What is textile additive

Textile auxiliaries are essential chemicals in the production and processing of textiles. Textile auxiliaries play an indispensable role in improving the product quality and added value of textiles. They not only endow textiles with various special functions and styles, such as softness, wrinkle resistance, shrinkage resistance, waterproofing, antibacterial, anti-static, flame retardant, etc., but also improve dyeing and finishing processes, saving energy and reducing processing costs. The role of textile additives in improving the overall level of the textile industry and in the textile industry chain is crucial.

Textile auxiliaries are essential chemicals in the production and processing of textiles. Textile auxiliaries play an indispensable role in improving the product quality and added value of textiles. They not only endow textiles with various special functions and styles, such as softness, wrinkle resistance, shrinkage resistance, waterproofing, antibacterial, anti-static, flame retardant, etc., but also improve dyeing and finishing processes, saving energy and reducing processing costs. The role of textile additives in improving the overall level of the textile industry and in the textile industry chain is crucial.

About 80% of textile additive products are made from surfactants as raw materials, and about 20% are functional additives. After more than half a century of development, the surfactant industry worldwide has matured. In recent years, due to well-known reasons, the production center of the textile industry has gradually shifted from traditional Europe and the United States to Asia, resulting in a rapid increase in the demand for textile auxiliaries in the Asian region.

At present, there are nearly 100 categories of textile auxiliaries worldwide, producing nearly 16000 varieties and an annual output of approximately 4.1 million tons. Among them, there are 48 categories and over 8000 varieties of textile auxiliaries in Europe and America; There are 5500 varieties in Japan. According to reports, the sales revenue of the world textile auxiliaries market reached 17 billion US dollars in 2004, far exceeding the sales revenue of the dye market that year.

There are nearly 2000 varieties of textile auxiliaries that can be produced in China, with more than 800 varieties being frequently produced and around 200 main varieties. In 2006, the production of textile auxiliaries in China exceeded 1.5 million tons, with an industry output value of 40 billion yuan, which also exceeded the output value of China's dye industry.

There are about 2000 textile additive manufacturers in China, mostly private enterprises (joint ventures and sole proprietorships account for 8-10%), mainly concentrated in provinces and cities such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shanghai, and Shandong. The textile additives produced in our country can meet 75-80% of the domestic textile market demand, and 40% of the domestic textile additive production is exported to foreign countries. However, there is still a significant gap between domestic textile auxiliaries and international advanced levels in terms of variety, quality, synthesis, and application technology. Specialized and high-end textile auxiliaries still have to rely on imports.

The ratio of textile additives to fiber production is 7:100 on average worldwide, 15:100 in industrialized countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan, and 4:100 in China. According to reports, environmentally friendly textile additives account for about half of the world's textile additives, and in China, environmentally friendly textile additives account for about one-third of the existing textile additives.

At present, the textile industry, especially the dyeing and finishing industry, has been designated as a heavily polluting industry by the national regulatory authorities. The impact and pollution caused by textile additives on the environment and ecology during production, manufacturing, and application cannot be ignored and urgently need to be addressed. On the other hand, vigorously developing environmentally friendly textile additives that are in line with ecological development is extremely important for improving the overall competitiveness of the additive industry, enhancing the quality and technological level of textile additive products, and is the key to the sustainable development of the industry. Textile auxiliary products not only need to meet the market demand of the domestic dyeing and finishing industry, but also meet various quality standards for textile exports.