EP3760787A1

EP3760787A1 - Method and formulation for pre-treatment of printed textile

Info

Publication number: EP3760787A1
Application number: EP20183849.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pieter-Jan Degandt
Original assignee: C Rm Industries
Current assignee: C Rm Industries
Priority date: 2019-07-05
Filing date: 2020-07-03
Publication date: 2021-01-06
Also published as: BE1027015B1

Abstract

Method for preparing a pre-treatment liquid. A pre-treatment liquid, a pre-treated material, and a method for applying a pattern on a pre-treated material are also provided. The pre-treatment liquid is made by a method that comprises preparing a first mixture and a second mixture. The first mixture and the second mixture are then mixed together and further processed to form a pre-treatment liquid.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to methods and formulations for pre-treatment of printed textile.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various kinds of textile are in use. These comprise carpets, mats, cloths, materials, curtains, bath linen, bed linen, etc. Textile made from polyamide or polyester can be printed by means of a digital inkjet printer. Digital printing is usually based on the use of so-called metal complexes or acidic (for example end = FO3-) stains, dyes or inks. However, such inks are often difficult to fix. Poor fixation leads to various challenges such as colour bleeding or washout, fixation problems, colour fading, insufficient water resistance, insufficient abrasion resistance, contamination of washing water, dulling of colours, insufficient penetration into the yarn (in particular for carpet that has a 3D structure, because of the height of the pile), etc. Moreover, old print technologies commonly use a large amount of ink. The old technologies involve a pick-up of 100 to 1000% of the yarn weight.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a solution for the above challenges.
Thus, the inventors discovered, surprisingly, that poor fixation of various dyes or inks is related to the pH of the inks, which commonly have a high pH, i.e. a pH value above 7. Inks that have such a high pH are often very difficult to fix on polyamide or polyester textile.
The inventors also discovered, surprisingly, that a pre-treatment such as provided herein allows materials to be printed with a small amount of ink.
A method for preparing a pre-treatment liquid is provided herein, said method comprising the following steps:

a) preparing a first mixture in a first vessel by:
a.i) adding a thickener (preferably a synthetic thickener) to water to form a mixture of thickener in water that preferably comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/I to max. 1.0 kg/I thickener;
b) preparing a second mixture in a second vessel by:
b.i) adding another thickener (preferably a natural thickener) to water to form a mixture of thickener in water that preferably comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/I to max. 1.0 kg/I thickener;
c) preparing a pre-treatment liquid based on the first mixture and the second mixture by:
- c.i) mixing the first mixture and the second mixture to form a pooled mixture:
- c.ii) adding an acid until the pooled mixture has a pH from min. 2.5 to max. 7; and,
- c.iii) optionally, adding ammonium sulphate, preferably until the pooled mixture comprises min. 0.001 to max. 0.1 kg/I ammonium sulphate;
thus obtaining a pre-treatment liquid.

In some embodiments step c) is followed by:
d) diluting the pre-treatment liquid obtained in step c), preferably by adding water that has a volume that is identical to min. 10.0% to max. 300.0% of the volume of the pre-treatment liquid obtained in step c).
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) has a hardness of max. 2.0°dH.
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) is demineralized water.
In some embodiments the thickener that is used in step a.i) is an oil-based thickener, preferably an oil-based synthetic thickener, more preferably an oil-based synthetic thickener selected from the list comprising acrylate and polyurethane.
In some embodiments, in step a.i) the oil-based thickener is added to the water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0020 kg/I to max. 0.050 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.0050 kg/I to max. 0.025 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.0080 kg/I to max. 0.012 kg/I thickener.
In some embodiments step a.i) is followed by: a.ii) stirring the first mixture of thickener in water.
In some embodiments the thickener that is used in step b.i) is a natural thickener, preferably the thickener that is used in step b.i) is a guar- or cellulose-based thickener, preferably a guar-based thickener.
In some embodiments, in step b.i) the guar-based thickener is added to the water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0050 kg/I to max. 0.08 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.01 kg/I to max. 0.05 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.02 kg/I to max. 0.03 kg/I thickener.
In some embodiments step b.i) is followed by: b.ii) stirring the second mixture of thickener in water.
In some embodiments step c.iii) is followed by: c.iv) adding one or more additives selected from the list comprising preservatives and absorbents.
A pre-treatment liquid for a textile, preferably a carpet, is further provided herein, comprising:

water, preferably min. 0.80 kg/I water;
synthetic thickener, preferably oil-based thickener, preferably min. 0.00030 kg/I to max. 0.10 kg/I oil-based thickener;
natural thickener, preferably guar-based thickener, preferably min. 0.00060 kg/I to max. 0.10 kg/I guar-based thickener; and,
optionally, ammonium sulphate, preferably min. 0.0003 to max. 0.1 kg/I ammonium sulphate;

A method for pre-treating a textile is further provided herein, comprising the following steps:

providing a textile; and,
applying a pre-treatment coating comprising the pre-treatment liquid as described herein.

