Performance Chemicals

Adding value to textiles

A new application
package makes the
batchwise dyeing
of Polyester easier.

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BASF’s dyexact XP:

A new application package
makes the batchwise
dyeing of Polyester easier

How can the dyer get accurate control

in the dyeing process in addition to
such factors as time and temperature?
What can he do against the limited
control over the other processing
variables, which will affect the outcome
of the process? In answer to this BASF
has developed dyexact XP, a new,
integrated polyester dyeing system. dyexact XP: Product Range
The essential core product of the
dyexact XP range, Basojet ® XP, has Core Product
been designed to cater for all 100 %
Basojet ® XP PES Dyeing
polyester exhaust dyeing, of which
70 – 80 % can be processed with this
product alone in combination with Support Products
normal pH control. The concept is
Kieralon ® XP-S Scouring
aligned to the approach of “blind
dyeing” – The inputs to the process and Palegal ® XP-L Levelling
the process itself can be controlled by
Setamol ® XP-D Dispersing
the dyer, and therefore the output is
assured. Examples of these variable Primasol ® JET Fibre Protection
inputs can be water, fibre and dyestuff
quality, a carry over of processing Trilon ® XP-C Chelating
chemicals into the dyebath and the Uniperol ® XP-O Oligomer Control
chemicals themselves. Under these
types of variables the process output is Cyclanon ® ECO Reduction Clearing
assured by the addition of specifically
Basosoft ® XP-H Handle
formulated dyexact XP components.

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Highest productivity
levels

In addition to the aspect of process  Basojet® XP: A “core” recommendation

control, maximising productivity levels for the dyeing of polyester, which
is also a critical element. With the has been formulated to be able to dye
current fibre growth projections of polyester within “normal” conditions,
polyester, especially in the area of that is to say, within certain specified
batchwise processing, demands will be parameter tolerances.
placed on existing processors for
additional capacity. As the dyeing  An XP-“support” range, which has
process is capital intensive, this will been formulated to meet the needs
impact on investment plans for the of a specific parameter control.
future. This investment plan will be These products would only be used
minimised through maximising existing when these specific parameters are
productivity levels with BASF’s dyexact outside “normal” tolerances.
XP. It is an essential element, therefore,
that any product recommendations Thus BASF is able to offer a range of
assist in the achievement of this goal. products from which a selection will
The dyexact XP products meet these be made according to the prevailing
objectives. The new range gives the conditions within the dyehouse. In
opportunity to the dyer to optimise this way the company provides cost
current processing techniques, as effective solutions to those problem
recommended by the dyestuff areas that exist, rather than an overall
manufacturer, currently employed in the solution, which could be superfluous
dyehouse. In addition to this, the range and therefore cost ineffective.
itself must be designed in such a way
as to be cost effective to the dyer. This
has been achieved by using a modular
approach:
 4

Environmentally friendly
and easy to handle

The simple, safe handling of dyexact

XP is also a convincing argument for
its use. Since all dyexact XP-products
have been developed as liquids, they
are easy to meter/dose. They can
be applied in all the exhaust dyeing
machines with no gel phases upon
dilution.

Environmental and ecological issues

have also been taken into consideration
in the development of these products.
Sustainable development is a fundamental
principle that BASF applies to their
products. This range is compliant with
global environmental legislation, and
subscribes to the voluntary regulation
concerning alkyl phenol ethoxylates
(APEO free).

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Basojet ® XP –
The Essential Core
Product of dyexact XP

BASF’s Basojet ® XP, the basis of

Basojet ® XP: Levelling Effect
the dyexact XP range is an effective
levelling and dispersing agent with
12
excellent anti-oligomer properties,
10
suitable for high temperature dyeing of – without auxiliary
polyester with disperse dyes. It offers a 8
– 1 % Basojet ® XP

Delta E
large number of economic and ecological 6

advantages such as process control 4

and high levels of process reliability, i.e.
2
Right-First-Time processing. Due to
0
the inherent properties of Basojet ® XP, 50 100 150 200 250 300
research has shown that between 70 % Time at 130 °C (min)

and 80 % of all batchwise processed

polyester could be processed using
only this product at the recommended Basojet ® XP: Dispersing Effect
pH level without the need for further Without With
additives. auxiliary Basojet ® XP

Basojet ® XP: Prevention of

oligomer redeposition on PES
fibres

Without auxiliary With Basojet ® XP

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Basojet ® XP –
The Essential Core
Product of dyexact XP

In addition the dyer controls specific

Basojet® XP: Emulsifying property
parameters like dyestuff and oligomer
dispersing, dyestuff levelling and 0 g/l 1.0 g/l 2.0 g/l 3.0 g/l 4.0 g/l
emulsifying. Basojet ® XP would be
used in conjunction with a pH control
system which can be based upon
acetic acid and sodium acetate or non
volatile systems such as Eulysin ® S or
Eulysin ® PC to achieve a pH in the
range 4.0 – 4.5.

