Dying Processes
-
DYING PROCESSES
At Iron Heart, we use a variety of different dyes and dyeing techniques. Which dye and which method we use is dictated by how deep, bright and fast we want the colour to be. No matter which method we use, they all use a large amount of water, CO2 and energy.Currently we are looking very closely at our use of sulphur dyeing, either the dyeing of the fabric or the overdyeing of garments post construction. To make the colour particles bond to the surface of the fabric sodium sulphide is used as a reducing agent, harmful gases are released in the process and the wastewater produced is harmful to the environment.
Iron Heart is actively researching alternatives to using sodium sulphide as a reducing agent and aims to have phased out the use of sulphur dyes by the end of 2023.
Most, but not all, Iron Heart garments are one-washed post production, to remove shrinkage and ensure the garment exits the process clean and fresh. However, unlike many other jeans manufacturers, we do not use any water or chemicals to "distress" or give a worn/aged look to any of our garments. Doing this massively reduces the amount of water used and also reduces the amount of dye that ends up in any given watercourse.
-
Amazing
-
So the IHSH-07 in its current form could become a collectible.
Think it, be it.
-
@Alex great info
-
@mclaincausey I'm probably being dim, but how does this relate to the IHSH-07? That's the Hickory Western right?
-
-
@mclaincausey ahhh I thought sulphur dyed always equalled black, silly me!
-
This is interesting. So overdyed garments always use sulphur as well…did not know this. I applaud IH for placing their environmental responsibilities as a priority. This makes me love the brand even more and proud to be contributing to an organization with its head on straight.
-
@Mizmazzle said in Dying Processes:
This is interesting. So overdyed garments always use sulphur as well…
No, overdyeing can be done in lots of different ways.
One of them, and currently the most pleasing from an evolution point of view is sulphur based, but it is challenging environmentally, and the cost of using sulpur is getting prohibitive because cleaning up waste-product to make it environmentally kind, is increasing massively.
So we are looking at alternatives to using sulphur in all our dyeing techniques.
-
I came across this article. Speaking on Indican and sustainability of the denim industry.
One excerpt from the article…
“Researchers found that forming indigo directly in the yarn through the engineering of an enzyme called indican eliminates the requirement for reducing chemicals while still ending up as the color indigo.”I’m clueless about this whole process but it leads me to believe the indigo color achieved through this process would not fade. As it would not be a “dye” in the sense of dye adhering to the fabric but rather the enzyme chemically changing the color of the fabric. Maybe someone in the know can elaborate.
-
If shooting millions of even hundreds of thousands of these garments out id see the possibility of worry. The cost of paying the government penalties to do it may be a good reason. Gotta find a way to keep those buttons oxidized though. So much better looking. I had the 507blod sent in error. Hated the fit/look but those buttons almost made me deal with it. Used the opportunity to cancel the 526blod just for the fact it wasn't sulphur dyed.