A method for applying a pattern on a textile is further provided herein, comprising steps:

pre-treating the textile by a method as described herein; and,
printing a pattern on the textile.

In some embodiments the textile is a carpet, preferably the carpet comprises polyamide and/or nylon yarns.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used hereafter in this text, the singular forms "a", "one", "the" comprise both the singular and the plural form unless the context is clearly otherwise.
The terms "comprise", "comprises" as used hereafter, are synonymous with "inclusive", "include" or "contain", "contains" and are inclusive or open and do not exclude additional, unnamed members, elements or method steps. The terms "comprise", "comprises" are inclusive of the term "contain".
The enumeration of numerical values on the basis of ranges of figures comprises all values and fractions in this range, as well as the end points quoted.
The term "about", as used when referring to a measurable value such as a parameter, an amount, a duration, and so on, is intended to encompass variations of ± 10% or less, preferably ± 5% or less, more preferably ± 1% or less, and even more preferably ± 0.1% or less, of and from the specified value, in so far as the variations are applicable for functioning in the invention that is disclosed. It should be understood that the value to which the term "about" refers, was also disclosed.
All documents cited in the present specification are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms disclosed in the invention, including technical and scientific terms, have the meaning as usually understood by a person skilled in the art. As a further guide, definitions are included for further explanation of terms that are used in the description of the invention.
A method for preparing a pre-treatment liquid is provided herein. The method comprises separately preparing a first mixture and a second mixture, which are then pooled. Both the first mixture and the second mixture comprise a thickener in water, wherein the thickeners are not the same. This has the advantage that two thickeners that cannot be mixed together can nevertheless be incorporated together in a pre-treatment liquid. Provision of the two different thickeners in the pre-treatment liquid allows a wider range of application methods on textile, both digital and non-digital.
The method comprises step a), preparing a first mixture in a first vessel by a.i) adding a thickener to water to form a mixture of thickener in water, which preferably comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/I to max. 0.10 kg/I thickener, or that comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/I to max. 1.0 kg/I thickener. In some embodiments the first mixture has a viscosity that is higher than 2.0 mPa·s.
In some embodiments the thickener that is used in step a.i) is an oil-based thickener. This thickener allows the viscosity to be controlled. Preferably an amount of thickener is selected so that the viscosity, as measured by a viscosimeter, of the final pre-treatment liquid is from 1.0 to 1.5 mPa·s. Preferably it is an oil-based synthetic thickener. In other words in some embodiments this thickener is a synthetic oil-based thickener, also called a synthetic oil-borne thickener. In some embodiments the oil-based synthetic thickener is a synthetic thickener that is soluble in oil. A synthetic oil-borne thickener has the advantage that it leads to brilliant colours. Examples of synthetic oil-based thickeners are synthetic thickeners that comprise acrylate and/or polyurethane. A preferred oil-based thickener is a thickener that comprises polyacrylic acid. A preferred oil-based thickener is a thickener that comprises ester oil. The oil may form a capsule round the thickener.
These oil based synthetic thickeners are preferably liquid. This has the advantage that they are easy to use. These thickeners are also very stable in respect of properties.
In some embodiments the oil based synthetic thickeners have a low viscosity at low stresses, and a high viscosity at high stresses. In English this property is called "shear thickening".
In some embodiments step a.i) is followed by step a.ii) stirring the first mixture of thickener in water. This improves the homogeneity of the first mixture. By stirring, the oil-based thickeners can function more efficiently.
In some embodiments, in step a.i) the oil-based thickener is added to the water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0020 kg/I to max. 0.050 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.0050 kg/I to max. 0.025 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.0080 kg/I to max. 0.012 kg/I thickener.
The method further comprises step b), preparing a second mixture in a second vessel by b.i) adding another thickener to water to form a mixture of thickener in water, which preferably comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/I to max. 0.10 kg/I thickener, or which comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/I to max. 1.0 kg/I thickener.
The term "natural thickener" preferably refers to a polymer thickener, wherein the polymer chain was formed by a natural organism, such as a plant, an alga, a yeast, a bacterium, or an animal. The side groups of the polymer thickener may optionally be chemically modified, but such a thickener is still a natural thickener.
The term "synthetic thickener" preferably refers to a polymer thickener wherein the polymer chain was produced chemically or artificially.
