Environmental protection of printing process: green printing and dyeing technology of modern textiles

1. Environmental protection issues of traditional printing process
In the traditional process of printed microfiber altrasonic bedspread, printing and dyeing often use a large amount of chemical dyes, solvents and other auxiliary materials. Many dyes and chemicals are not completely fixed during the production process and are easily lost to water, polluting water sources. Taking sulphur dyes and reactive dyes as examples, these dyes use a lot of water and energy in the dyeing process, and improper treatment will cause serious pollution to the environment. Some heavy metal components in dyes such as lead, chromium, and mercury not only pollute water sources, but also pose potential hazards to human health.

Traditional printing processes usually use a large amount of organic solvents to dissolve dyes and clean equipment during the printing process. These solvents not only evaporate to produce air pollution, but also may pose a threat to workers' health. Especially in high temperature and high humidity environments, volatile organic solvents may cause health problems such as respiratory systems. Therefore, the environmental cost of traditional printing processes is very high, and it is urgent to reduce these negative effects through technological innovation.

2. Innovative development of environmentally friendly printing technology
In recent years, with the strictness of environmental protection policies and changes in market demand, textile printing technology has ushered in important innovations. The goal of the new environmentally friendly printing process is to reduce or eliminate pollution to the environment, reduce resource consumption, and ensure the quality and durability of the printing effect.

(1) Water-based printing technology
Water-based printing technology is a widely used method in environmentally friendly printing. It uses water as a solvent and does not rely on harmful organic solvents, thereby reducing air pollution and harm to workers' health. The dyes of water-based printing are usually water-soluble, have low volatility, and can complete the dyeing and printing process at lower temperatures and pressures. Therefore, it not only has advantages in environmental protection, but also reduces energy consumption.

Water-based printing dyes can also be better adsorbed on the fiber surface, avoiding the loss of traditional dyes and reducing sewage discharge. This technology is more economical in the use of water resources and can effectively reduce water pollution. Moreover, there are many types of pigments in water-based printing, which can achieve a variety of pattern designs and meet the personalized needs of modern consumers for printing patterns.

(2) Digital inkjet printing technology
Digital inkjet printing technology is a technology with great potential in environmentally friendly printing. This technology sprays pigments directly onto textiles by inkjet, avoiding the use of printing screens in traditional printing, saving materials, and reducing the discharge of wastewater and waste. Digital inkjet printing has high precision, fast speed, and does not require too many chemical additives. It can achieve high-quality patterns and color changes, especially suitable for small batch customization and complex designs.

The environmental friendliness of digital inkjet printing is reflected in the following aspects: First, the amount of solvents and dyes used in the inkjet printing process is extremely small, avoiding a large amount of dye and solvent waste; second, because no physical tools such as screens are required, the generation of waste is reduced; finally, digital inkjet printing can complete printing in a short time, saving energy consumption.

(3) Eco-friendly dyes
Eco-friendly dyes refer to environmentally friendly dyes, which are usually natural or synthetic, but their production and application processes minimize the negative impact on the environment. Compared with traditional synthetic dyes, eco-dyes are non-toxic, harmless, and most of them are biodegradable. For example, plant dyes and harmless chemical dyes (such as low-toxic reactive dyes, acid dyes, etc.) are widely used in environmentally friendly printing.

The use of eco-dyes can not only reduce the pollution of water sources and soil, but also reduce the emission of waste gas and wastewater. For consumers, printed products using eco-dyes are safer and avoid allergic reactions and health problems caused by long-term exposure to harmful chemicals.

(4) Thermal transfer printing technology
Thermal transfer technology is a technology that transfers pre-printed patterns to fabrics by heat pressing. The thermal transfer process usually uses environmentally friendly pigments and water-based inks, does not require water washing and traditional printing and dyeing processes, and reduces the waste of water and energy. The thermal transfer pattern is durable and not easy to fade, thus extending the service life of the product and reducing the resource consumption caused by frequent washing.

3. Application of environmentally friendly printing technology in microfiber ultrasonic bedspreads
In the production of printed microfiber ultrasonic bedspreads, the application of environmentally friendly printing technology can further improve the environmental friendliness of the product. The use of water-based printing technology can avoid the use of harmful solvents and reduce environmental pollution; the use of digital inkjet printing technology can accurately control the amount of dye used, avoiding unnecessary dye waste in the traditional printing process. Microfiber bedspreads are inherently durable and washable. The use of environmentally friendly dyes and processes in the printing process can further extend the service life of the product, reduce consumers' demand for replacement frequency, and thus reduce resource consumption.

As an advanced bedspread manufacturing process, ultrasonic technology avoids the traditional sewing process and fundamentally reduces waste and energy consumption in the production process. Combined with environmentally friendly printing technology, manufacturers can produce more environmentally friendly, durable and high-quality bedspread products.