Experimental Dyeing And Comparative Dye Testing
Every dyer ought to be able to make experiments in the mordanting and
dyeing of textile fibres for the purpose of ascertaining the best
methods of applying mordants or dye-stuffs, the best methods of
obtaining any desired shade, and for the purpose of making comparative
tests of dyes or mordanting materials with the object of determining
their strength and value. This is not by any means difficult, nor does
it involve
hesitate to set up a small dyeing laboratory for fear of the expense
which it might entail.
In order to carry out the work indicated above there will be required
several pieces of apparatus. First a small chemical balance; one that
will carry 50 grammes in each pan is quite large enough, and such a
one, quite accurate enough for this work, can be bought for 25s. to
30s., while if the dyer be too poor even for this a cheap pair of
apothecaries' scales might be used. It is advisable to procure a set
of gramme weights and to get accustomed to them, which is not by any
means difficult.
In using the balance always put the substance to be weighed on the
left-hand pan and the weights on the right-hand pan. Never put
chemicals of any kind direct on the pan, but weigh them in a
watch-glass, small porcelain basin, or glass beaker (which has first
been weighed), according to the nature of the material which is being
weighed. The sets of weights are always fitted into a block or (p. 212)
box, and every time they are used they should be put back into their
proper place.
The experimenter will find it convenient to provide himself with a few
small porcelain basins, glass beakers, cubic centimetre measures, two
or three 200 c.c. flasks with a mark on the neck, a few pipettes of
various sizes, 10 c.c., 20 c.c., 25 c.c.
The most important feature is the dyeing apparatus. Where only a
single dye test is to be made a small copper or enamelled iron
saucepan, such as can be bought at any ironmongers may be used; this
may conveniently be heated by a gas-boiling burner, such as can also
be bought at an ironmongers or plumbers for 2s.
It is, however, advisable to have means whereby several dyeing
experiments can be made at one time and under precisely the same
conditions, and this cannot be done by using the simple means noted
above.
To be able to make perfectly comparative dyeing experiments it is best
to use porcelain dye-pots (these may be bought from most dealers in
chemical apparatus), and to heat these in a water-bath arrangement.
The simplest arrangement is sketched in figure 33; it consists of a
copper bath measuring 15 inches long by 10-1/2 inches broad and (p. 213)
6-1/2 inches deep; this is covered by a lid on which are six apertures
to take the porcelain dye-baths. The bath is heated by two round
gas-boiling burners of the type already referred to.
The copper bath is filled with water which, on being heated to the
boil by the gas burners, heat up the dye-liquors in the dye-pots. The
temperature in the dye-pots under such conditions can never reach the
boiling point; where it is desirable, as in some cases of wool
mordanting and dyeing that it should be so high, then there should be
added to the water in the copper bath a quantity of calcium chloride,
which forms a solution that has a much higher boiling point than that
of water, and so the dye-liquors in the dye-pots may be heated up to
the boil.
An objection might be raised that with such an apparatus the
temperature in every part of the bath may not be uniform, and so the
temperature of the dye-liquors in the pots might vary also, and
differences of temperature often have a considerable influence on the
shade of the colour which is being dyed. This is a minor objection,
which is more academic in its origin than of practical importance. To
obviate it Mr. William Marshall, of the Rochdale Technical School, has
devised a circular form of dye-bath, in which the temperature in every
part can be kept quite uniform.
The dyeing laboratories of Technical Schools and Colleges are
generally provided with a more elaborate set of dyeing appliances.
These in the latest constructed consist of a copper bath supported on
a hollow pair of trunnions, so that it can be turned over if needed.
Into the bath are firmly fixed three earthenware or porcelain
dye-pots; steam for heating can be sent through the trunnions. After
the dyeing tests have been made the apparatus can be turned over and
the contents of the dye-pots emptied into a sink which is provided for
the purpose.
Many other pieces of apparatus have been devised and made for the (p. 214)
purpose of carrying on dyeing experiments on the small scale, but it
will not be needful to describe these in detail. After all no more
efficient apparatus can be desired than that described above.
