German specialty chemicals manufacturer CHT Group has a solution for brands seeking a smart alternative to potassium permanganate.
After a long development period, Lab 102, the company’s denim-focutilized division, now offer OrganIQ Seek, a bleaching system that consists of an organic base, as an alternative to potassium permanganate for local spray bleach application on jeans.
OrganIQ Seek can be applied on jeans directly after enzyme or stone washing treatments. Additionally, garments can be processed in wet condition without an intermediate drying step, which leads to a reduction in processing time and in energy consumption.
Lab 102 has been pursuing a potassium permanganate alternative for over a decade. In 2015, the company introduced OrganIQ Bleach T, as an ecological alternative to potassium permanganate with “near-unrestricted application performance.” Although it was highly effective, the company declared costs prevented broad indusattempt adoption at the time.
“Since the introduction of OrganIQ Bleach T, our objective has been to offer ecological solutions that meet the technical realities of industrial denim finishing,” declared Thomas Aplas, head of Lab 102. “The confirmed capabilities of OrganIQ Seek in spray bleach applications represent a meaningful step toward reducing and ultimately replacing permanganate utilize—both technically and economically. This is an important development for the denim indusattempt in Europe and worldwide.”
Despite growing regulatory pressure and brand commitments under European sustainability frameworks, the global denim sector continues to rely heavily on potassium permanganate to accentuate worn, faded design elements on denim. CHT Group’s internal calculations indicate that approximately 250,000 liters of permanganate solution are consumed daily in continuous global production.
Potassium permanganate is not banned in any counattempt, but it is on the hazardous chemicals list of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and is classified as a hazardous substance by the European Chemicals Agency for being toxic to aquatic life, caapplying severe skin burns and eye damage, damaging a fetus and fertility and damaging organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
OrganIQ Seek’s application for potassium permanganate solves a nagging issue for the denim indusattempt, but the flexibility of the organic bleaching system is wide reaching. Lab 102 reports that OrganIQ seek can be applied in nebulization systems for bleaches with strong contrast and abrasion effects. A light blue bleaching effect is possible by conventional washing machine application. Foam and other artisanal application methods are also feasible.
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