In some embodiments the thickener that is used in step b.i) is a natural thickener. Preferably the natural thickener is added in powder form to the water. This thickener makes it possible to control the viscosity, so that for example a viscosity of 1.0 to 1.5 mPa·s is attained in the final pre-treatment liquid. In some embodiments the thickener that is used in step b.i) is manufactured from viscose. In some embodiments the thickener that is used in step b.i) is a guar-based thickener. A guar-based thickener is obtained from beans and/or algae. An alternative to the guar-based thickener is natural cellulose (HEC) thickener. These thickeners have the advantage that they have a particular thixotropy: under stress they are less viscous, and on standing the viscosity builds up again very quickly. The expression in English for such liquids is "shear thinning liquids". Moreover, the aforementioned natural thickeners (whether guar-based or HEC thickener) are only acid-sensitive to a limited extent, so they are relatively stable in an acid environment.
In some embodiments step b.i) is followed by step b.ii) stirring the second mixture of thickener in water. This improves the homogeneity of the second mixture.
In some embodiments, in step b.i) the guar-based thickener is added to the water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0050 kg/I to max. 0.08 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.01 kg/I to max. 0.05 kg/I thickener, or from min. 0.02 kg/I to max. 0.03 kg/I thickener.
The method further comprises step c), preparing a pre-treatment liquid based on the first mixture and the second mixture by c.i) mixing the first mixture and the second mixture to form a pooled mixture; c.ii) adding acid until the pooled mixture has a pH from min. 2.5 to max. 7, preferably to max. 6.5; and optionally c.iii) adding ammonium sulphate, preferably until the pooled mixture comprises min. 0.001 to max. 0.1 kg/I ammonium sulphate.
The inventors discovered, surprisingly, that the mixture of synthetic and natural thickeners remains stable through addition of the acid. Preferably the acid is citric acid. Optionally the acid is acetic acid.
The more ammonium sulphate is added, the more expensive the pre-treatment liquid is, but the fixation time in a steamer is shorter, and thus it can be produced that much more quickly, or alternatively the steamer may be that much smaller and the capital cost of the steamer will be that much lower.
A pre-treatment liquid is thus obtained.
Preferably the pre-treatment liquid comprises both a synthetic oil-based thickener and a natural thickener (for example based on guar or HEC). This makes it possible to apply the pre-treatment liquid on the textile (for example a carpet) by a conventional, non-digital, technique; and at the same time carry out the final printing / colouring of the textile with a digital printer, for example an inkjet printer.
Addition of ammonium sulphate has the advantage that it improves the fixation of dyes.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid has a pH below 3.0. Optionally in this embodiment the pre-treatment liquid does not comprise ammonium sulphate. When the pre-treatment liquid in this embodiment does not comprise ammonium sulphate, cold fixation may occur. "Cold fixation" means that colours fix very quickly on the textile, preferably the carpet. As a result, "mixed colours" do not mix completely on the carpet.
If for example we begin with a pH of 3.0, ammonium sulphate is not necessary, but cold fixation may then occur. The term "cold fixation" signifies that the colours fix on the carpet too quickly, so that "mixed colours" do not mix well on the carpet. Two-tone effects may be obtained as a result.
In some embodiments step c.iii) is followed by: c.iv) adding one or more additives selected from the list comprising preservatives and absorbents.
A pre-treatment with the present pre-treatment liquid improves the quality and stability of printed materials, in particular carpets, which are printed with high resolution inks. It is to be understood that a pre-treatment is a treatment that is applied before, preferably well before, printing.
The methods as provided herein allow a yield from min. 60% to max. 150% of yarn weight. Preferably the yield is min. 100% to max. 125%. The concepts "yield" and "pick-up rate" as used herein have the same meaning. For example a carpet of 300 g yarn per square meter preferably takes up from at least 180 g pre-treatment liquid, to max. 450 g pre-treatment liquid. The concept "pick-up" is explained as follows: in order to print or dye e.g. 300g yarn/m² carpet, in a method according to the prior art approx. 3l dye/m² is used. (3l / 0.3kg -> 1000%). To determine the pick-up, for example a piece of carpet is weighed "dry" just before printing or dyeing and is weighed again after printing or dyeing. The weight difference between the two weighings gives the pick-up. Sometimes the pick-up is also called the pick-up volume.
As already stated, the pre-treatment liquid is acidic. Preferably the pre-treatment liquid has a pH from min. 2.5 to max. 5.5, preferably from min. 3.5 to max. 4.0. This pH allows good fixation.
Preferably the pre-treatment liquid has a viscosity from min. 60 to max. 230 cP, preferably from min. 110 cP to max. 130 cP. In other words the pre-treatment liquid preferably has a viscosity from at least 0.6 mPa·s to max. 2.3 mPa·s, preferably from at least 1.0 mPa·s to max. 1.3 m Pa·s.
In some embodiments step c) is followed by step d) diluting the pre-treatment liquid obtained in step c) by adding water, which preferably has a volume that is equal to min. 10.0% to max. 300.0% of the volume of the pre-treatment liquid obtained in step c). Provision of a dilution step has the advantage that a concentrated mixture can be transported, and can be diluted just before use. This reduces transport costs.
