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Archroma unveils ‘industry-first’ bio-based textile printing system

Sustainable speciality chemicals provider Archroma has introduced the NTR Printing System, which it claims is the first commercially viable bio-based pigment printing solution to use renewable feedstock.

Archroma’s NTR Printing system uses renewable materials and formaldehyde-free chemistry to offer enhanced sustainability, comfort, and durability in textile production, with a particular focus on black pigment printing.

Designed to reduce the environmental footprint of apparel and textile brands, the NTR Printing System solves previous challenges of bio-based pigments, such as poor colour fastness and insufficient production performance.

The system incorporates renewable feedstock across the pigment dispersion, binder, and fixing agent, providing high wet and dry-rubbing fastness along with excellent softness on fabrics.

The NTR system features three core components:

PrintToFix Black NTR-TF: A non-gelling pigment black with 79% renewable carbon content, designed for use in textile applications with no impact on fastness levels.
Helizarin NTR-SS: A formaldehyde-free super-soft binder with 40% renewable carbon content, designed to ensure very good overall fastness levels.
Luprintol Fixing Agent NTR-HF: A formaldehyde-free fixing agent with 40% renewable carbon content, designed for high wet fastness in rubbing and laundry.

Joaquin Femat, market segment director for printing at Archroma, further explained the benefits: “The new NTR Printing System is ideal for the highly competitive denim market, where sustainability, comfort and durability are important; for knits, where very soft hand-feel is essential; and on babywear, where both exceptional softness and safety are required.”

This innovative system is part of Archroma’s “PLANET CONSCIOUS+” roadmap and aligns with globally recognised sustainability standards, including bluesign, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC). It’s also designed to meet restricted substances list (RSL) requirements, with successful trials conducted by industry partners Textprint S.A. and Jeanologia.

“With the launch of the bio-based NTR Printing System, Archroma can now draw on the industry’s most complete portfolio of innovative printing solutions to tailor systems for individual customer needs,” Femat continued. “We remain the global leader in pigment printing, with a history of innovation that includes the first formaldehyde-free pigment printing system, introduced in 2012.”

Earlier this month (3 October), Archroma appointed Rajiv Sharma, a veteran from thread and structural components manufacturer Coats Group, as its new chief executive officer (CEO).