Dyeing experiments can be made with either yarns or pieces of cloth,
swatches as they are commonly called; a very convenient size is a
small skein of yarn or a piece of cloth weighing 5 grammes. These test
skeins or pieces ought to be well washed in hot water before use, so
that they are clean and free from any size or grease. A little soda or
soap will facilitate the cleansing process.
In carrying out a dyeing test the dye-pot should be filled with the
water required, using as little as is consistent with the dye-swatch
being handled comfortably therein, then there is added the required
mordants, chemicals, dyes, etc., according to the character of the
work which is being done.
Of such chemicals as soda, caustic soda, sodium sulphate (Glauber's
salt), tartar, bichromate of potash, it will be found convenient to
prepare stock solutions of known strength, say 50 grammes per litre,
and then by means of a pipette any required quantity can be
conveniently added. The same might be followed in the case of dyes
which are constantly in use, in this case 5 grammes per litre will be
found strong enough.
Supposing it is desired to make a test of a sample of Acid Red, using
the following proportions, 2 per cent. dye-stuff, 3 per cent.
sulphuric acid and 15 per cent. Glauber's salt, and the weight of the
swatch which is being used is 5 grammes, the following calculations
are to be made to give the quantities of the ingredients required:--
For the dye-stuff, 5 (weight of swatch) multiplied by 2 (per cent. of
dye) and divided by 100 equals (5 x 2) / 100 = 0.1 gramme of dye.
For the acid we have similarly (5 x 3) / 100 = 0.15 gramme of (p. 215)
acid.
For the Glauber's salt (5 x 15) / 100 = 0.75 gramme of Glauber's salt.
These quantities may be weighed out and added to the dye-bath, or if
solutions are kept a calculation can be made as to the number of cubic
centimetres which contain the above quantities, and these measured out
and added to the dye-bath.
When all is ready the bath is heated up, the swatch put in and the
work of the test entered upon.
Students are recommended to make experiments on such points as:--
The shades obtained by using various proportions of dye-stuffs.
The influence of various assistants: common salt, soda, Glauber's
salt, borax, phosphate of soda in the bath.
The influence of varying proportions of mordants on the shade of
dyeing.
The value of various assistants, tartar, oxalic acid, lactic acid,
sulphuric acid, on the fixation of mordants.
The relative value of tannin matters, etc.
Each dyer should make himself a pattern book into which he should
enter his tests, with full particulars as to how they have been
produced at the side.
It is important that a dyer should be able to make comparative
dye-tests to ascertain the relative strength of any two or more
samples of dyes which may be sent to him.
This is not difficult but requires considerable care in carrying out
the various operations involved.
0.5 gramme of each of the samples of dyes should be weighed out and
dissolved in 100 c.c. of water, care being taken that every (p. 216)
portion of the dye is dissolved before any of the solution is used in
making up the dye-vats. Care should be taken that the skeins of yarn
or swatches of cloth are exactly equal in weight, that the same volume
of water is placed in each of the dye-pots, that the same amounts of
sulphate of soda or other dye assistants are added, that the
quantities of dye-stuffs and solutions used are equal, in fact that in
all respects the conditions of dyeing are exactly the same, such in
fact being the vital conditions in making comparative dye-tests of the
actual dyeing strength of several samples of dyes.
After the swatches have been dyed they are rinsed and then dried, when
the depths of shade dyed on them may be compared one with another. To
prevent any mistakes it is well to mark the swatches with one, two,
three or more cuts as may be required.
It is easier to ascertain if two dyes are different in strength of
colour than to ascertain the relative difference between them. There
are two plans available for this purpose; one is a dyeing test, the
other is a colorimetric test made with the solutions of the dyes.
#Dyeing Test.#--This method of ascertaining the relative value of two
dyes as regards strength of colour is carried out as follows. A
preliminary test will show which sample is stronger than the other;
then there is prepared a series of dye-vats, one contains a swatch
with the deepest of the two dyes, which is taken as the standard, the
others with the other dye but containing 2, 5 and 10 per cent. more
dye-stuff, and all these are dyed together, and after drying a
comparison can be made between these and the standard swatch, and a
judgment formed as to the relative strength of the two dyes; a little
experience will soon enable the dyer to form a correct judgment of the
difference in strength between two samples of dye-stuff.