With the use of the core product it

is possible to optimise rates of rise to
the dyeing temperature, reduce times
at the dyeing temperature and also to
reduce the actual dyeing temperature Basojet ® XP: Prevention of
itself. Each of these process parameters oligomer deposition within
machines
either individually, or in combination,
allow the development of the optimal After 8 weeks processing

process in terms of productivity levels,

energy and raw material consumption
and thereby allow significant cost
savings over existing processes.

Without auxiliary With Basojet ® XP

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dyexact XP –
Support Product Range

In addition to the Basojet ® XP, there are measurement must be used, and
occasions where additional control will depend upon the experience of
is necessary for those parameters that the dyehouse and current practices
are outside the “normal” tolerance. employed, for example, the number of
These parameters are: Levelling, machine cleans that are currently
dispersing, chelating / sequestering, introduced to the dyeing programme,
lubricating, fastness, oligomer contami- to avoid oligomer contamination of
nation, scouring and softening. fabric and machinery.

It is important to mention that not all In contrast, the control of water quality,
of these parameters can either be in this case total water hardness, can
measured consistently using practical be measured practically, and in most
methods. In oligomer control, quantities cases this practice has already been
of available oligomer, which exude from established in the dyehouse. In this
the fibre during processing, can vary case the limit that determines whether
significantly and will primarily depend the support product is required can be
upon the quality of the manufacture of easily specified.
the fibre being used. Whereas these
quantities can be determined in All of the products are fully compatible
the laboratory using sophisticated with each other, and enhance the
laboratory techniques, and accurate effectiveness of Basojet ® XP to give
recommendations can therefore be additional required reliability.
given in terms of these quantities, it is
not practical to suggest to the dyer that
these techniques can be installed
within the dyehouse and used to test
all incoming polyester fibre. Therefore
a subjective, pragmatic method of
 8

Scouring –
Kieralon ® X P - S

During the dyeing process, it is Kieralon ® XP-S, specifically designed

important that the substrate is free from for batchwise processing, conforms to
contamination of products that may these requirements and, in addition,
have a negative influence on the has an excellent wetting property that
dyeing process itself and the resultant assists in the loading of the machine,
appearance of the substrate. Scouring reducing time and fabric entanglements.
prior to dyeing is normally done to The product is non-foaming and can be
remove fibre processing aids and other applied in neutral to alkaline conditions.
contaminants (spin finishes, graphite
containing lubricants, marking dyes,
dirt, swarf etc.). Some products are
Kieralon ® XP-S: Cleaning effect
self-emulsifiable, but even these should on contaminated* preset PES fabric
be removed as often the emulsions are
not stable under dyeing conditions. Without With
Auxiliary Kieralon ® XP-S
Scouring agents are normally based
upon surfactants, which can also have
a negative impact if carried over into
the dyebath. Therefore it is important
that the products used are compatible
with the products in the range, and that
a carry over of the products into the
dyebath will have no negative influence
on the dyeing.
*contamination: spin finishes, winding oils, traces of
pigment and metals

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Levelling –
Palegal ® XP-L

In some instances the dyestuff selection As a general rule, if the recipe deviates
for the shade is not always optimal from the ideal levelling combination,
in terms of compatibility or levelness as recommended by the dyestuff
performance on all polyester fibre. The manufacturer, then Palegal ® XP-L
use of Palegal ® XP-L in conjunction should be used in addition to the
with Basojet ® XP significantly increases Basojet ® XP.
this levelling and migration performance.
This allows the dyer to achieve a higher Palegal® XP: Levelling Effect
degree of levelness on the substrate
12
using recipes consisting of dyestuffs
10
that have been chosen specifically – without auxiliary
for their performance in other criteria 8
– 1 % Basojet ® XP
Delta E

(metamerism, light fastness, wet 6 – 1 % Palegal ® XP-L

fastness, colour constancy, costs etc.). 4

Unlike those levelling agents based on 2
surfactant chemistry, the product has
0
limited affect on dyestuff retention in 50 100 150 200 250 300
Time at 130° C (min)
the dyebath.

