From the Sector

Archroma, a leader in specialty chemicals, has won major awards in key categories at the Just Style 2025 Excellence Awards. It took home a coveted Innovation Excellence award for its bio-based PHOBOTEX® NTR-50 durable water repellent (DWR) and an Environmental Excellence award for advancing water circularity at its Mahachai plant in Thailand.

The awards recognize Archroma’s commitment to driving meaningful change in the textile and fashion sector with win-win innovations that protect the environment while delivering value for brands and mills, local communities and end-consumers.

“As an industry leader working with brands and suppliers worldwide, we feel a deep responsibility to make an impact by putting sustainability at the core of our innovations. Archroma tackles the industry’s biggest challenges head-on - such as developing cleaner and longer-lasting functional effects and reducing water consumption,” Dhirendra Gautam, VP Global Marketing and Strategy, Archroma, said. “We are honored to be recognized in the Just Style Excellence Awards, and we will continue to strive for a better tomorrow through people-centered sustainability.”

Innovation Award for DWR Breakthrough
Archroma won its Just Style Excellence Award for Innovation for developing an effective DWR that is non-PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and non-formaldehyde, as well as 50% renewable carbon content based on ASTM D6866. PHOBOTEX® NTR-50 not only provides excellent water repellence on all kinds of fibers but also achieves a soft handle that makes fabrics more comfortable to wear, along with improved longevity. This makes it ideal for sports apparel, outdoor wear and home textiles.

PHOBOTEX® NTR-50 also has excellent runnability, which ensures reproducible performance and high production safety, even at elevated temperatures. This is helpful for mills seeking to solve challenges like roller build-up, yellowing and chalk marking in mass production. As a crosslinker-free solution, PHOBOTEX® NTR-50 can also be combined with other products to improve wash and dry-cleaning resistance.

Environmental Award for Water Circularity
The Just Style Excellence Awards jury also recognized Archroma for its success in advancing water circularity with an innovative Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology at its Mahachai plant in Thailand, reclaiming up to 90%-95% of wastewater.

Using advanced technologies from global water treatment innovator Gradiant, the plant is capable to convert wastewater into clean water for reuse and to recover concentrated brine that industry partners can use for applications such as resin regeneration and chlorine production. This not only significantly reduces the plant's dependence on freshwater from local supplies but also creates a model for sustainable textile dye production as part of a circular economy.

The Just Style Excellence Awards celebrate the top achievements and innovations in the global textile and apparel sector to encourage companies to pursue excellence and drive positive change.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, has taken sustainable and cost-effective cellulosic dyeing to the next level with the introduction of AVITERA® RASPBERRY SE.

Extending the AVITERA® SE GEN NEXT platform color of deep shades, the IP-protected brilliant trichromatic red empowers mills to achieve rich, dark and extra-dark shades while meeting the stringent fastness and sustainability requirements of leading brands and retailers. The newest element also offers significantly lower processing costs, with focus on reducing the recipe cost together with reliable right-first-time performance as well, “AVITERA® SE revolutionized the dyeing of cellulosic fibers and blends when it was introduced 15 years ago – setting a new benchmark with state-of-the-art application and fastness performance and advanced sustainability,” Dhirendra Gautam, VP Marketing, Archroma said.

“Our goal was always to offer a full range of attractive colors without limits. With AVITERA® SE RASPBERRY SE as our new trichromatic red, we are now enabling fashion and textile companies to produce differentiated end articles in consistent and long-lasting dark and extra-dark shades with the same cost-competitiveness as in pale and medium shades. This is another major step forward on our PLANET CONSCIOUS+ journey to economic and environmental sustainability for our industry,” he continued.

Substantial Savings on Challenging Dark Shades
Dyeing darker shades – such as black, navy and especially red – has traditionally been more challenging and costly than dyeing lighter colors. Achieving a deep, uniform color requires higher dye concentrations and more water and energy, and often also demands additional steps or re-dyeing. Dark shades, particularly red, also tend to fade more quickly than light colors, especially when exposed to sunlight and repeated home laundering.

