California Apparel News

Commerce, Calif.–based Jantex Inks & Beyond Inc. has brought ozone finishing to the West Coast market.

Jantex, in conjunction with affiliate Innovative Research Technologies, has entered into an agreement with Adamsville, Tenn.– based Ozone Engineering Systems & Design to market FiberZone technology, a process that uses ozone to decolorize and weather denim and other fabrics for washed and antiqued effects.

In a recent presentation before Los Angeles area dyers, Jantex officials gave representatives a primer on the FiberZone technology, which basically replicates a lightning storm within a confined environment to reduce color saturation and create washed effects on cottons, knits and blends as well as antiqued effects on denim.

The process uses 30 percent to 70 percent less water than current methods and reduces cycle times, said Ozone Engineering principals Roger Allen and Jim Stackhouse. Return-on-investment can usually occur within a year, they said. The process is also environmentally friendly because it uses 25 percent to 95 percent fewer chemicals.

Ozone gas is a natural element found in the upper strata of the atmosphere and where lightning meets water. It is also produced by cars, copy machines and other industrial products. Bioengineers have used ozone treatments to kill bacteria in water for some time because the element is a natural biocide. About 95 percent of bottled water is now ozonated. The medical field uses ozone for burn victims and other applications because the element kills germs on contact, Allen said.

The process is relatively new to the apparel industry, however. The Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is experimenting with the process in Asia, and the first uses within the apparel industry occurred about eight years ago. Ozone Engineering has secured a number of patents for its process, which uses water, oxygen and electricity to create ozone gas through generators. The company, with Jantex, is distributing the technology, not the hardware, but is linking finishers to the proper vendors to set up ozone generators.

Jantex Chief Executive Officer Jan Springer said she thinks the technology is viable in the Los Angeles apparel industry because of the area’s strong denim and casuals market.

The technology could revive an industry that has been plagued by offshore competition and high energy costs, which a couple of years ago forced several dyers out of business.

Ozoning can replicate stonewashed, vintage and pigment finishes and eliminate the redepositing of dyes that accompany chemical stone-washing. The ozone process can also fade corduroy and twill, Stackhouse said. As for tops, it can replace pigment dyes and provide shorter cycle times without affecting screen prints and embroidery.

“There’s no cellulose enzyme that degrades fabric, so pockets stay white, and logos stay clean. You can do cold treatments and multiple colors in the same vat,” Stackhouse said.

In addition, the ozone treatment is 50 percent faster than chlorine and reduces the wash-cycle time from two to three hours to 60 minutes.

Ozone does not degrade tensile or tear strength. In 19 minutes, it destabilizes and returns to oxygen, Allen explained.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg ... this is just one level,” Springer said. “We’re very excited about it.”

Springer said the company is already close to signing contracts with a number of Los Angeles businesses.

—Robert McAllister