved work
environment during the process where there are no side effects due to heat and no
de-steaming during the middle fixation. The disadvantage is the large waste of colour per
functional unit in comparison with plastisol.
Some of the ingredients in water dilutable print colour can cause problems in the work
environment and others in the environment. Another disadvantage is that the rinsed colour
residual from the cleaning of the frames ends in the sewage system, which often ends as
sludge in the wastewater treatment works.
PVC softened with phthalates is not a relevant alternative to water dilutable colours.
The phthalates cause problems primarily in the work environment and the PVC because of the
difficulty with waste disposing it.
The alternative print colour developed in the project contains polyurethane, which is a
very elastic binder, which means it resembles plastisol print. Due to the manufacturing
process, the polyurethane cannot be recommended because of the impact on the work
environment. There might also be work environment problems in the usage phase.
Finally, it is warned against using spray glue to fix the textiles since aerosol creation is a problem for the work environment.
Author/ institution
Eva Wallström og Birte Høgh Andersen, EnPro ApS
Ole K. Jensen, dk-TEKNIK
This report is subsidised by the National Council for Recycling and Cleaner Technology
ISSN no. 0908-9195
ISBN no. 87-7810-686-9
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