With high-speed low-temperature wash-off, high process reliability and excellent reproducibility on dark and ultra-dark shades, the AVITERA® SE GENERATION NEXT dyestuffs allow mills to achieve water and energy savings of up to 50% compared to best available technology, and to slash CO2 emissions and effluent discharge by up to 50% as well. They can also increase mill output by up to 25% or more.

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, will showcase innovations for the denim industry at Sustainability Talks in Istanbul, Turkey and Denim Première Vision in Milan, Italy next month.

Specifically, Archroma will highlight its DENIM HALO pretreatment and dyeing process for laser-friendly, easily washable denim. It will also join its partners Kipaş Denim and Jeanologia to launch a joint hangtag for the upcoming Kipaş Denim Contra Denim collection, which is based on the DENIM HALO concept.

“Denim continues to be an incredibly exciting market segment, with brands and mills pushing the limits in terms of sustainability and aesthetics to give consumers the iconic look and feel of denim in a more environmentally conscious way,” Umberto De Vita, Archroma’s Market Segment Director - Denim, said. “Guided by our PLANET CONSCIOUS+ approach, we develop solutions that not only help our customers navigate the shift to cleaner chemistries and resource-saving processes, but improve their productivity and competitiveness too.”

Innovative DENIM HALO process
The DENIM HALO process combines Archroma’s new DIRSOL® RD special pretreatment with its DENISOL® indigo dyes, including an aniline-free formulation, or DIRESUL® sulfur black, sulfur blue or sulfur colors dyestuffs to achieve a ring-dyeing effect. This superficial dyeing creates laser-friendly denim for popular worn or distressed washdown effects while reducing yarn shrinkage and improving garment tensile strength.

Crucially, the new process also delivers a substantially reduced environmental footprint compared to industry-standard denim finishing. It avoids processes like manual hand scraping or potassium permanganate spraying and helps reduce caustic soda use in sulfur dyeing, which lowers the effluent load and improves weaving efficiency.

Low-impact Contra Denim collection
Archroma will also join Kipaş Denim, a leader in integrated textile production based in Turkey, and Jeanologia, a sustainable textile solutions company, to launch a hangtag program for the upcoming Kipaş Denim Contra Denim collection.

Based on DENIM HALO, the Contra Denim concept is a dyeing and finishing process that enables brands to create stunning and long-lasting distressed looks and design effects, such as intricate patterns, whiskering and fades, through cleaner processes that save water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The hangtag will enable partner brands to communicate these benefits to consumers at the point of sale, nurturing transparency and trust.

The Archroma team at Sustainability Talks 2024
Sustainability Talks is an intensive one-day event that emphasizes networking and collaboration to solve the textile industry’s toughest challenges through sustainable solutions (Archroma in Turkey at Booth 20 at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Conference Center for Sustainability Talks on December 3, 2024).

Archroma at Denim Première Vision 2024
Denim Première Vision is bringing the global denim community to Milan, Italy in December to explore denim trends, markets and culture through the lens of eco-responsibility. Meet our experts Umberto De Vita and Julio Perales to learn more about our denim solutions. (Archroma in Milan at Booth C14 at Superstudio Più for Denim Première Vision on December 4-5, 2024).

Utilizing renewable materials* and formaldehyde-free chemistries, the industry-first Archroma NTR Printing System combines newly created pigment black and customized auxiliaries for enhanced sustainability, comfort and durability
 
Archroma, a company in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, introduced the NTR Printing System to make bio-based pigment printing commercially possible for the first time. Based on renewable raw materials and designed for safer chemistry, it helps apparel and textile brands reduce their environmental footprint while producing brilliant black shades on garments that deliver both comfort and durability.

Bio-based pigment printing is an emerging technology that is attracting major interest from brands that want to use pigments derived from natural sources, such as plants, in the production of environmentally conscious textiles. Until now, however, bio-based pigments have not delivered color fastness that is comparable to synthetic pigments, and color quality and production performance have not been sufficient to support commercial-scale production.

Archroma’s NTR Printing System is the first to utilize renewable feedstock across pigment dispersion, binder and fixing agent. Crucially, it ensures good wet-rubbing and dry-rubbing fastness, with outstanding softness on all kinds of fabrics. Furthermore, it is suitable for most popular application technologies, including printing, coating and continuous pigment dyeing, with outstanding runnability for production efficiency.

