Dyeing is applying dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics to achieve colour with the desired colour fastness. Dyeing is usually done in a unique solution containing dyes and particular chemical materials, depending on the type of dye.
TYPES OF DYEING AND PRINTING WITH THEIR INNOVATIONS
The different methods include fixing dye molecules to the fiber by diffusion, absorption, or bonding, with time and temperature being key controlling factors. The power of the bond between fiber and dye molecule depends on the dye used. Dyeing and printing are distinct applications; in printing, we apply colour to a localized area with desired patterns. In dyeing, we apply it to the entire textile.
The primary source of the dye
Historically, it has been nature, with the dyes being extracted from plants or animals. Since the mid of the 19th era, however, humans have produced artificial dyes to accomplish a broader variety of colours and to render the dyes more established to washing and general use. We use distinct classes of dyes for various fiber types and at different stages of the textile production procedure, from loose fibers through yarn and cloth to complete garments.
Acrylic fibers are dyed with basic dyes.
While we dye nylon and protein fibers such as wool and Silk with acid dyes, dispersed dyes are usually used with polyester. Cotton can be dyed with different dyes, including vat dyes and modern synthetic reactive and direct dyes.
The different classes of dyes that can be used and the fabrics they are suited best for.
Reactive dye is a commonly used dye in the textile industry. Naturally, it is a highly coloured organic substance and it's colour fastness properties are outstanding. Usually, reactive dyes apply to cotton, Silk, wool, linen, and viscose.
Disperse dye is another common dye used for textile and garments. Disperse dyes were initially developed for the dyeing of cellulose acetate and water insoluble. Commonly, it can be used for dyeing nylon, cellulose acetate, polyester and acrylic fiber. One thing to note is that the dyeing temperature is higher and requires more pressure for the dye bath.
This is generally used to dye cotton fibers or cotton fabrics. The popular sector of dye is mixed in all-purpose dyes with Acid dyes, the colour fastness property is usually improved after the dyeing treatment is completed.
There are different ways to dye the materials that make up our clothes. Read on to find out the different methods of dyeing fabrics.
Direct dyeing is putting dye directly on textiles without the use of an affixing agent. This method uses both natural and synthetic dyes for this process.
Top Dyeing
In this method, we remove the short threads before the dyeing process. Top refers to the long fibers of wool from which the short ones were removed and used for beaten yarn.
As its name suggests, yarn dyeing puts colour into yarn before it is woven or knitted into fabrics.
Package dyeing occurs while we wind the yarn on a small spool or tube, referred to as the package. Several yarn packages can fit into a dyeing machine at once, which makes the process less expensive.
Phases of the dyeing process
Absorption of the dye occurs on the fiber’s surface where the dye molecules migrate from the liquid phase (dye solution) to the stable level (fiber). The fiber surface here is understood not only as the visible outer surface of the fiber but also as the surface of the pores which may penetrate deep into the interior of the fiber. To a large degree, this stage determines the uniformity of the colour of the end-use product.
The molecular diffusion of the dye is a result from the surface of the fiber to the interior of the fiber. This is a slow operation, which can be increased by increasing the temperature of the dye solution. Higher temperature also tends to increase the swelling of fiber.
The Fixation of dye occurs as a result of the creation of bonds between dye molecules and fiber molecules. The stability of the fixing depends on the type of bond that have been formed.
The fabric dyeing industry continues to make strides in developing technologies that make the processes more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Dyeing the yarn or fabric is more saturating and permanent then painting and last through many wearing and washings.
Now that you have a guided look on how textiles are dyed, you can go ahead and contact a manufacturer to source you the right fabrics for your clothing line.
Get in touch with the Always Trendin team to see if they can source a particular colourway that your clothing line needs.
