SYDNEY – Woolmark has partnered with textile technology company Colourizd to launch a wool colouring process aimed at reducing environmental impact. The process, branded Quantumcolour, will be introduced to the industry at Pitti Immagine Filati in Florence this July.
Quantumcolour is a dry pigment-based system designed to colour wool and wool-blend yarns while significantly lowering resource use compared to conventional dyeing. According to the companies, the process requires just 0.5 litres of water per kilogram of yarn and avoids the use of traditional dyeing chemicals such as bleach, caustic soda and salts.
In contrast, standard dyeing methods typically use 60 to 120 litres of water per kilogram and involve a variety of chemical treatments.
Woolmark says the technology has been validated on 100 per cent Merino wool and blends with fibres including cotton, Tencel and nylon. Testing, carried out in collaboration with authorised laboratories, reportedly showed consistent colour performance and durability across yarns, fabrics and finished garments.
Julie Davies, general manager for processing innovation at Woolmark, said the process could offer new possibilities for wool manufacturers by removing the need for extensive wastewater infrastructure. “The Quantumcolour process provides durable solutions, creating faded to saturated tonal depths of colour for wool and wool blends,” she said.
The system works by injecting bluesign certified pigment and binder into bundles of yarn fibres. The result, according to Colourizd, is a range of colours and textures without generating waste water or requiring high energy inputs.
Colourizd has already supplied the process to brands such as Wrangler, Lee, Cone Denim and Gant. The collaboration with Woolmark is expected to open the process up to a wider market in the wool industry.
Colourizd chief executive Jennifer Thompson said: “Woolmark represents the gold standard within the wool industry and they will be instrumental in helping to offer our lower impact, higher performance process to new markets.”
The new process will be showcased at the Woolmark stand at Pitti Immagine Filati from 1 to 3 July in Florence.
