Supercritical Fluid Dyeing Techniques in Textile Processing
Summary
Supercritical fluid dyeing (SFD) harnesses the unique properties of fluids beyond their critical temperature and pressure to achieve water-free, environmentally benign textile coloration. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) is the most widely adopted medium due to its tunable density, low viscosity and high diffusivity, which facilitate deep penetration of disperse dyes into hydrophobic fibres such as polyester. By eliminating water, salts and auxiliary chemicals, SFD markedly reduces effluent generation and energy consumption. Recent developments have focused on the design of tailor-made disperse dyes with enhanced solubility and affinity, dynamic modulation of processing parameters to optimise dye uptake and the integration of kinetic and predictive models for process scale-up. Extensions to natural protein-based fibres, incorporation of green cosolvents and functional finishing under scCO₂ further broaden the technique’s applicability. Collectively, these advances position supercritical fluid dyeing as a sustainable alternative to conventional aqueous systems, with significant potential to transform global textile manufacturing.
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Supercritical Fluid Dyeing Techniques in Textile Processing publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in supercritical fluid dyeing techniques in textile processing across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Supercritical fluid: A substance at temperature and pressure above its critical point, combining liquid-like solvating power with gas-like transport properties.
Disperse dye: A water-insoluble, non-ionic dye designed for hydrophobic fibres and delivered in supercritical media.
K/S value: A measure of colour strength from the Kubelka–Munk equation, reflecting dye uptake and shade depth.
Cosolvent: An auxiliary solvent added to the supercritical fluid to enhance dye solubility and fibre swelling.
Mass transfer coefficient: A parameter quantifying the rate of dye transport from the supercritical phase into the textile substrate, often linked to Reynolds and Sherwood dimensionless numbers.
References
- Synthesis of a Novel Disperse Reactive Dye Involving a Versatile Bridge Group for the Sustainable Coloration of Natural Fibers in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide. Advanced Science (2018).
- A Dissolution Kinetic Study of Disperse Dye in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide to Design an Efficient Supercritical Dyeing Process. Processes (2021).
- Alpaca fiber impregnated with alizarine and indigo dyes in a process using supercritical carbon dioxide. The Journal of Supercritical Fluids (2023).
- Red Disperse Azo Dye Side Chains Influence on Polyethylene Terephthalate Dyeing Performances in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Media. Polymers (2022).
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