What are the methods for customizing the color of nonwoven fabrics?

2025-12-03 14:04:11

Customizing the color of nonwoven fabrics can be achieved through several methods, mainly including fiber dyeing, masterbatch addition, coating coloring, and printing processes. Fiber dyeing involves dissolving polyester or other raw materials before spinning and adding dye, using solution dyeing to give the fiber its own color. This method produces uniform and long-lasting colors with high color fastness, suitable for mass production. However, dyed fibers have lower flexibility; changing colors requires re-preparing the spinning solution, making it suitable for production needs with fixed color codes.

Masterbatch addition is a common coloring method, achieving coloring by adding pre-made masterbatch to the spinning melt. Masterbatch is a mixture of pigment and carrier, which can be uniformly dispersed in the melt, giving the fiber the desired color. This method is simple to operate, offers flexible color adjustments, and is suitable for small-batch, multi-variety production. However, the quality and dispersibility of the masterbatch affect the uniformity of the color, requiring strict control of process parameters.

Coating coloring achieves color customization by applying a pigment-containing coating agent after the nonwoven fabric is formed. Coating agents can be water-based or solvent-based, applied to the fabric surface through methods such as scraping, spraying, or dipping. This method is suitable for applications with special color requirements, such as high saturation or metallic sheen effects. The advantage of coating coloring is that it allows for different colors on both sides or partial coloring, but the abrasion resistance and weather resistance of the coating require extra attention.

Printing processes create patterns or colors on the surface of nonwoven fabrics using methods such as screen printing, digital inkjet printing, or heat transfer printing. Screen printing is suitable for mass production with high pattern clarity; digital inkjet printing is suitable for small-batch, complex patterns with high flexibility; heat transfer printing can achieve photo-realistic results. The advantage of printing processes is the high degree of freedom in pattern design, but the penetration and fixing properties of inks or dyes need to be considered to ensure color durability.

In addition, there are some special coloring techniques, such as plasma treatment or chemical grafting, which introduce color through surface modification. These techniques are often used in functional nonwoven fabrics, such as antibacterial or antistatic materials, while imparting specific colors. The choice of coloring method needs to comprehensively consider factors such as color requirements, production costs, environmental friendliness, and intended use to achieve better results.