The colorimetric test is based on the principle that the colour (p. 217)
of a solution of dye-stuff is proportionate to its strength. Two white
glass tubes, equal in diameter, are taken; solutions of the
dye-stuffs, 0.5 gramme in 100 c.c. of water, are prepared, care being
taken that the solution is complete. 5 c.c. of one of these solutions
is taken and placed in one of the glass tubes, and 5 c.c. of the other
solution is placed in the other glass tube, 25 c.c. of water is now
added to each tube and then the colour of the diluted liquids is
compared by looking through in a good light. That sample which gives
the deepest solution is the strongest in colouring power. By diluting
the strongest solution with water until it is of the same depth of
colour as the weakest, it may be assumed that the length of the
columns of liquid in the two tubes is in proportion to the relative
strength of the two samples. Thus if in one tube there are 30
centimetres of liquid and in the other 25 centimetres, then the
relative strength is as 30 to 25, and if the first is taken as the
standard at 100 a proportion sum may be worked out as follows:--
30: 25 :: 100 : 83.3;
that is, the weakest sample has only 83.3 per cent. of the strength of
the strongest sample.
More
-
Alder Bark
The bark and twigs of alder are used for dyeing brown and black. For 1 lb. wool use 1 lb. alder bark. Boil the wool with it for 2 hours, when it should be a dull reddish brown. Add 1/2 oz. copper as for every pound of wool for black. ... Alum
This is the most generally used of all the mordants, and has been known as such from early times in many parts of the world. For most colours a certain proportion of cream of tartar should be added to the alum bath as it helps to brighten the ultima... Appendix
=Testing Textile Fabrics.= This is an age of adulteration, and next to food there is probably no commodity that is adulterated as much as the clothing we wear. Large purchasers of textile fabrics and various administrative bodies, such as army clo... Artificial Silk
=Silk Cotton.= On account of the high price of silk various attempts have been made to find satisfactory substitutes for it. There are certain seed coverings of plants that contain very fine hair-like fibers with a luster almost equal to silk, but... Barberry
The roots and bark of Berberis Vulgaris is used principally for silk dyeing, without a mordant. The silk is worked at 50 deg. to 60 deg.C. in a solution of the dye wood slightly acidified with sulphuric, acetic or tartaric acid. For dark shades mord... Blue Shades On Wool
There are a very large number of blue artificial dyes of every class, but only a few natural ones, indigo and logwood, and with these every imaginable tint and shade of blue from the palest sky tints to the darkest navy blue or blue black can be pro... Boiling Out
Before dyeing cotton in the raw state, or in yarn spun direct from the raw state, it must be boiled for several hours to extract its natural impurities. For dark colours water alone may be used, but for light and bright colours a weak solution of ca... Brazil Woods
Various leguminous trees, including lima, sapan and peach wood, dye red with alum and tartar, and a purplish slate colour with bichromate of potash. Some old dyers use Brazil wood to heighten the red of madder. CAMWOOD, BARWOOD, SANDALWOOD, or SA... British Dye Plants
On the introduction of foreign dye woods and other dyes during the 17th and 18th centuries, the native dye plants were rapidly displaced, except in some out of the way places such as the Highlands and parts of Ireland. Some of these British dye pl... Brown Shades On Wool
Brown is a very important colour, of which there is an infinite variety of shades and it can be dyed in a great variety of ways and from a variety of dye-stuffs, as will be seen on looking through the recipes which follow, although these do not by a... Catechu
Catechu (Cutch) is an old Indian dye for cotton. It can also be used for wool and silk, and gives a fine rich brown. It is obtained from the wood of various species of Areca, Acacia and Mimosa trees. Bombay Catechu is considered best for dyeing purp... Catechu Brown
The wool is boiled for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, with 10 to 20 per cent catechu, then sadden with 2 to 4 per cent of copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, or chrome, at 100 deg.C., in a separate bath for 1/2 hour. ... Chrome
