Yu Yuanfan aimee3031@126.com A DYEING machine launched by Lowwater Dyeing Technology Co. Ltd., one of the exhibitors at the Water Conservation Hi-tech Zone of this year’s China Hi-tech Fair (CHTF), will effectively help fabric manufacturers cut water use and wastewater generated. The textile industry is infamous for the harm it has inflicted on the environment. Traditional textile manufacturers place fabrics in vats filled with water and dye, and the dyed fabrics needed to be washed before further processing. The former requires large amounts of water, and the latter unavoidably produces large amount of wastewater. Lowwater’s dyeing machine, which aims to reduce water consumption and wastewater in the industry, adopts a completely different approach to dyeing. When slightly damp fabrics enter the machine, an airtight and high-temperature space will be formed within the machine, vaporizing the water in the fabrics. The machine enlarges the space between fabric fibers, breaks the dye into nanoparticles and utilizes the vapor to facilitate the fabrics’ absorption of dye particles. Vaporized water is the only water needed throughout the dyeing process, which can reduce water consumption by up to 99 percent compared with the traditional dyeing process. The colored fabrics does not need to be washed and almost no wastewater is generated. According to Li Zhi, general manager and senior engineer of the company, the company has obtained over 100 patents and won numerous honors, including the “WWF Climate Solver” title by the World Wildlife Fund in 2019. Li also told Shenzhen Daily that while most of their dyeing machines are currently sold overseas, “China places more emphasis on water conservation and wastewater treatment, the domestic market also has a huge potential,” Li said. To facilitate the development of China’s water conservation industry and building a water-conserving society, CHTF, for the first time, is presenting an exhibition zone featuring water conservation-related institutions and enterprises. | 