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) has a hardness of max. 2.0°dH (that is, max. 2.0 German degrees).
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) has a hardness of max. 1.5°dH, or of max. 1.0°dH.
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) is demineralized water.
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) is distilled water.
In some embodiments the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) is deionized water.
The use of demineralized, distilled, and/or deionized water has a positive influence on the stability of the thickeners. A mixture is stable when the viscosity and/or the pH remain constant for 1 hour, 12 hours, 24 hours, 1 week, or 1 month, for example within a margin of error of 10%.
A pre-treatment liquid for a textile, such as a carpet, is further provided herein, preferably a pre-treatment liquid prepared according to a method as described herein. This preferably comprises min. 0.80 kg/I water; min. 0.00030 kg/I to max. 0.10 kg/I oil-based thickener; min. 0.00060 kg/I to max. 0.10 kg/I guar-based thickener; and, optionally, min. 0.0003 to max. 0.1 kg/I ammonium sulphate. The pre-treatment liquid has a pH from min. 2.5 to max. 7.0.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid comprises min. 0.00060 kg/I to max. 0.05 kg/I oil-based thickener, or min. 0.0012 kg/I to max. 0.025 kg/I oil-based thickener, or min. 0.0025 kg/I to max. 0.01 kg/I oil-based thickener, or min. 0.0050 kg/I to max. 0.0075 kg/I oil-based thickener.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid comprises min. 0.0012 kg/I to max. 0.05 kg/I guar-based thickener, min. 0.0025 kg/I to max. 0.025 kg/I guar-based thickener, or min. 0.0050 kg/I to max. 0.010 kg/I guar-based thickener.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid comprises min. 0.0006 to max. 0.050 kg/I ammonium sulphate, min. 0.0012 to max. 0.025 kg/I ammonium sulphate, min. 0.0025 to max. 0.010 kg/I ammonium sulphate, or min. 0.0050 to max. 0.0075 kg/l ammonium sulphate
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid comprises an acid, for example citric acid. This is an efficient way of obtaining a suitable pH. In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid comprises min. 0.0005 kg/l to max. 0.05 kg/l citric acid, or min. 0.001 kg/l to max. 0.025 kg/l citric acid, or min. 0.002 kg/l to max. 0.001 kg/l citric acid, or min. 0.004 kg/l to max. 0.006 kg/l citric acid.
A method for pre-treating a textile is further provided herein. The textile is preferably a carpet. The method comprises the following steps: providing a carpet; and applying a pre-treatment coating comprising the pre-treatment liquid as described herein.
A uniform pre-treatment coating is thus applied, which moreover is stable over time. In particular, owing to the pre-treatment that is provided herein, basic inks (that is, inks with a pH higher than 7) can be fixed efficiently, which reduces or even eliminates problems such as bleeding, washout, and colour fading.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid is applied by means of a pre-printer. The type of pre-printer is not critical. Pre-printers are well known per se in the prior art. The pre-printer is configured to print a pre-treatment layer before the pattern is printed.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid is applied by means of a pressing roll, also called a foulard. A foulard is known in the prior art, and is used in continuous dyeing processes.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid is applied by means of a lick roll (kissing roll). A lick roll is partly submerged in a bath of coating liquid and brings the coating liquid onto the textile.
In some embodiments the pre-treatment liquid is applied with a spraying system.
In some embodiments the textile is a carpet and the carpet is printed by means of a pre-printer, foulard, a spraying system (for example the so-called "spray painting" technique), foam applicator, screen printing system, rotary printing system, digital printing system, etc. Preferably the pre-treatment liquid on the one hand and the dyes to apply the pattern on the other hand are applied with different machines.
The textile, preferably the carpet, is preferably printed with a resolution that is sharper than 150 dpi, preferably with a definition that is sharper than 120 dpi, preferably with a definition that is sharper than 100 dpi, more preferably with a definition that is sharper than 80 dpi.
In some embodiments the textile comprises polyamide and/or nylon yarns. The textile is preferably a carpet that comprises polyamide and/or nylon yarns.
A method for applying a pattern on a textile is further provided herein. The textile is preferably a carpet. The textile is preferably a textile as described herein. The method comprises the steps: pre-treating the textile by a method for pre-treating a textile as provided herein, and printing a pattern on the textile.
Owing to the pre-treatment, there is good wetting of the yarn by the ink. Thus, printing can be done with a very small amount of concentrated ink.
It is owing to the pre-treatment that is provided herein that a printed carpet of exceptionally high quality can be obtained.
In some embodiments the pattern is applied by means of one or more basic inks.
In some embodiments the pattern is applied on a 300 g textile or 300 g cloth with a surface density of 20 ml/m² to 50 ml/m² active substances. The concept "active substances" as used herein refers to the amount of dye in the ink that is applied.
The inventors noticed, surprisingly, that after a pre-treatment as provided herein, a 300 g cloth could be printed with barely 20-50 ml/m² 'active' substances, i.e. with only barely 20-50 ml/m² dyes.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

