Pioneering new dyes for sustainable and anhydrous reactive dyeing of materials in supercritical carbon dioxide

Most dyeing processes are today in aqueous solution, which causes major problems with the separation of dyes, by-products and other chemical waste. Unclean water is released straight into the environment, resulting in major environmental and health risks. The aim of this project is to develop a much improved and more environmentally friendly method for dyeing biofibres, such as cotton. The method involves using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a solvent in a closed system.