ALCOPRINT RD-HT

The Best of
Both Worlds
Optimised Blend of
Synthetic and Natural
Thickeners for Reactive
and Disperse Dye Printing

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 1
 Reactive Printing

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 2
Alginate Types

Low Viscosity / High Solids (expensive)

• Excellent definition and levelness
• Typical working concentration 60 - 70g/kg

High Viscosity / Low Solids (cheaper)

• Adequate definition
• Levelness can be poor
• Typical working concentration 25 – 35 g/kg

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 3
Limitations of Synthetic Thickeners

• Viscosity loss on addition of reactive dyes

• High working concentrations, 50 – 110g/kg
• Almost always used in mixtures with alginate

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 4
Limitations of Natural Thickeners

• Long swelling times (8-12 Hours)

• Dusting (inhalation, slippery when wet)
• Limited depth of colour
• Less than perfect definition
• Can give poor levelness
• Limited stock stability (bacterial attack)

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 5
Advantages of a Blended Product

• A few printers are reluctant to use only the

synthetic thickener
•Reduced stock sensitivity to dyestuff addition
•Improved wash-out in some (difficult)
circumstances
•Reduced tendency to frame marking on flat
screens
•Less susceptible to bacterial attack

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 6
Stock Sensitivity to Cibacron Dye Addition
Viscosity cP
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
Black P-GR 40% Blue P-3R 40%
4000
Red P-B 33% Turquoise P-GR 50%
2000 Violet P-2R 33% Orange P-4R 40%
Golden Yellow P-2RN 33%
0
Water Only 1/4 Depth 1/2 Depth Maximum Depth

75 parts stock (40g/kg ALCOPRINT RD-HT) plus

25 parts dye and water
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 7
Features & Benefits of ALCOPRINT RD-HT
• Liquid product - easy to use and dispense
• Rapid development of stock viscosity - reduced stock
preparation time , quick swelling time (15 - 20 Mins)

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 8
Liquids vs. Solids
Sodium alginate can
be difficult to handle,
weigh accurately and
is dusty.
ALCOPRINT
RD-HT is
easy to
handle and
can be
accurately
dosed.

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 9
Features & Benefits of ALCOPRINT RD-HT
• Liquid product - easy to use and dispense
• Rapid development of stock viscosity - reduced stock
preparation time , quick swelling time (15 - 20 Mins)
• Improved color yield – potential for dyestuff cost saving of blotch
areas

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 10
 Colour Yield Increases with Cibacron Dyes
% Depth of Shade Compared to Standard Alginate System =100%
180 Yellow P-6GS 33% Golden Yellow P-2RN 33%
Orange P-2R 40% Red P-BN 33%
170 Red P-4B 33% Brown P-6R 50%
Violet P-2R 33% Blue P-B 40%
160 Blue P-3R 40% Navy P-2R 33%
Turquoise P-GR 50% Black P-GR 40%
150 Black P-SG 40%

140
130

120

110

100

90
Maximum Strength 1/4 Depth

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 11
Features & Benefits of ALCOPRINT RD-HT
• Liquid product - easy to use and dispense
• Rapid development of stock viscosity - reduced stock
preparation time , quick swelling time (15 - 20 Mins)
• Improved color yield – potential for dyestuff cost saving of blotch
areas
• Optimised rheological behaviour - better levelness due to improved
flow characteristics

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 12
Relative Rates of Viscosity Development

100
% Viscosity Developed

80
60
40
20
0
0 4 Hours 8 12
40g/kg ALCOPRINT RT-HT stock plus chemicals

Typical values for sodium alginate in water

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 13
Features & Benefits of ALCOPRINT RD-HT
• Liquid product - easy to use and dispense
• Rapid development of stock viscosity - reduced stock preparation time
quick swelling time (15 - 20 Mins)
• Improved color yield – potential for dyestuff cost saving of blotch
areas
• Optimised rheological behaviour - better levelness due to improved
flow characteristics
• Robust performance - can be printed over wide viscosity range
• Faster printing speeds possible – efficiency improvement
• Good electrolyte stability – can be used in resist printing
• Resistant to bacterial attack - improved paste storage stability

