Sustainable Pattern Innovation in Chenille Tufted Carpets: A Spatial Color Mixing Approach Using Dope-Dyed Filament

Chenille tufted carpets typically use wet dyeing, which consumes large amounts of water, chemicals, and energy and limits pattern control. This study combines dope-dyed filaments with spatial (juxtaposed) color mixing to eliminate post-dyeing and expand design options. We define a nine-primary filament set and a ten-primary mixing system, quantify color relations in CIE Lab*, and classify four visual effects by hue angle difference (Δh): Blending (<30°), Pointillistic (30–60°), Mosaic (60–120°), and Heathering (≥120°). A CNC chenille spinner independently controls linear density, twist, and diameter via head speed, delivery speed, and spacer width; a 130 °C thermal setting step reproduces dyeing-induced pile morphology. The ten-primary system yields 45 binary and 120 ternary mixes that produce predictable effects matching the Δh categories. Yarn geometry is tuned precisely by rotating-head speed (density), front-roller speed (density/twist), and spacer width (diameter). Dope-dyed carpets reach wash and rub fastness grades 4–5 and light fastness grades 3–4 to 4, meeting industry standards. Spatial color mixing with dope-dyed filaments and CNC-controlled chenille morphology thus enables the production of sustainable, dye-free carpets with quantitatively designed patterns and reliable performance, converting empirical color design into a predictive, more resource-efficient process.