Palegal® XP-L: Improved Synchronising Effect

1 % Basojet ® XP

remainder

1 % Basojet® XP
0.5 % Palegal ® XP-L

remainder

110 °C 120 °C 130 °C 15’ 130 °C 30’ 130 °C 45’ 130 °C

 10

Dispersing –
Setamol ® X P - D

The ability of the dyestuff to create and

Setamol® XP-D: Dispersing Effect
maintain a fine dispersion in the dyestuff on disperse dyes
throughout the dyeing process is critical
to the mechanism of disperse dyeing. Without Setamol ® Setamol ®
auxiliary XP-D WS
Transition of the disperse dyestuff into
its water soluble state is necessary for
fibre penetration, and the particulate
1 ml/l 1 g/l
size of the dispersion will affect this rate
of transition. Large dyestuff aggregation,
due to an inadequate dispersion, can
Setamol ® XP-D: Dispersing Effect
also result in spotting of the substrate,
as the particles adhere to the surface Without With With
auxiliary Basojet ® XP Basojet ® XP
of the fibre during dyeing. In dyestuff and
manufacture dispersing agents are Setamol ® XP-D

added to the formulation in order to

assist in this. The performance of the
dispersing agents is varied, and will not
necessarily prevent such problems as
mentioned previously, and in these
cases it is essential to enhance their
performance with additional dispersing
agent.

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Dispersing –
Setamol ® X P - D

One critical area of performance is manufacture – particulate size, no

their high temperature stability, not all inherent dispersing agent within the
dispersing agents exhibit this, and dyestuff preparation or unsuitable
therefore the dispersion characteristics dispersing agent.
during the high temperature phase of
the process is not ideal. Both products,
Setamol ® XP-D and Basojet ® XP are Setamol® XP-D: Influence on
stable to high temperatures and this reduction sensitive dyes
ensures that the dispersion is maintained
Without 1 ml/l Setamol ® XP-D 4 ml/l
throughout the dyeing process. It has auxiliary 2 ml/l
also been seen that some dispersing
agents contain reductive substances
that can have significant negative effects
on some disperse dyes and the resultant
dyed shades.
In pale shades often the quantities of Setamol® XP-D: Influence on
disperse dye are so small that there shade clarity
is insufficient dispersing agent in the
Without 0,05 %
dyeing system for the formation of an dye Disperse Blue 60
adequate dispersion, also, as dyestuff
manufacturers also develop products
of higher colour strengths, the quantities Without
auxiliary
of dispersing agent within the preparations
are reduced.
Setamol ® XP-D would only be used in
those cases where the inherent properties With
Setamol ®
of the dyestuffs exhibited extremely poor XP-D
dispersion characteristics. This would, in
general, be due to inadequate dyestuff
 12

Fibre Protection –
Primasol ® JET

With certain machine / substrate

combinations, effective lubrication is
necessary to maintain the desired
apperance of the fabric and to prevent
running problems during processing. It
is important to use products that are
unaffected by processing conditions,
do not have any detrimental influence
on the process and are equally effective
for both fibre-to-fibre and fibre-to-metal
lubrication.

Primasol® JET: Lubrication

Equipment used for Abrasion Measurement

0 25 50 75 100 % 0 25 50 75 100 %
frictional force 10.8 N 0,1 N

velocity 1.1 m/min 1.1 m/min

Without auxiliary: 10,8 N with Primasol ® JET: ≤ 0,1 N

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Fibre Protection –
Primasol ® JET

Primasol ® JET remains the BASF primary

Primasol® JET: Prevention of
offer in this area. It is a product that
abrasion marks at low liquor ratio.
functions by affecting the dyebath
rheology and the performance is totally
independent upon the substrate being
processed for which it has no affinity,
being completely non-ionic, and can
therefore be easily removed. The
non-ionic character also indicates that
it has no influence on other processing
chemicals and therefore can be used in
all stages of the process. It has key
performance in lubricity, liquor retention Without auxiliary With Primasol® JET

and crush/crease prevention.