(Potassium dichromate. Bichromate of Potash.) Chrome is a modern mordant, unknown to the dyer of fifty years ago. It is excellent for wool and is easy to use and very effective in its action. Its great advantage is that it leaves the wool soft to ... Cochineal
The dried red bodies of an insect (Coccus Cacti) found in Mexico are named Cochineal. (1). PURPLE, CRIMSON AND SCARLET (For 1 lb. wool.) Mordant with Bichromate of Potash (3%). Dye for 1 to 2 hours with 3 oz. to 6 oz. cochineal. With alum morda... Copper
(Copper Sulphate, Verdigris, Blue Vitriol, Blue Copperas, Bluestone.) Copper is rarely used as a mordant. It is usually applied as a saddening agent, that is, the wool is dyed first, and the mordant applied afterwards to fix the colour. With crea... Cotton
Cotton is the down surrounding the seeds in pods of certain shrubs and trees growing in tropical and semi-tropical countries. First introduced into Europe by the Saracens, it was manufactured into cloth in Spain in the early 13th century. Cotton clo... Cotton
=Cotton.= Cotton is the most important vegetable fiber used in spinning. The cotton fiber is a soft, downy substance which grows around the cotton seed. When examined under the microscope it appears as a long twisted cell. Owing to the fact that t... Cotton Fabrics
=Albatross.= Cotton albatross cloth is a fabric made in imitation of a worsted fabric of the same name. It has a fleecy surface. The name is taken from the bird whose downy breast the finish of the fabric resembles. The warp is usually 28s cotton,... Drying
Following on the washing comes the final operation of the dyeing process, that of drying the dyed and washed goods. Now textile fabrics of all kinds after they have passed through dye-baths, washing machines, etc., contain a large amount of water, o... Dyeing And Finishing
=Dyeing.= When a fabric or fiber is impregnated with a uniform color over its whole surface, it is said to be "simply dyed." On the other hand, if distinct patterns or designs in one or more colors have been impressed upon a fabric, it is called p... Dyeing Machinery And Dyeing Manipulations
Wool is dyed in a variety of forms, raw, loose wool; partly manufactured fibre in the form of slubbing or sliver; spun fibres or yarns, in hanks or skeins and in warps, and lastly in the form of woven pieces. These different forms necessitate the ... Dyeing Machines
Dye-tubs and vats, such as those described above, have been largely superseded by machines in which the handling or working of the materials being dyed is effected by mechanical means. There have been a large number of dyeing machines invented, some... Dyeing Of Gloria
Gloria is a material which during the last few years has become of considerable importance as furnishing a fine lustrous fabric at a comparatively low price. The perfection to which the art of dyeing has attained and the facilities now available t... Dyeing Union (mixed Cotton And Wool) Fabrics
There is now produced a great variety of textile fabrics of every conceivable texture by combining the two fibres, cotton and wool, in a number of ways. The variety of these fabrics has of late years considerably increased, which increase may be l... Dyer's Broom
Genista Tinctoria. The plant grows on waste ground. It should be picked in June or July and dried. It can be used with an alum and tartar mordant and gives a good bright yellow. It is called greening weed and used to be much used for greening blue w... Experimental Dyeing And Comparative Dye Testing
Every dyer ought to be able to make experiments in the mordanting and dyeing of textile fibres for the purpose of ascertaining the best methods of applying mordants or dye-stuffs, the best methods of obtaining any desired shade, and for the purpos... Fibers
All the materials used in the manufacture of clothing are called textiles and are made of either long or short fibers. These fibers can be made into a continuous thread. When two different sets of threads are interlaced, the resulting product is c... Flax
=Flax.= Flax or linen occupies the first position in the group of stem fibers,[18] being not only the oldest, but next to cotton the most important vegetable spinning material known. Its value is increased by the fact that the flax plant readily a... Green
