Method and apparatus for regulating the rate of dye adsorption by the number of dye liquor cycles

Claim 2

In a process of exhaust dyeing a substrate in a dyebath wherein dye liquor is caused to be recycled relatively through the substrate, the improvement to obtain a level dyeing which comprises monitoring the rate of exhaustion of the dyebath per cycle of dye liquor relative to substrate, said rate being hereinafter referred to as factor D, regulating at least one of the chemical or physical parameters of the dyebath that controls the rate of dye absorption onto the substrate to maintain throughout the dyeing process the monitored values of factor D below a predetermined limiting value above which dyeings of unacceptable levelness are obtained.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the value of factor D is monitored directly by simultaneously monitoring the rate of bath exhaustion and the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate as a function of time.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, wherein the value of factor D is monitored indirectly by directly monitoring the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate as a function of time, and automatically comparing the directly monitored result with a predetermined template of the variation of factor D with the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate as a function of time to determine the corresponding value of factor D.

Claim 5

The process of claim 3, wherein the directly monitored result is automatically compared with a predetermined template of the variation of at least one control parameter with variation of D below the predetermined limiting value, as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate, to determine the value of factor D and therefrom the corresponding value of the control parameter(s) necessary to maintain the value of factor D below the limiting value.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein the regulating is effected so as to maintain the value of factor D constant below the limiting value.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1, wherein the control parameter(s) are selected from temperature and pH.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1, wherein the predetermined limiting value of factor D is increased by changing the direction of flow of dye liquor as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor.

Claim 9

The process of claim 7, wherein the direction of flow of dye liquor is reversed once per cycle of dye liquor.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1, wherein the predetermined limiting value of factor D is increased by the addition of a leveling agent.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1 which comprises the steps of a. effecting a series of exhaust dyeing test runs on samples of the structure to be dyed at different and constant values of the factor D by monitoring the value of factor D in each test run and accordingly regulating at least one of the control parameters that control the rate of adsorption of dye onto the substrate samples to obtain a constant value of factor D in each test run which is different from the value in the other test runs and determining from the dyeing samples produced a value of factor D below the limiting value that results in an acceptably level dyeing, and b. effecting an exhaust dyeing production process characterized by monitoring the value of factor D and accordingly regulating at least one of the control parameters to prevent the value of D from exceeding the predetermined value.

Claim 12

The process of claim 10 wherein step a) comprises the steps of c. effecting a series of exhaust dyeing primary test runs, varying, in each case at least one of the control parameters as a linear function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate, the series of primary test runs being effected with different control parameter gradients and simultaneously monitoring the variation of bath exhaustion as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate, to determine in each case the regulation of the control parameter(s) as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate, necessary to obtain a constant value of factor D, and d. effecting a series of exhaust dyeing secondary test runs, in each test run regulating the control parameter(s) as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate, as determined in step c, and determining from the dyeings produced, a value of factor D below the limiting value that results in an acceptably level dyeing.

Claim 13

The process of claim 11, wherein step b comprises the steps of e. monitoring indirectly the value of factor D by monitoring the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate to determine from step d the regulation of the control parameter(s) as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate necessary to maintain factor D constant at a value below the limiting value, and f. regulating the control parameter(s) as a function of the number of cycles of dye liquor relative to substrate as determined to maintain factor D at said constant value.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 1 wherein the value of factor D is maintained in the range of 0.2 to 20% of the initial dye concentration of the dye bath.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 13 wherein the value of factor D is maintained in the range of 0.5 to 6% of the initial dye concentration of the dye bath.