Principles Pigment Dyeing

The principle of each process is briefly described ia the Hterature (170). Some anthraquiaoae dyes and pigments appear to be used ia combination with other dye or pigment classes such as phthalocyaniaes and carbazole violets, etc. Two examples described ia pateats are the red pigment and blue dye that foUow ... 

In Chapters 3-6, the commercially important chemical classes of dyes and pigments are discussed in terms of their essential structural features and the principles of their synthesis. The reader will encounter further examples of these individual chemical classes of colorants throughout Chapters 7 10 which, as a complement to the content of the earlier chapters, deal with the chemistry of their application. Chapters 7, 8 and 10 are concerned essentially with the application of dyes, whereas Chapter 9 is devoted to pigments. The distinction between these two types of colorants has been made previously in Chapter 2. Dyes are used in the coloration of a wide range of substrates, including paper, leather and plastics, but by far their most important outlet is on textiles. Textile materials are used in a wide variety of products, including clothing of all types, curtains, upholstery and carpets. This chapter deals with the chemical principles of the main application classes of dyes that may be applied to textile fibres, except for reactive dyes, which are dealt with exclusively in Chapter 8. 

The initial objective of this series of books has been to establish a coherent body of explanatory information on the principles and application technology of relevance for students preparing to take the Associateship examinations of the Society. This particular book has been directed specifically to the subject areas covered by Section A of Paper B the organic chemistry and application of dyes and pigments and of the auxiliaries used with them in textile coloration processes. However, many qualified chemists and colourists interested in the properties of colorants and their auxiliaries have found the First Edition useful as a work of reference. For several reasons it has been convenient to divide the material into two separate volumes 1. Colorants, 2. Auxiliaries. Although fluorescent brighteners share some features in common with colorants, they have been treated as auxiliary products in this book. 

Before moving on to a description of the application ranges of dyes and pigments, it is appropriate to trace briefly the developments in understanding of the relationship between colour and chemical constitution. This subject has been reviewed most thoroughly elsewhere [30-33] and the intention here is only to outline the basic principles so that the reader can appreciate the need for such a variety of structural types of colorant. The requirements of colour and application are often in conflict and this forms a major part of the subject matter in succeeding chapters. 

The methods used to convert these vat dyes into a suitable physical form (and in some cases, crystal structure) for use as pigments have been carefully guarded industrial secrets, revealed only in patents. The general principles are clear, however. One method is to reduce the vat dye in the usual manner to bring it into solution and then to re-precipitate it under very carefully controlled conditions. The other is to subject the dye to a fine grinding operation. Whichever approach is used, the aim is to reduce the mean particle size to below 1 J,m (1000 nm). 

Much research work has been done and continues to be done on the development of new dyes for this outlet. For instance, Avecia have a range of yellow magenta and cyan dyes, based on the ammonium salt principle above, which do show improved wet fastness properties. An alternative approach adopted by workers at Ilford, based on their experience in colour photography, involves the molecular tailoring and formulation of dyes which aggregate and hence have light fasmess properties nearer to pigments (Archiva Inks). 

Vat dyes are water-insoluble, organic pigments that are used to dye cotton and other cellulose libers. The principle of vat dyeing is based on chemical reduction of these dyes to the leuco compounds, which are soluble in aqueous alkali and exhibit fiber affinity, followed by reoxidation within the fiber to the water-insoluble starting dye. 

Identification and Assignment of Structure The identity of a synthetic product is often established by comparison of its absorption curve with that of the natural product or another standard sample. The absorption curves of synthetic and natural vitamin A2 are shown in Figure 7.1. The identification pf coloured substances is easier since colour can almost always be correlated with the presence of certain types of chromo-phoric groups. Thus, visible absorption spectra are employed for the detection and identification of the natural pigments (e.g. carotenoids, anthocyanins md porphyrins), dyes and other colouring matters. Hie absorption spectra of these colouring principles will be discussed separately in Chapter 12. 

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