New Mexico Patent of the Month – August 2022

Green Theme Technologies, Inc. (GTT) made their first mark with a PFC free water repellent treatment. This innovation set the stage for their continued development of textiles made from clean chemistry and water free processes. This clean production method remains GTT’s central theme, which they call “Performance for the Planet”.

Within this theme and mission, the company has recently patented their water-free fabric dyeing process. Their process includes a non-aqueous dyeing compound with less than 5% water.

In many traditional dye processes, it’s common to add a hydrophobic treatment to achieve a water repellent surface. Unfortunately, these treatments rarely apply evenly or perform consistently. This is caused by complications with each rinsing stage and poor dissolving of the dyes. These aqueous dye processes also face other complications, from uncontrolled dilution to hard water mineral residues.

GTT’s non-aqueous solution overcomes these processes by nearly eliminating the need for water – the source of each complication. Their process instead uses a dye composition with a liquid carrier phase when within a temperature range of 20° C. to 220° C. The dye is applied to the fabric and heated to a temperature between the melting and sublimation points. The dye then boils or sublimes and becomes chemically bonded to the fabric. 

Not only does this process reduce water consumption, it creates a more efficient dye process, allowing both the application and curing step to be performed continuously. There is no need to refresh the dye bath between batches, no chance of unexpected dilution, and no extraneous rinse and dry times. This fits right in line with GTT’s mission for the global textile market which is simple, but it is also critical: elevate performance and end pollution.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

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