Study of the “Ecofinish” finishing system to obtain a worn-effect denim

Abstract

The textile industry is more and more concerned about the necessity of using new and more respectful processes, developing new products or systems to carry out different treatments. Finishing treatments in the textile industry are considered as not too safe regarding environmental issues. These processes use large amounts of water that generate a significant volume of wastewater and chemical products that cause harmful effects on human health. For these reasons, companies increased costs in terms of wastewater treatments and using new products respectful of the environment. This research aims to verify the effectiveness of the new system Ecofinish, which has been developed by Care Applications S.L.U., used to treat denim fabric. To carry out the study, we compare the conventional bath process and the new Ecofinish system in order to do corrosion finishing. The color values of the samples were evaluated in terms of CIELAB values using a UV-visible spectrophotometer to determine the quality differences in the final product. The tensile strength, according to UNE EN ISO 13934-1 standard have been tested as well. This study confirms that this system achieves water savings and reduces the wastewater produced, getting a proper corrosion treatment. This process can be considered as an alternative to the conventional one.