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 14
Storage Stability of Reactive Dye Pastes
12000

10000

8000
Viscosity cP

6000

4000

2000 40 g/kg ALCOPRINT RD-HT

30 g/kg Medium Viscosity Alginate
0
0 3 6 9 12
Time (days)

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 15
Stock thickening recipes with ALCOPRINT RD-HT

Components (g/kg) All-In Two Phase With

Kerosene
Urea 100 - 200 - 100 – 200
Sodium bicarbonate 20 - 30 - 20 - 30
Lyoprint RG Gran. 10 - 20 10 - 20 10 - 20
Emulsifier - - 5 - 10
Kerosene - - 300
ALCOPRINT RD-HT 40 - 45 30 - 35 20 - 25
Water X Y Z
1000 1000 1000

Can also be used in pad silicate process

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 16
 Print paste preparation

•Dissolve all chemicals in water

•Add ALCOPRINT RD-HT with stirring (20 minutes)
•Add dyestuffs directly to stock or take stock and
add dye + water in constant proportion (e.g. 80:20)
•Stir until dissolved / homogenous
•Check viscosity and adjust if necessary.
•Print / dry
•Fixation with steam or high temperature

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 17
Washing Off Procedure
Carried out exactly the same way as with traditional systems. The
following procedure represents the ideal sequence on an eight
compartment continuous washing range. This may need to be
adjusted to suit local operating conditions.

• Cold rinse (<30°C) or Hot (>90°C) soft water

• 2 x Hot wash (90-100°C) - plus 2g/l CIBAPON R
• Rinse (60°C)
• 2 x Cold Rinse
• Neutralize
• Cold rinse

The last three baths should be hard water

(10° German Hardness) to afford maximum
wet fastness.The above procedure may be
Textile Effects modified to suit batch-wise methods.
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 18
 Disperse Dye Printing

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 19
Natural Thickeners vs ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Component Concentration Component Concentration
(g/kg) (g/kg)
Natural Thickener * 40 – 60 ALCOPRINT 35 - 45
Acid / Acid Donor 5 RD-HT
(e.g.citric acid) Cibatex AR 0-5
Oxidising Agent (e.g. 3 Water Y
sodium chlorate or
Cibatex AR 10g/kg) 1000

Fixation Accelerator 0 – 20
Water X
1000

* Combinations of starch ethers, tamarind,

modified guars, CMC, sodium alginate etc.)
are often used.
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 20
Advantages of Using a Blended Product

• Same as for reactive dye printing systems plus…

• Reduction of “ tagging” on flat bed machines compared
to synthetic alone - spotting of adjacent areas is
minimised
• Frame marking with flat screen printing is significantly
reduced compared to a synthetic thickener only

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 21
Tagging
Not a problem with ALCOPRINT RD-HT.

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 22
 Frame Marking with Pure Synthetic
Not a problem with ALCOPRINT RD-HT.

Frame mark due to

insufficient penetration and
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 23
surface wetness
 Frame Marking with 7860 ( Flat Screen)
Not a problem on rotary screens!

Face Side of
Fabric,

Umbrella
Effect
water sits
on Fabric
surface

Frame mark due to insufficient

Textile Effects penetration. Poor fabric preparation
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 24
Stock Sensitivity to Terasil Dye Addition
Viscosity cP
20000

15000

10000

Black SRLN 75% Blue P-BG 67%

5000 Red P-3G 50% Violet PX-BL 75%
Orange P-GL 50% Yellow W-6GS 50%

0
Water Only 1/4 Depth 1/2 Depth Maximum Depth

80 parts stock (40g/kg ALCOPRINT RD-HT) plus

20 parts dye and water
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 25
Advantages of ALCOPRINT RD-HT

