Textile chemistry

2006-08-02

Award-winning environmental protection: DyStar project receives Lillehammer Award

The European research initiative EUREKA has extended the Lillehammer Award for the electrochemical dyeing project carried out by DyStar in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck?s Institute for Textile Chemistry and Textile Physics (TID) in Dornbirn, Austria, and Getzner Textil AG. The award is made annually for projects supported by EUREKA that make a major contribution to improving environmental protection in Europe. The prize was awarded at a European Conference of Ministers in Prague at the start of June.

The electrochemical dyeing technology enables recycling of dyebaths, thus considerably reducing chemicals, water consumption and effluent output. The patented technology combines an electric current with a recyclable mediator. It replaces the non-regenerative reducing agents currently used to apply vat and sulphur dyes to textiles, which often prevent recycling of the dyebath and cause contamination of production effluent.
The award-winning project represents a breakthrough in industrial use of electrochemical dyeing. The success of the project was due to close cooperation between DyStar and its technology partners. Alongside the Dornbirn Institute and Getzner, the textile machinery manufacturer Thies in Coesfeld played a central role in the project. DyStar is currently working on further projects to transfer this environmentally-friendly technology to other areas of textile finishing. ____________
contact:
Karl-Heinz Michel
DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG
International Communications Tel.: +49 (0)69 / 21 09-2734
Fax: +49 (0)69 / 21 09-2005
mail: Michel.KarlHeinz@DyStar.com
www.dystar.com