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Chelating – Trilon ® X P - C

The quality of water, in particular

Trilon® XP-C: Sequestering of
hardness, can have a significant effect water-hardness
on disperse dyeing. Precipitates can be
pH 4.5, 60 min at 130 ºC
formed which can redeposit on the
With Phosphonic acid derivative
substrate, pH fluctuation can occur due
to the decomposition of bicarbonates
and some disperse dyes are particularly
sensitive to metal ion contamination. It is
important to use a sequestering agent
14 º eH 15 º eH 16 º eH 18 º eH 20 º eH
that is stable to high temperatures and
is effective within the pH range of With Trilon ® XP-C
the dyeing process. Trilon ® XP-C
demonstrates these abilities and is also
bio eliminable. Trilon ® XP-C should be
used in conjunction with Basojet ® XP if
the total water hardness exceeds 5º
14 º eH 15 º eH 16 º eH 18 º eH 20 º eH
English hardness (equivalent to 4º
German hardness).

Trilon® XP-C: Chelating properties

Dyeing with CI Disperse Red 60

0 ° eH 25 ° eH 37,5 ° eH 50 ° eH

Without
Trilon ® XP-C

With
Trilon ® XP-C

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Oligomer control –
Uniperol ® X P - O

Oligomer deposition on the substrate

Uniperol® XP-O: Reduction of
and machine can cause considerable
oligomer deposition
problems in the dyeing of polyester. The
production of oligomer is dependent
upon the quantity of low molecular
polyester produced during the polyester
synthesis. Under high temperature
processing, these oligomers exude from
within the polyester fibre and redeposit. Without auxiliary With Uniperol® XP-O

Due to their small size, they remain

undyed during the process, aggregate
and can be seen as a grey “frosty” Uniperol® XP-O: Disaggregating
deposit on the substrate. They can also effect on oligomers in the dyebath
gather in the machine itself, and then Oligomer concentration
redeposit as sticky lumps on the low medium high low medium high
polyester. If the polyester quality is
high, then the quantities remain small,
and are usually removed during the
machine cleaning process between
dyeing production schedule changes
from dark to pale shade processing. Without auxiliary With Uniperol® XP-O
The use of Basojet ® XP will keep these
small quantities of oligomer in a fine
dispersion thus allowing them to be
discharged during the drain at the end
of the dyeing process.
 16

Oligomer control –
Uniperol ® X P - O

If the dyer employs regular machine

Uniperol ® XP-O: Reduction of
cleans during the dyeing production
oligomer deposition
schedule in order to eliminate oligomer
build up, then polyester quality is Blind dyebath after Micro photo of the
dyeing dyebath liquor
poor, and the use of Uniperol ® XP-O
is necessary. This will disperse high
concentrations of oligomer and thus
prevent the redeposition of the oligomer
on the substrate and machine.
Therefore it is possible to reduce
the number of machine cleans within
the dyeing production schedule and
increase productivity levels within the
dyehouse. Without auxiliary With Uniperol® XP-O

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Reduction Clearing –
Cyclanon ® ECO

At certain depths of shade disperse is done with a reducing agent in alkaline

dyed substrates can exhibit poor levels conditions at a specific temperature.
of colourfastness. The level of fastness Cyclanon® ECO is an effective reducing
is dependent upon the fibre type agent that can be employed directly in-
and quality, the selection of disperse to the dyebath under acidic conditions
dyes used in the dyeing process and at the end of the dyeing process. This
subsequent heat processes used in the has a number of significant cost
finishing of the substrate. In order to and processing advantages in the
reduce these poor levels of fastness, reduction of process time, reduction
a process of reduction clearing is in energy consumption, water savings
employed, which discolours the disperse and increased processing reliability.
dye on and below the surface of the
polyester fibre. Traditionally this process

Cyclanon® ECO: Fastness Result (ISO 105 C06)

