Smart Soaping Through Biogegradable Probiotics

ProAvita ProDet C, globally, is the only one of its kind Probiotic Soaping Agent for dyed cotton / cellulose / viscose / blend of fiber, yarn and fabric that offers several value adds. It is fully biodegradable and is not enzyme based. It offers tremendous flexibility in application. It delivers excellent fastness, matching tough international norms. Besides it boosts profit by reducing operating costs. It does not contain phosphates or alkalies and hence dyed fabrics show better depth and brightness of colours.

ProAvita's probiotic soaping -  A step towards Sustainable Textile Processing

Proklean Technologies Pvt Ltd, has introduced probiotic, non-toxic and readily bio-degradable products under brand name “ProAvita” that replace chemicals used in Textile industry.

Probiotics have been traditionally used in human and animal health applications. However, ProKlean has developed a first in the world technology for chemical replacement products for use in textile processing industry under the brand name ProAvita. This technology has been licensed to SCD Probiotics, U.S.A., the strategic technology partner of Proklean.

A unique consortium of naturally occurring probiotic microbes have been used in a proprietary fermentation and formulation technology, which results in products containing a careful blend of biochemicals. Although a fermentation process is used, the products are not enzyme based. The compounds present in the products deliver unmatched scouring, bleaching, and wetting, leveling and soaping results.

SMART RINSING WITH PROBIOTICS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN TEXTILE PROCESSING

Quality, economic efficiency and ecological methods of processing are the prerequisites for up-to-date production in a dye house. With many reactive dyes, the washing off stage plays a vital role in maintaining shade reproducibility, and pH control. To achieve high colorfastness, these hydrolyzed or unfixed dyes need to be completely removed. This involves a series of hot and cold washes resulting in huge consumption of water and energy. It is therefore an important constituent of the entire dyeing process. In the manufacture of cotton knits, Soaping / Washing Off operation consumes more than 60 % of the water and 50 % of energy required in general. Textile auxiliaries manufacturers and textile processors are therefore constantly on the hunt for new technologies and products that can reduce the number of wash cycles with superior fastness results, so that multiple benefits as below can be achieved:

a) Reduction in water usage – With water availability being critical this is of paramount importance

b) Energy conservation – Given the high costs of energy, any reduction in energy usage directly adds to operating profits

c) Shorter production cycle: Improved turnaround time translates into higher productivity with the same capital

When developing a new product or working on an improvement for an existing Soaping formulation, there are other important factors that need to be kept in mind:

a) Eco friendliness: With ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge) becoming the norm, it is important to use products that are 100 % bio-degradable and can possibly bring down pollution loads in the effluent stream

b) Certifications: It is important that the formulation meets the toughest HSE norms as this is a prerequisite if the product is to be accepted for international markets.

c) Colour Fastness: Reactive dyes vary in their chemical composition depending on shades and it is important that the Soaping Agent delivers fastness across the spectrum of coloursSoaping agents from reputed manufacturers deliver good results but being based on conventional chemistry, their contribution to reduction in chemical footprint and sustainability have always been in question. Therefore, the need of the hour for the textile industry is a product that is 100 % bio-degradable but uncompromising in results.

ProAvita ProDet C & The Dawn of Probiotics

Proklean, through intensive research and trials have launched under the ProAvita umbrella ProDet C for cellulose and blends. ProAvita ProDet C, globally, is the only one of its kind Probiotic Soaping Agent for dyed cotton / cellulose / viscose / blend of fiber, yarn and fabric that offers several value adds. It is fully biodegradable and is not enzyme based. It offers tremendous flexibility in application. It delivers excellent fastness, matching tough international norms. Besides it boosts profit by reducing operating costs. It does not contain phosphates or alkalies and hence dyed fabrics show better depth and brightness of colours.

UNIQUE FEATURES ProDet C offer several unique value adds:

1) LOW TEMPERATURE SOAPING: For shades below 4.5 % (except Turquoise), ProDet C can be applied at 650 C itself 

2) REDUCED WASH CYCLES: A Single Soap cycle is sufficient even in the case of dark shades and therefore the number of wash cycles is reduced. In addition, soaping can be done after neutralisation without draining the bath. This helps in further reducing the washing requirement (the flow diagram below captures the overall process using ProDet C

3) IMPROVED FASTNESS: Wet rub fastness in extra dark shades and in colours such as Turquoise and Reds have always been a challenge. ProDet C delivers excellent wet rub fastness consistently across such difficult shades especially for Black

4) REDUCED POLLUTION LOAD: Real time data collected from the site of ProDet C users have clearly established that effluent parameters such as BOD / COD, TDS etc., are seen to be lower by 15 to 20 % even with reduced water usage.

Case Study ProAvita ProDet C for Soaping: Leading Textile Processor in Tirupur, India: This is the case study of one of the leading manufacturers of dyed cotton knits in Tirupur, is known for their expertise in producing top quality fabrics. Given the competitive nature of the industry, they are keen to cut costs be it direct or indirect. While direct costs impact the industry as a whole, indirect costs due to energy usage, water consumption etc., can be optimized by opting for smarter processing techniques and better quality auxiliaries. The high costs of energy and water make for a compelling case to control their costs. Change Points:  Reduce energy usage  Reduce water consumption  Reduce process time  Reduce effluent load substantially – to reduce ETP operating costs Solution: As Soaping / Washing Off operations contribute to the largest part of operating costs due to energy and water, ProAvita team successfully established an optimized Soaping sequence using its fully bio-degradable Soaping Agent ProDet C. The key features of the ProAvita protocol are; - Single Soaping even for dark and sensitive colours - Reduction in wash cycles due to better soaping and dispersion properties of ProDet C - Reduction in BOD / COD parameters of effluent - Improved productivity due to reduction in process time Conclusion: Using ProDet C, the indirect costs significantly due to reduced energy and water usage. ETP operating costs, which can be prohibitive in a ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge) plant also came down due to lower effluent load and reduced quantity of wastewater. In addition, the use of ProDet C improved wet rub fastness across all shades thereby helping in better realization.

Soaping Agents made from hazardous substances