Patent ID: 8182552

Claim:
A process for dyeing a textile web, said textile web having a first face and a second face opposite the first face, said method comprising: applying dye to the textile web, wherein the dye has a dielectric loss factor at 900 MHz and 22 degrees Celsius of at least about 5; moving the web in an open configuration thereof over a contact surface of an ultrasonic vibration system with the textile web in direct contact with the contact surface of the ultrasonic vibration system; operating the ultrasonic vibration system to impart ultrasonic energy to said textile web to facilitate the distribution of dye throughout the web; moving the web in its open configuration through a microwave application chamber of a microwave system subsequent to imparting ultrasonic energy to said web, wherein the web is moved through the microwave application chamber at a rate relative to a microwave application chamber length to define a dwell time of the web within the chamber in the range of about 0.0002 seconds to about 3 seconds; and operating the microwave system to impart microwave energy to the web in the microwave application chamber to facilitate binding of the dye to the web.