“These properties make the new NTR Printing System ideal for the highly competitive denim market, where sustainability, comfort and durability are important; for knits, where very soft handfeel is essential; and on babywear, where both exceptional softness and safety are required,” Joaquin Femat, Market Segment Director for Printing, Archroma, said.

The result of more than two years of research and development, the innovative new NTR Printing System required Archroma to create customized binding and fixing agents to ensure fastness for the pigment black dispersion comparable to current petroleum-based printing systems. All three printing elements are partially based on renewable feedstock to reduce reliance on non-renewable petrochemicals. Archroma also developed the new system to avoid toxic input streams and impurities, including formaldehyde. Two successful bulk trials were conducted with Textprint S. A. and Jeanologia.

The NTR printing system comprises the following highly efficient and robust printing elements:

• PRINTOFIX® BLACK NTR-TF: A non-gelling pigment black with 79% renewable carbon content*, designed for use in textile applications with no impact on fastness levels.
• HELIZARIN® NTR-SS: A formaldehyde-free super-soft binder with 40% renewable carbon content, designed to ensure very good overall fastness levels.
• LUPRINTOL® FIXING AGENT NTR-HF: A formaldehyde-free fixing agent with 40% renewable carbon content**, designed for high wet fastness in rubbing and laundry.

All three elements are currently being evaluated for compliance with globally accepted standards like bluesign®, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC). The system also supports major industry restricted substances list (RSL) requirements.

A collaboration that unites Monforts’ dyeing and finishing equipment, BW Converting’s Baldwin TexCoat G4™ digital spray technology and Archroma’s chemistries towards sustainable solutions is charting the course for the future of sustainable textile finishing.

Together, the three companies will support dyeing and finishing manufacturers, a critical part of the textile supply chain, in their development projects, boosting the quality and performance of their finished products, while at the same time maximizing the productivity and resource utilization of the finishing application process.  

Kicking off the partnership in the second half of this year, Monforts will install BW Converting’s full-width Baldwin TexCoat digital spray unit on a stenter frame at its Advanced Technology Center (ATC) at its headquarters in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

“Our ATC already houses two full Montex stenter finishing lines engineered to accommodate an extremely diverse range of processes, in addition to a Thermex range for the continuous dyeing of denim and other woven fabrics, a full color kitchen and a number of lab-scale systems for smaller batch trials,” explained Monforts Junior Technologist Saskia Kuhlen. “It enables our customers to test their own textiles and technical fabrics under fully confidential, real production conditions and using the results from these trials we are also able to make recommendations for improving many fabric finishes. The new TexCoat installation will make an important contribution to what we can achieve.”
 
TexCoat G4 revolutionizes the traditional water- and energy-intensive pad-dry-cure finishing process by precisely applying chemistry including softeners, antimicrobials, durable water repellents, flame retardants, resins and most other water-based chemicals across the textile surface only where it is required, on one or both sides of the fabric. The system can therefore reduce water, chemistry and energy consumption by up to 50% compared to traditional pad application processes.

The TexCoat G4 installation brings together the surface functions, fabric transport and thermal processing technology of Monforts stenter frames with Archroma’s specialty chemicals, applied with TexCoat’s contactless precision, to achieve optimum absorption and maximum efficacy, exceeding the performance of traditional pad applications.

“Archroma’s commitment to advancing sustainability solutions for technical textiles has led to a pivotal partnership with Baldwin, where the benefits of contactless precision spray combined with our innovative solutions have helped textile manufacturers achieve greater energy and water savings,” said Michael Schuhmann, Global Marketing Segment Manager for Technical Textiles, Archroma Textile Effects. “We are thrilled to take the partnership to the next level with the integration of a renowned equipment expert. Together, we will bring the best of our expertise in sustainable technologies to our customers around the world.”

“Baldwin has enjoyed a great relationship with Monforts and Archroma over the last few years,” added Rick Stanford, Baldwin’s Vice-President of Business Development for Textiles “Individually, we are working hard to assist our customers to achieve their sustainability and environmental targets but this is the first time the three companies have committed to working together with a focus on bringing transformative change to the dyeing and finishing space. It will result in significantly lower energy, chemical and water consumption with increased productivity and higher quality.  We strongly believe that this partnership will be greater than the sum of its parts.”