By way of a first example, a pre-treatment method as provided herein is described.
First, two tanks of liquid are mixed separately. The order in which on the one hand the mixture in tank 1 and on the other hand the mixture in tank 2 are prepared is not important. What is important is that the synthetic and guar-based thickeners are first mixed separately with water before the resultant mixtures are mixed with each other.
The following procedure is used for making the mixture in tank 1:

1. take approx. 50 litres of water (soft water, max. hardness 7.0 °dH, preferably max. hardness 2.0 °dH (German hardness, also dGH); any softened water is suitable - preferably demineralized water is used);
2. add approx. 0.5 kg oil-based synthetic thickener; and,
3. mix until a homogeneous, stable mixture (emulsion) is obtained.

Suitable oil-based synthetic thickeners are acrylate and polyurethane.
The following procedure is used for preparing the mixture in tank 2:

1. take approx. 50 litres of water (soft water, max. hardness 2.0 °dH (German hardness, also dGH); any softened water is suitable, preferably demineralized water is used);
2. add approx. 1.0 to 1.5 kg guar-based thickener (for example RANICHEMIE AD26E; the precise amount depends on the required viscosity, and is dependent on the method by which the pre-treatment liquid is applied on the textile. In particular, a suitable amount is taken in order to obtain a uniform, well-spread pre-treatment layer); and,
3. mix to obtain a homogeneous, stable mixture.

Then the mixtures from tank 1 and tank 2 are mixed with together. The mixture thus obtained is further processed by means of the following steps:

1. add approx. 2 litres of acid so that the mixture has a pH from 2.5 to 7; an aqueous solution of citric acid with a concentration of approx. 40 vol% is preferably used (alternatively the percentage of citric acid refers to the active content of citric acid in the aqueous solution of citric acid);
2. add approx. 2 kg ammonium sulphate; and,
3. optionally, add further additives, for example preservatives or absorbents (absorbers); the absorbers are "wetting agents" that ensure better absorption of the dyes into the yarns.

