Dyes and Fibers

Carol LeBaron Chemistry and Art

February 15-17, 2004

Nasca Wari textile, 400 CE Resist dyed

Light is made up of bands pf varying

wavelengths

Reflection
White can only be
broken up by prisms or
by colorants such as
pigments and dyes
This surface has no
colorant so the light is
reflected

It can be fully absorbed by the surface

Or a transparent surface may let all of the

light pass through or a colored surface
may absorb part of the spectrum

Bands of light mix together to produce

lighter colors

A blue surface absorbs red, orange, and

yellow light

A yellow surface absorbs blue and violet

light

The pigment primaries absorb and reflect

different combinations of colored light

Interference: the kind of surface light hits

can affect the way light waves behave

Structural Color

Iridescence
Luminescence
Refraction
Diffraction
Fluorescence
Phosphorescence

Materials that light hits

can cause a multitude
of effects

The nature of fiber affects the way light

appears

Fiber reflects, refracts, absorbs and

diffuses

The unique color properties of fiber

depend on the interaction of fabric
structure, dye application, and light

Humidity (2002)

Pigments and Dyes

Pigment
particles

Dye
molecules

A dye is a colorant that

goes into solution or
dissolves. Dye
particles break apart
into single molecules
Pigment particles
remain clustered
together in suspension
Dyes have a chemical
affinity for fiber but
pigments do not

Pigments and Dyes

Dyes migrate out of the
solution, are absorbed into
the fiber, and diffuse from
the surface of the fiber
toward its center. There
they either:
Bond chemically with fiber
molecules
OR
React chemically with fiber
molecules to produce
permanent, enlarged colored
fiber molecules

Both situations are

permanent

Pigment molecules
carry their own color
They do not unite with
fiber molecules
chemically and must
be fixed to the fibers
with bonding agents
In man made fibers
pigments can be mixed
into the fiber solution
before it is formed

Dye molecules must be firmly fixed to

fiber

Chain fiber
molecule
Dye
molecules

A negative dye molecule links with a positive fiber

molecule at a dye site. The process is affected by
surface charge, temperature, and agitation. Different
fibers have different numbers of dye sites. Wool fiber has
1000 dye sites, silk has 100, and cotton has less than 10

Assembly of dye molecules at the fiber

surface
When soaked in water all fibers acquire an electric
potential or surface charge
Cellulosic fibers acquire negative charges
Protein fibers acquire both positive and negative
charges, depending on the pH of the water
Acid solutions help break down protein fibers to
allow dye sites access to the dye
Cellulose fibers must be soaked in alkaline solution
Salt is used to set up electrical movement that
initiates the movement of dye molecules in search
of a resting place on the fiber

Once the dye molecule enters the fiber, it

has a a chemical reaction with it. It is
enlarged, which prevents its exit.

Color is produced when a divided

molecule is united.

Acid Dyes
Used mainly on wool, silk, and nylon*
They have acid chemical groups in their dye
molecules
They use an acid dye bath to produce the
chemical reaction
Reaction involves acid, salt, heat, agitation, and
time
Amount of acid and rate at which it is added affects the
rate at which the dye bonds
Salt slows the bonding process, helping the dye color
the fiber evenly. It attaches to the dye first.

Gradually, dye replaces the salt and

bonds with the fiber. Leveling is achieved
when this happens at an even rate.

 Heat affects the leveling of the dye bath by

speeding up the chemical reaction
Generally the dye bonds slowly until 160 F
Agitation helps keep both chemicals and
heat evenly distributed
The full immersion time is necessary to
allow the dye to be light fast and wash fast

Structural Orientation
Structural orientation is the arrangement of parts
relative to one another within a fiber piece
Molecules in a fiber
Fibers in a piece of yarn
Yarn in a piece of fabric

It affects moisture and dye absorption

Textile polymers are chains with a monomer for
each link
Fiber polymers have the same structure that fibers
do

Chromophores and auxochromes

The ability of dye to create color

comes from chromophores in
the dye molecules
Auxochromes regulate the
intensity of color. They are
chemical groups that make dyes
water soluble. They also provide
chemical groups that form
bonds between the dye and
fiber
A dye bath must contain both
chromophores and
auxochromes, either from the
dyestuff alone or a mixture of
dye and other added chemicals

The structural orientation of the polymers within

a fiber varies, It affects dye results
and other fiber properties

Dye and molecular orientation

Amorphous areas of a
fiber take more dye than
highly oriented areas
They will be darker in the
dye bath
A fibers character
depends on the color
changes that take place
from amorphous areas to
crystalline or oriented
areas
All fibers contain all three
areas in different degrees

Fibers
Fiber molecules are
arranged in fiber filaments
Loose arrangement of
fibers allows good
penetration
Fibers are often dyed
before they are made into
yarn for this reason
Fibers are combed before
they are made into yarn

Cotton fiber

Different fibers have different surfaces

Yarn staples

Lightly combed = good penetration

Carded and combed= fairly good penetration

Tightly packed = poor penetration

The shape of the fiber filament affects

appearance
Wool fibers are crimped and create an
absorbent surface

Structure of a wool fiber

The size of the yarn and the way it is plied

will affect the finished material

Weave structure affects color and

appearance of the dyed piece

Wool fiber comes in different colors from

the animal

Heat, agitation and moisture cause wool

fiber to felt: wool fiber after it is felted

Wool fabric after fulling

After: the fibers
Have locked together

Before

Resist Dyeing

Two Examples of Clamp Resist with Folding

Chemistry Lab

Removing the Dyed Piece

Placing in the Rinse Tank

Larkspur