No Reduction Clear

Cyclanon ® ECO

Traditional Reduction Clear

Modified Traditional
Reduction Clear
 18

Reduction Clearing –
Cyclanon ® ECO

Cyclanon® ECO: Cost and Processing Advantages

Dyeing Process
with Traditional
Reduction Clear

Dyeing Process
with Modified Traditional
Reduction Clear

Dyeing Process
with Cyclanon ® ECO
Reduction Clear

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Handle –
Basosoft ® X P - H

The softening of the substrate is an on disperse dyes, and can therefore

extremely subjective manner, and will extract disperse dyes from the polyester
depend upon the specification from the fibre into the film of softener on the
fabric buyer. Softeners are available fibre. This is time and temperature
to give a multitude of effects and dependent, and it is critical, therefore,
consist of many chemical types. In the to check this particular behaviour when
processing of polyester the build up applying finishes.
of electrostatic charges can give Basosoft ® XP-H imparts a smoothing,
problems, and therefore it is often softening and antistatic effect to the
necessary to apply a finishing product substrate. The product is weakly
that can impart an antistatic effect. In cationic and has little effect on the
the application of these various finishes colourfastness of the substrate. The
considerable attention must be paid to product does not exhibit yellowing on
the application conditions and their subsequent heat setting.
compatibility with contaminants from
previous processing. For example cationic
products that are used can react to
anionic dispersing agents, which may
be carried over from the dyeing, to form
coagulants in the softening bath or
impregnation unit that can redeposit
onto the substrate. A factor that also
must be considered is the influence
that the finish may have upon the
fastness properties of the dyed substrate.
Softeners often have a solvent action
 20

Summary

Overview Basojet ® XP – The Essential Core

New, integrated polyester dyeing system, Product of dyexact XP
which enables precise control of dyeing Basis of the dyexact XP range: effective
process. Caters for all 100 % polyester levelling and dispersing agent, excellent
exhaust dyeing. The concept is aligned anti-oligomer properties, improves
to the approach of “blind dyeing” – Right-First-Time processing, for the
controlling the parameters that affect high temperature dyeing of polyester
the result, thereby assuring the result. with disperse dyes. Caters for all 100 %
polyester exhaust dyeing, of which
Highest productivity levels 70 % – 80 % can be processed with
Optimised processing maximises this product alone in combination with
productivity. Cost effective for dyer who normal pH control. Reductions in energy,
uses Basojet ® XP under all normal processing time and raw material
conditions and adds XP-“support” range consumption, which allows significant
outside “normal” tolerances. cost savings.

Environmentally friendly and easy

to handle
Easy to meter liquid products, simple
and safe to handle, comply with global
environmental legislation and voluntary
regulation of alkyl phenol ethoxylates
(APEO free).

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 21

Summary

dyexact XP – Support Product Range Chelating – Trilon ® XP-C is stable to

All products are fully compatible. Add high temperatures, effective at acidic
to Basojet ® XP for additional reliability. pH and bio eliminable.
Oligomer Control – Uniperol ® XP-O –
®
Scouring – Kieralon XP-S – batchwise
used if high oligomer concentrations
processing, safe, excellent wetting,
are required to be dispersed.
non-foaming, neutral/alkaline conditions.
Reduction Clearing – Cyclanon ® ECO –
Levelling – Use Palegal ® XP-L to
reducing agent used for reductive
increase levelling and migration.
afterclearing under acidic conditions in
Dispersing – Setamol ® XP-D – highly the dyebath after dyeing.
efficient and stable to high temperatures,
Handle – Basosoft ® XP-H – smoothing,
maintains dispersion throughout the
softening, antistatic, weakly cationic,
dyeing.
colourfast, no yellowing.
Fibre Protection – Primasol ® JET
affects dyebath rheology, completely
non-ionic.
BASF Italia Spa
Performance Chemicals for Textiles Europe
Cesano Maderno – Italy
Telephone +39 3 62 51 25 17
Facsimile +39 3 62 51 29 24
E-Mail: [Link]-chemicals@[Link]
BASF Corporation
Performance Chemicals for Textiles NAFTA
Charlotte – United States
Telephone +1 704 392 4313
Facsimile +1 704 393 36 49
E-Mail: [Link]-chemicals@[Link]
BASF South East Asia Pte. Ltd.
Performance Chemicals for Textiles Asia
Singapore
Telephone +65 3 3703 30
Facsimile +65 4 32 34 50
E-Mail: [Link]-chemicals@[Link]
BASF S.A.
Performance Chemicals for Textiles South America
São Paulo – Brazil
Telephone +55 11 4343 22 33
Facsimile +55 11 4343 32 32
E-Mail: [Link]-chemicals@[Link]
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Performance Chemicals for Textiles Eastern Europe,
Africa/ West Asia
Ludwigshafen – Germany
Telephone +49 621 60-4 45 77
Facsimile +49 621 60-4 4618
E-Mail: [Link]-chemicals@[Link]