The resultant mixture can be stored for a considerable time, for example 1 month, before use.
Examples of suitable wetting agents are phosphoric acid esters, sulphonic-dicarboxylic acid esters, and/or ethoxylated alcohols.
Shortly before use, the mixture is diluted with approx. 100 litres of water, i.e. a volume that is roughly equal to the volume of the aforementioned mixture. In particular, soft water is used with a maximum hardness of 2.0 °dH (German hardness, also dGH). Any type of softened water is suitable. Demineralized water is preferably used. Thus, a diluted mixture is obtained.
These diluted mixtures are extremely suitable for a pre-treatment for printing carpets. In fact, after a pre-treatment as provided herein, a 300 g cloth (i.e. a cloth that comprises 300 g yarns per square meter of carpet) can be printed with barely 20-50 ml/m² 'active' substances. This contrasts with techniques from the prior art, where 3 litre ink/m² must be used for a 300g cloth, wherein the ink is a mixture of pure dyes, thickeners, additives, and water.
It is owing to the pre-treatment that is provided herein that a printed carpet of exceptionally high quality can be obtained.

Claims

Method for preparing a pre-treatment liquid, said method comprising the following steps:
a) preparing a first mixture in a first vessel by:
a.i) adding a synthetic thickener to water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/l to max. 1.0 kg/l thickener;

b) preparing a second mixture in a second vessel by:
b.i) adding another thickener, which is a natural thickener, to water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0010 kg/l to max. 1.0 kg/l thickener;

c) preparing a pre-treatment liquid based on the first mixture and the second mixture by:
c.i) mixing the first mixture and the second mixture to form a pooled mixture:

c.ii) adding an acid until the pooled mixture has a pH from min. 2.5 to max. 7; and,

c.iii) optionally, adding ammonium sulphate to the pooled mixture comprising min. 0.001 to max. 0.1 kg/l ammonium sulphate;

thus obtaining a pre-treatment liquid.
Method according to Claim 1, wherein step c) is followed by:
d) diluting the pre-treatment liquid obtained in step c) by adding water that has a volume that is identical to min. 10.0% to max. 300.0% of the volume of the pre-treatment liquid obtained in step c).
Method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) has a hardness of max. 2.0°dH.
Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the water that is used in any of steps a), b), and/or d) is demineralized water.
Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the thickener that is used in step a.i) is an oil-based thickener, preferably an oil-based synthetic thickener, more preferably an oil-based synthetic thickener selected from the list comprising acrylate and polyurethane.
Method according to Claim 5, wherein in step a.i) the oil-based thickener is added to the water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0020 kg/l to max. 0.050 kg/l thickener, or from min. 0.0050 kg/l to max. 0.025 kg/l thickener, or from min. 0.0080 kg/l to max. 0.012 kg/l thickener.
Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein step a.i) is followed by:
a.ii) stirring the first mixture of thickener in water.
Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the thickener that is used in step b.i) is a natural thickener, preferably wherein the thickener that is used in step b.i) is a guar- or cellulose-based thickener.
Method according to Claim 8, wherein in step b.i) the guar-based thickener is added to the water to form a mixture of thickener in water that comprises from min. 0.0050 kg/l to max. 0.08 kg/l thickener, or from min. 0.01 kg/l to max. 0.05 kg/l thickener, or from min. 0.02 kg/l to max. 0.03 kg/l thickener.
Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 9, wherein step b.i) is followed by:
b.ii) stirring the second mixture of thickener in water.
Method according to any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein step c.iii) is followed by:
c.iv) adding one or more additives selected from the list comprising preservatives and absorbents.
Pre-treatment liquid for a textile, preferably a carpet, comprising:
- water, preferably min. 0.80 kg/l water;

- synthetic thickener, preferably oil-based thickener, preferably min. 0.00030 kg/l to max. 0.10 kg/l oil-based thickener;

- natural thickener, preferably guar-based thickener, preferably min. 0.00060 kg/l to max. 0.10 kg/l guar-based thickener; and,

- optionally, ammonium sulphate, preferably min. 0.0003 to max. 0.1 kg/l ammonium sulphate;
wherein the pre-treatment liquid has a pH from min. 2.5 to max. 7.0, wherein the pre-treatment liquid was prepared by a method according to any one of Claims 1 to 11.
Method for pre-treating a textile comprising the following steps:
- providing a textile; and,

- applying a pre-treatment coating comprising the pre-treatment liquid according to claim 12.
Method for applying a pattern on a textile comprising steps:
- pre-treating the textile by a method according to Claim 13; and,

- printing a pattern on the textile.
Method according to Claim 13 or 14, wherein the textile is a carpet, preferably wherein the carpet comprises polyamide and/or nylon yarns.