Main building entrance of Vietnam-based Tuong Long. © Tuong Long

Vietnam-based Tuong Long is the first denim manufacturer in Vietnam to switch all of its production to Archroma’s aniline-free Denisol Pure Indigo. The textiles manufacturer, whose plant is located near Ho Chi Minh City, employs 600 people, producing up to 18,000,000 meters of fabric per year. Tuong Long manufactures and trades woven fabrics, particularly denim and khaki, stretch and non-stretch, for apparel brands in the USA, Japan, Europe, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Archroma’s Denisol Pure Indigo 30 liquid dye was first launched in May 2018 as a non-toxic way to produce the traditional, iconic indigo blue that consumers associate with denim and jeans, the manufacturer explains. “Archroma is bringing to the textiles industry a continuous flow of eco-advanced innovations aimed at making our industry sustainable. By adopting these, forward-thinking manufacturers, such as Tuong Long and its converting to aniline-free Denisol Pure Indigo in their daily production, help us with that agenda. And as consumers are increasingly concerned about the climate crisis, this is not only the right thing to do – it is also good for business,” commented Michel Zumstein, President Region Asia at Archroma.

Denim production line of Vietnam-based Tuong Long. © Tuong Long

During production, some of the aniline stays locked into the indigo pigment and is difficult to wash off the fabric. The remainder of the aniline impurity, around 300 metric tons annually, is discharged during dyeing. This can be an issue as aniline is toxic to aquatic life. In addition, exposure levels to factory workers can be high. As a result of its toxicity (more hazardous than alkylphenols) it is now starting to feature on the restricted substance lists (RSL) of some major clothing brands and retailers.

The new Denisol Pure Indigo 30 liq was therefore developed as an aniline-free indigo solution for designers, manufacturers and brand owners who long for authentic indigo inspiration. “Tuong Long is engaged into manufacturing denim and khakis fabrics in a cleaner way,” commented Dieu Tuong, Production Manager at Tuong Long.

Denim show room at Tuong Long. © Tuong Long

“That is why we had our wastewater treatment licensed – the only factory to be in our industrial zone. So when we heard about an aniline-free version of indigo, we decided to look into it. We then realised that Archroma’s Denisol Pure Indigo actually is an indigo dye and as such performs just as conventional indigo – and we decided to switch 100% of our production to it.”

www.denim.archroma.com

www.tuonglong.com