Pigment Washing | Flow chart of pigment wash | How to apply pigment washing technique in a garment

Pigment Wash: The technology used to customize the garment's outlook, appearance, comfort, and fashion is called garment washing. Pigment wash is usually done on dyed or printed pigment garments using the pigment-washing technique. After applying pigment wash light fading effect is produced in the garment. 

Chemical used in pigment washing: Pigment Washing is a chemical or wet washing technique. Therefore, some chemical used in this washing technique for getting desire fading outlook and comfortability. 

1. Caustic Soda(NaOH): Caustic developed the function in the bleach methodology that modifies the garment out of color and has better cleaning power. It works as a fading effect / old-looking effect occurs rapidly on garments. 
2. Detergent: Detergent is broadly applicable in the continuous and discontinuous pretreatment of all fiber types and their blends. It usually applies to eliminate impurities, contamination of mineral oil and sizes from the garments. 
3. Acetic Acid (CH3COOH): Acetic Acid is being used to neutralize the alkaline condition of the garments and to control the pH value in the wash bath. 
4. Soda Ash (Na2Co3): Soda ash developed an alkaline medium for pigment dye breakdown. It has cleaning power. It has the color fading effect of clothing. 
5. Flax Softner: Softener is often used to make textile-treated garments a surface feel that is both fluffy and smooth and also offers excellent lubricating characteristics. 

Pigment wash

Process flow chart of Pigment wash:

Batching

↓

Loading

↓

Desizing (if require)

↓

Pigment wash

↓

Neutralization

↓

Softening

↓

Hydro Extracting 

↓

Drying 

1. Batching: Batching is the method to get prepared the garments which will be washed and processed for a specific lot of a specific order.
2. Loading: Loading is the work where how many pieces garments will be washed is ready and load it to the machine.
3. Desizing & Pigment wash Process: Desizing is a vital stage of all textile processing in which' size material ' is removed from the fabric or garment before the pre-treatment process is completed, which is necessary before garment wash or other textile processes. In pigment process, Desizing and Pigment wash is applied at the same time. 

• Total garment lot size: 100 kg Twill/Canvas Garment.
• Add water: L: R = 1: 8, 800 Litre
• Machine starting 
• Add Caustic soda (NaOH): 0.8 gm/liter, 640 gm.
• Add Soda Ash (Na2Co3): 1.25 gm/litre, 1000 gm.
• Add Detergent: 0.8 gm/litre, 640 gm.
• Temperature: 50°c to 60°c.
• Time (Depend upon the shade): 20 to 60 minutes.
• Drop the liquor.
• Wash 1 time by a hot wash for 5 minutes at the temperature 50°c.
• Wash 1 time by cold water for 5 minutes.

4. Neutralization & Softening process: In this process, acetic acid added for neutralize the alkaline condition and flax softener (Cationic & anionic) applied for soft hand feeling to the garment.

• Add water: L : R = 1: 6,  600 litre.
• Washing machine starting
• Add Acetic Acid for neutralization (pH 4.5 -5.5): 0.5 gm / litre,  300 gm.
• Add flax softner: 0.6 gm/liter,  360 gm.
• Time: 15 to 25 minute.
• Drop the liquor.
• Unload the Garments on a trolley.

5. Hydro-extracting: After finished the washing process, all the garment are unloaded from the washing machine to a trolly and keep this to the hydro extractor machine for removing the extra water.

6. Drying: After removing excessive water by hydroextractor machine garments load to the dryer machine for drying.

7. Delivery: Finally garments are delivered for quality check and particular next process.

Pigment washing is a simple wash technique among the all wet wash process but it is a little more costly.  It creates a light wash effect that looks like new types of color garments.

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