BASF presents new pigment inks at Heimtextil 2004 in Frankfurt

At the Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt on 14-17 January 2004, BASF Aktiengesellschaft will present a series of new concepts and products for digital textile printing, including the world premiere of the Helizarin® EVO P 100 pigment inks. In addition to a range of new softeners, the company will introduce its new Cosinel™ non-iron label and a number of current eco-efficiency analyses.

Rapid pigment inks for digital textile printing

BASF’s Helizarin® EVO P 100 is the rapidest pigment inkjet ink yet to go on the market. It is a low-viscosity ink that prints textiles brilliantly and reliably in only one operation. The innovative feature of the new ink is a special multifunctional agent (MFA) that replaces the traditional binder. One benefit of the MFA is its speed. Helizarin® EVO P 100 saves the printer time and cost-intensive post-printing treatment steps. With the MFA it is now simply a matter of printing and fixing and the print is finished! As well as a wash and rub fastness that meet the industry’s usual high standards, the fabric is left with an extremely soft handle. The ink can be applied to virtually all fabrics, produces prints with high contour definition and has outstanding running properties.

Cosinel™ – innovation from the world of textile comfort

Another world novelty is the new BASF Cosinel™ label for high-quality, high-comfort fabrics. The name Cosinel™ stands for materials that retain their shape and remain soft despite frequent washing. The fabric shows far less wear, does not become distorted, does not shrink and stays crease-resistant even after repeated use. Behind all these effects are BASF finishing products. “Cosinel™ will establish itself in the long term as a trade name for dimensionally stable, non-iron textiles,” says Christina Zörner of BASF’s business unit Marketing Performance Chemicals for Textiles. “To draw attention to the new quality features, we have developed a label that is already used on the high-quality bed linen of our customer Curt Bauer GmbH.” Cosinel™ stands for

High crease-angle performance

Non-iron finish

Good shape retention

Soft handle

Eco-Tex Standard 100, Class II

and a first-class standard in comfort and quality of cotton fabrics.

Softeners Universe – infinite softness

Whether softness, stretch, luster or gloss is required, the new Softeners Universe has the right product for every effect. To make it easier for the user in BASF’s world of softeners, the products have been classified into three categories: Planet Line (silicon-free additives), Star Line (silicone-containing softeners) and Galaxy Line (silicone softeners). The Basosoft® and Siligen® types, which have undergone further development for Softeners Universe, stand for reliable, flexible service.

Ecologically exemplary

In recent weeks BASF has performed ecological analyses related to the finishing of cotton. The results will be presented for the first time at the trade fair. Tests carried out by the BASF researchers showed, among other things, that finished cotton has a much longer life than unfinished.
Other highlights of the program are:

Optical brighteners of all tints for curtain materials and polyester-cellulosic blends

High-quality coatings for cotton and synthetic fabrics

The new “dyexact” system for exact dyeings on polyester

A new family of products with unsurpassed ecological values for pretreatment

BASF will be at Heimtextil 2004, Hall 6, Stand D 70, Frankfurt, from 14 to 17 January.