Beyond textile finishing, Monforts, Baldwin and Archroma will work together to develop a versatile offering that will include coloration concepts and in the not-too-distant future the partners additionally plan to expand their collaboration to continuous spray dye applications developed by Baldwin.

Archroma is bringing its latest “Planet Conscious+” innovations to FEBRATEX 2024 in Brazil with the aim to empower the region’s textile mills and brands to lead the industry shift to sustainability.

SUPER SYSTEMS+ are end-to-end systems that combine fiber-specific processing solutions and intelligent effects. Drawing on the industry’s broadest product portfolio, the SUPER SYSTEMS+ suite encompasses wet processing solutions that deliver measurable environmental impact from sizing to finishing; durable colors and functional effects that add value and longevity to the end product; and cleaner chemistries that eliminate harmful or regulated substances.

Textile industry professionals will be able to explore Archroma’s “PLANET CONSCIOUS+” vision at FEBRATEX 2024 and discover SUPER SYSTEMS+ technologies such as Archroma’s DENIM HALO, a newly launched concept for denim production that is both eco-friendly and simple, aniline-free* DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 LIQ pre-reduced indigo, and the patented EarthColors® technology that creates high-performance bio waste-based dyes from non-edible food and agricultural waste. Archroma is also showcasing ULTRATEX® STS-U, a compatible hydrophilic silicone softener for cotton and cotton blended knits with great running stability, Siligen® EH1, a biomass-based silicone softener that has great moisture management and delivers a smooth soft touch, AVITERA® SE GENERATION NEXT for cellulosic fibers and blends that enables significant resource savings, chlorine fastness and improved cost-to-performance ratio for dark and extra-dark shades, and ERIOPON® E3-SAVE all-in-one auxiliary.

Archroma has won awards in two categories at the Just Style 2024 Excellence Awards. It took home two coveted Innovation Excellence awards for its SUPER SYSTEMS+ solutions and AVICUERO® leather tanning process, as well as a Social Excellence award for its longstanding and holistic commitment to community engagement in Baroda, India.

The awards recognize how Archroma is driving change with innovations that advance sustainability and through initiatives that contribute to the socio-economic progress of communities near to its Baroda manufacturing plant.

Innovation Awards
Archroma was recognized for advancing sustainable manufacturing in two Just Style Excellence Awards for Innovation.

SUPER SYSTEMS+ is a comprehensive suite of solutions that addresses the textile industry's key challenges, including water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, circularity, chemical management and compliance.

By providing end-to-end, fiber-specific solutions that enhance process efficiency and offer intelligent effects, SUPER SYSTEMS+ enables mills and brands to meet their sustainability targets as well as consumer demand for durable products with enhanced functionality and sustainability. With end-to-end solutions from pre-treatment to finishing, SUPER SYSTEMS+ can be deployed without additional investment. With future compliance in mind, the solutions also go beyond current regulations and industry standards to anticipate upcoming restrictions.

Archroma’s AVICUERO® is a system for sustainable leather tanning and dyeing. Developed in collaboration with UK-based leather technology expert Dr Leather, it is both chrome- and metal-free and yet maintains the quality and performance of traditional tanning methods. Tanners enjoy shorter processing times, eliminate the pickling process and reduce salt usage, leading to lower pollution effluent discharge loads. In addition, AVICUERO® can offer energy savings of up to 25% and CO₂ emissions reductions of up to 23% compared to traditional chrome tanning.

Social Award for Community Engagement
Archroma has also been recognized for the positive impact it is having on communities in the vicinity of Baroda through multifaceted initiatives that span early childhood development, student scholarships, agricultural education and the empowerment of women.

Archroma recently set up an Anganwadi Centre to provide a range of services in the community, including nutrition and health education and pre-school learning. It also runs a scholarship program for students in vocational training, helping to create a skilled talent pool for the region. Archroma is also collaborating with a local NGO to empower farmers with modern agricultural methods and insights.