• Simple print paste recipe

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 26
Advantages of ALCOPRINT RD-HT

• Simple print paste recipe

• Rapid preparation of stocks and pastes
• Easy viscosity adjustment / back-thickening if required
• Robust printing performance over a wide viscosity range
• Better definition on difficult substrates

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 27
Comparison of Print Definition

ALCOPRINT RD-HT Natural Thickener System

Fabric – 100% Polyester Taffeta

Time between printing and drying – 1 minute
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 28
Advantages of ALCOPRINT RD-HT

• Simple print paste recipe

• Rapid preparation of stocks and pastes
• Easy viscosity adjustment / back-thickening if required
• Robust printing performance over a wide viscosity range
• Better definition on difficult substrates
• Better levelness of blotch areas

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 29
 Levelling of Prints
Screen Paste comes through the screen
as mountains and valleys
Finer mesh screens produces
low mountains and leveller prints
Paste

Fabric Forces of gravity and surface tension act to level the print

Viscosity and elasticity try to

Gravity hold it in its original shape
Surface
Tension

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 30
Advantages of ALCOPRINT RD-HT

• Simple print paste recipe

• Rapid preparation of stocks and pastes
• Easy viscosity adjustment / back-thickening if required
• Robust printing performance over a wide viscosity range
• Better definition on difficult substrates
• Better levelness of blotch areas
• Improved colour yield

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 31
Increased Fixation of Dyestuff
NATURAL THICKENER ALCOPRINT RD-HT
(7% SOLIDS) Dyestuff (3% SOLIDS)

Polyester Polyester

Faster rate of diffusion of dyestuff

through a film of reduced thickness

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 32
 Colour Yield Increases with Terasil Dyes
% Depth of Shade Compared to Natural Thickener System =100%
230 Golden Yellow P-4R 50%
Red P-3G 33%
210 Violet PX-BL 67%
Blue P-BG 67%
190 Black P-GR 67%

170

150

130

110

90
Maximum Strength 1/4 Depth

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 33
Advantages of ALCOPRINT RD-HT

• Simple print paste recipe

• Rapid preparation of stocks and pastes
• Easy viscosity adjustment / back-thickening
• Robust printing performance over a wide viscosity range
• Better definition on difficult substrates
• Better levelness of blotch areas
• Improved colour yield (10 - 40%)
• No viscosity loss on storage

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 34
Process Route - Disperse Dye Printing
Paste preparation
• Dissolve all chemicals (if necessary) in water
• Add ALCOPRINT RD-HT with stirring (30 minutes)
• Add dyestuffs directly to stock or take stock and add dye + water
in constant proportion (e.g. 80:20)
• Stir until dissolved / homogenous
• Check viscosity and adjust if necessary
• Print

Fixation and washing off

• Dry
• Fix
• Wash Off, including reduction clear
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 35
ALCOPRINT RD-HT : Washing Off
Carried out exactly the same way as with natural thickeners.
Exact procedure will depend upon equipment available :-
(batch washing, e.g. winch, or continuous range)
Typical Procedure:
1. Cold rinse (<30°C) with overflow/spray if possible
2. Hot rinse (50 - 60°C) with overflow/spray if possible
3. Reduction clear at 50 - 60°C with:-
1 - 2 g/l sodium dithionite
1 - 2 g/l sodium hydroxide (36 Bé)
0.5 - 2 g/l ERIOPON OL
4. Hot rinse (50 - 60°C)
5. Cold rinse, acidify if necessary

Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 36
Conclusions
In both reactive and
disperse dye printing
ALCOPRINT RD-HT offers
the following advantages:-
• Ease of handling and stock
preparation
• Robust printing
performance
• Improved colour yield and
levelness

ALCOPRINT RD-HT is a proven alternative

to traditional natural thickener systems
Textile Effects
ALCOPRINT RD-HT
Sept. 03 / 37