Green results from the mixing of blue and yellow in varying proportions according to the shade of colour required. Every dyer has his particular yellow weed with which he greens his blue dyed stuff. But the best greens are undoubtedly got from w... Green Shades On Wool
Of green shades there is an infinite variety, and these can be dyed in several ways. Either a simple green dye-stuff may be used or mixtures of blue and yellow dye-stuffs may be employed, this latter method being extremely common. It is somewhat int... Heather
Most of the heathers make a yellow dye, but the one chiefly used is the Ling, Calluna vulgaris. The tips are gathered just before flowering. They are boiled in water for about half-an-hour. The wool, previously mordanted with alum or chrome accordin... Hemp
=Hemp= is a fiber that is obtained from the hemp plant. It grows principally in Russia, Poland, France, Italy, Asia, India, the Philippines, Japan, and some parts of the United States--Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, and New York. Th... History Of Lace
Lace, like porcelain, stained glass, and other artistic things, has always been an object of interest to all classes. Special patterns of laces date from the sixteenth century. The church and court have always encouraged its production. While the ea... History Of Manufacturing
=Spinning.= Spinning and weaving are two of the earliest arts practised by man. Yarn for the making of cloth was spun in the earliest times by the use of the distaff and spindle. The spindle was a round stick of wood a foot or less in length, taperi... History Of Textiles
The three fundamental industries that have developed from necessity are the feeding, sheltering, and clothing of the human race. These primary wants were first gratified before such conveniences as transportation and various lines of manufacture wer... History Of The Organization Of Textile Industries
The development of the textile industry may be divided into four stages or periods: first, the family system; second, the guild system; third, the domestic system; and fourth, the factory system. =The Family System.= Under the family system the wo... Hydrosulphite-soda Vat For Wool
2 ozs. powdered indigo. 7 fluid ozs. Caustic Soda solution (SG 1.2). 4 pints Sodium Hydrosulphite (SG 1.1). The Stock Solution.--Take 2 ozs. of well pounded indigo, with enough warm water (120 deg.F.) to make a paste, and grind in a pestle and m... Indigo
Indigo is the blue matter extracted from a plant Indigofera tinctoria and other species, growing in Asia, South America and Egypt. It reaches the market in a fine powder, which is insoluble in water. There are two ways of dyeing with Indigo. It may ... Indigo Extract 4 To 6 Lbs Wool
Mordant[E] 25% Alum. Stir 2 to 3 ozs. Indigo extract into the water of dye bath. The amount is determined by the depth of shade required. When warm, enter the wool and bring slowly to boiling point (about 1/2 an hour) and continue boiling for anothe... Indigo Vat Tin For Wool
To 2 quarts of water add 1/4 lb. lime, and make hot. Then add 1 oz. indigo pounded up with a little of the lime water; let it stand and get warmer. Pound up 1/2 oz. tin, Stannous Chloride, in a little lime water and add, together with 1/2 oz. zinc. ... Iron
(Ferrous Sulphate, copperas, green vitriol.) Iron is one of the oldest mordants known and is largely used in wool and cotton dyeing. It is almost as important as alum. The temperature of the mordanting bath must be raised very gradually to boiling... Kermes
Kermes, or Kerms, from which is got the "Scarlet of Grain" of the old dyers, is one of the old insect dyes. It is considered by most dyers to be the first of the red dyes, being more permanent than cochineal and brighter than madder. In the 10th cen... Knitting
The art and process of forming fabrics by looping a single thread, either by hand with slender wires or by means of a machine provided with hooked needles, is called knitting. Crocheting is an analogous art, but differs from knitting in the fact t... Lace
=Lace.= Lace is the name applied to an ornamental open work of threads of flax, cotton, silk, gold, or silver, and occasionally of mohair or aloe fiber. The latter are used by the peasants of Italy and Spain. Lace consists of two parts, the grou... Lace Terms Defined