The building of a Household Biogas Plant in Umraya village is another example of Archroma's sustainable initiatives. The conversion of manure into clean renewable energy by the plant tackles several issues, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing soil health. It also liberates rural women from the burden of sourcing conventional fuel sources and the health risks associated with burning dung cakes for fuel.

Integrated textile mill Nuevo Mundo is partnering with Archroma to offer collections utilizing Archroma’s EarthColors® agricultural waste based dyes and produced with zero liquid discharge and substantial resource savings.

A strategic partner of apparel brands, Nuevo Mundo is a market leader in South America with a 75-year history. It helps brands expand into new markets with value-added products that capture growing consumer demand for quality and sustainability. The company is a pioneer in the adoption of water-saving processes and chemicals that have minimal impact on the environment.

Nuevo Mundo is now reinforcing its commitment to sustainability with the creation of new collections that utilize Archroma’s biowaste-based EarthColors® dyes. Based on patented Archroma technology, these high-performance dyes are from non-edible agricultural or herbal industry waste in a process that helps to reduce the negative impact on water footprint, natural resources and climate change compared to conventional synthetic dye production where toxic and non-renewable oil derivative products are used as raw material.*

The organic raw materials used for the dyes created for Nuevo Mundo include residues from cotton plants, beets and saw palmetto. In addition to using these biowaste-based dyes, the EarthColors® collections will be produced in Nuevo Mundo’s zero liquid discharge facilities, providing savings in time, water and energy, as well as emissions.

Nuevo Mundo and Archroma intend their alliance to be a long-term collaboration, with plans to release new collections based on EarthColors® in the coming year and beyond.

*Based on internal LCA comparative screening

Archroma and Cotton Incorporated, a research and promotion company for cotton, have renewed their eight-year collaboration to help accelerate the shift to more sustainable circular economy.

The two organizations began working together in 2016 when Cotton Incorporated approached Archroma with the goal of developing a dyestuff from the byproducts of cotton production.

The U.S., the world’s third-largest cotton producer and largest exporter, produces sustainable cotton fiber for the textile and apparel industry as well as cottonseed for food and animal feed. Cotton farming and processing also generate byproducts, such as burs, stems and leaves, that are used to create insulation, packaging, erosion control products, and more. Cotton Incorporated recognized the potential to use these natural byproducts to produce dyes.

Drawing on a century-long heritage of sulfur dye innovation, the Archroma research team was able to apply its patented EarthColors® technology to create DIRESUL® Earth-Cotton using cotton by products from the U.S. supply chain. An alternative to the usual oil-based dyes, Earth-Cotton allows brands to offer textile products in warm natural shades, using cotton to create both fabric and dye.

With the aim to help the denim industry reduce the environmental impact of its wastewater and move towards circularity, Archroma, G-Star RAW and Advance Denim have renewed their joint commitment to the production of aniline-free denim apparel based on Archroma’s DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30.

Their joint aim is to produce high-quality denim in authentic blue shades without the aniline impurity carried through from the synthesis of standard synthetic indigo. In traditional denim production, this aniline remains bound with the indigo pigment on the fabric; the remaining aniline is discharged during the dyeing and washing process. This can be a problem because aniline is toxic to aquatic life and two-thirds of aniline waste currently ends up in wastewater discharge where it could potentially pollute waterways and the ocean.

Archroma developed DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 to answer this key challenge. A 30% pre-reduced indigo solution, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 makes it possible to produce indigo-dyed denim without aniline impurities throughout the process.

Easy to use with automated dosing, DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 reduces the water needed for preparation, washing and wastewater treatment compared to indigo grains. It also reduces hazardous chemical consumption while allowing high reproducibility and creating the authentic and iconic deep indigo shades traditionally associated with denim.

G-Star RAW is working towards making 20% of its entire collection from Cradle to Cradle Certified® fabrics by 2025. Its partnership with Archroma and Advance Denim contributes to this goal, since the aniline-free DENISOL® holds a Gold Level Material Health Certificate from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 is also compliant with other eco-standards and the requirements of leading retailers and brands.

Advance Denim, G-Star RAW and Archroma have previously collaborated to launch collections based on Archroma’s EarthColors® technology, which upcycles plant waste from the herbal industry to create sustainable colorways.