Dye-Free Wool Products Being Test-Marketed

Kurabo Industries Ltd. of Japan has developed a coloring technology for wool products without the use of traditional dye, in collaboration with the Fukuoka Industrial Technology Center of the Fukuoka prefectural government. The company started test-marketing of textiles made with this new coloring method in May 2004, under the name "Eco-Tones."

Joint development of this coloring technology started in 2000, with three themes--natural dyeing, color fastness, and environmental protection. Dyeing processes are usually resource intensive, and wool products in dark colors like black or navy use synthetic dyes containing chrome and other components that can cause environmental impacts and problems with recycling.

The developers focused on natural animal fibers such as silk or wool, instead of pigments or dyes. They eventually succeeded in making the fibers color themselves by causing reactions, under specified conditions, between natural polyphenols and various functional group of the proteins that constitute animal fibers. The resulting process was found to reduce environmental impacts by as much as 60 percent compared to conventional dyes.

As the next step, Kurabo aims to extend this coloring technology beyond wool to silk and leather, as well as cellulose fibers.



Posted: 2004/07/19 11:46:45 AM
Japanese version