Alencon (Point d').--Fine needlepoint lace with the ground of double-twist thread in a semi-net effect. Is usually worked with horsehair on the edges to give firmness to the cordonnet. Called after the city in France where it is... Light Grey
(For 6 lbs.) 1 oz. cutch, 1 oz. iron. Boil for 1/2 an hour in the cutch, then put into boiling iron, being very careful to stir well. Wash very thoroughly. These proportions can be varied according to the shade of grey required; the more iron mak... Linen
Linen is flax, derived from the decomposed stalks of a plant of the genus Linum. It grows chiefly in Russia, Belgium, France, Holland and Ireland. The plants after being gathered are subjected to a process called "retting" which separates the fib... List Of Lichens Used By The Peasantry Of Different Countries For Wool Dyeing
SHADES OF RED, PURPLE AND ORANGE Borrera ashney. Chutcheleera. India. Conicularia aculeata. var. spadicea. Brown prickly cornicularia. Canary Islands, Highland Mountains. Evernia prunastri. Ragged hoary Lichen. Stag's horn... Logwood
(Bois de Campeche, Campeachy Wood) Logwood is a dye wood from Central America, used for producing blues and purples on wool, black on cotton and wool, and black and violet on silk. It is called by old dyers one of the Lesser Dyes, because the col... Madder
Madder consists of the ground-up dried roots of a plant Rubia tinctorum, cultivated in France, Holland and other parts of Europe, as well as in India. Madder is one of the best and fastest dyes. It is used also in combination with other dyes to prod... Manufacture Of Cotton Yarn
=Picker Room.= The first step in the conversion of the bale of cotton into yarn consists in giving the cotton fibers a thorough cleaning. This is accomplished by feeding the cotton to a series of picker machines called in order, bale breaker, co... Mode Colours On Wool
Under the general designation of mode colours are included a great variety of tints or shades unusually described more specifically (p. 165) as drabs, buffs, greys, fawns, slates, etc. It is impossible here to do more than give a few recipes for t... Mordants
Any dye belongs to one of two classes. Substantive, giving colouring directly to the material: and adjective, which includes the greater number of dyes and requires the use of a mordant to bring out the colour. There are thus two processes conc... Mordants
Alum. Alum (1/4 weight of cotton) is dissolved in hot water with carbonate of soda crystals, or other alkali (1/4 weight of alum); work cotton in the solution, steep for several hours or overnight. Then well wash. Aluminium acetate solution as for s... Old Fustic
Fustic is the wood of Morus tinctoria, a tree of Central America. It is used principally for wool. With Bichromate of Potash as mordant, Old Fustic gives old gold colour. With alum it gives yellow, inclining to lemon yellow. The brightest yellows ar... Onion Skins
Prepare by mordanting with alum. Take a sufficient quantity of onion skins and boil for 30 minutes. This gives a good yellow. The addition of tin will make the colour more orange. ... Operations Following Dyeing Washing Soaping Drying
After loose wool, or woollen yarns or piece goods of every description have been dyed, before they can be sent out for sale they have to pass through various operations of a purifying character. There are some operations through which cloths pass ... Orange Shades On Wool
#With Direct Dyes.# Make a dye-bath with 2 lb. Titan Orange, 20 lb. Glauber's salt, and 1/2 lb. acetic acid. Work at the boil for one and a half hours, then lift, wash and dry. Bright Orange.--Dye with 1-1/2 lb. Benzo Orange R, 10 lb. salt, and 1... Orange With Flavin Or Quercitron 1 Lb
Put into bath first 1/2 oz. Cream of Tartar. Then 3/4 oz. tin mixed with water (important to enter the Tartar first). Enter yarn and boil for 45 minutes. In the meantime have mixed up 1/2 oz. Flavin and 1/2 oz. to 3/4 oz. Cochineal (according to dep... Plants Which Dye Black
Alder. Alnus glutinosa. Bark, with copperas. Blackberry. Rubus fruticosus. Young shoots, with salts of iron. Dock. Rumex. Root. Elder. Bark, with copperas. Iris. Iris Pseudacorus. Root. Meadowsweet. Sp... Plants Which Dye Blue
Devil's Bit. Scabiosa succisa. Leaves prepared like woad. Dog's Mercury. Mercurialis perennis. Elder. Sambucus nigra. Berries. Privet. Ligustrum vulgare. Berries with alum and salt. Red bearberry. Arctostaphylos Uva...