Franklin Beech

“ This group of colouring matters comprises dye-stuffs of both natural and artificial origin, the latter of which are getting very numerous and valuable, and bid fair to displace the natural members of the group. With but few exceptions the adjective dye-stuffs are not colouring matters of themselves, i.e., they will not dye wool or other fibres by themselves. Some are coloured bodies, such as fustic, logwood, Persian berries, Anthracene yellow, etc., but many are not so, and some possess but little colour, which, moreover, gives no clue to the colours that can be developed therefrom. ”

“ The next feature that influences the methods of dyeing wool is the varying properties of the dye-stuffs, or colouring matters. It is obvious that those which, like Magenta or Saffranine, have a strong affinity for the wool fibre must be dyed differently from those which, like Alizarine and Gambine, have no direct affinity for the wool fibre, and, further, which require the aid of mordants before they can be dyed, and on the character of which mordants the colour that is fixed on the fibre depends. ”

“ When wool is boiled with solutions of metallic salts, such as the sulphate of iron, chrome, aluminium and copper, the chlorides of tin, copper and iron, the acetates of the same metals, as well as with some other salts, decomposition of the salt occurs and a deposit of the metallic oxide on the wool is obtained with the production of an acid salt which remains in solution. ”

“ Although it is possible to dye wool with the basic dyes from a plain bath containing water only, yet the results are not satisfactory, especially when working on a large scale; and for dyeing pale shades especially, the affinity of the dye-stuff for the fibre is so great that the first portions of the goods which are entered into the dye-bath have a great tendency to absorb all the dye-stuff, or the larger proportion of it, so that uneven dyeing is the result, one end of the piece of cloth being darker than the other end. ”

“ 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. ”

“ The fastness of colours to light, air, rubbing, washing, soaping, acids and alkalies is a feature of some considerable importance, there are indeed few colours that will resist all these influences, and such are fully entitled to be called fast. The degree of fastness varies very considerably, some colours will resist acids and alkalies well, but are not fast to light and air; some will resist washing and soaping, but are not fast to acids; some may be fast to light, but are not so to washing. ”

“ After wetting or preparatory treatment, it will be best to proceed immediately to dyeing; if the fibres be left in a heap for too long a time, there is danger that they may become heated, or at least that the moisture may be irregularly distributed by the occurrence of partial drying, causing an uneven fixation of the colour in the first stages of dyeing. The first two conditions of successful dyeing are, therefore, a suitable wetting out and scouring. The dyer, however, must not be less careful to see that the dye-bath is what it ought to be. ”

“ Strong soap liquors have also some influence in the direction of increasing the felting, therefore soap should not be used if it can possibly be done without. Ammonia has not so strong a felting action as the other alkalies. Acids, on the other hand, exert a retarding action on the felting of the wool, and this is a matter of some interest and importance in the dyeing of wool, as an acid condition of the bath is necessary for dyeing by far the great majority of colouring matters on this fibre. ”

“ There are so many opportunities for it to go wrong, and to be able to set a woad vat successfully will go far to make a man a successful indigo dyer. No two woad vat dyers use exactly the same recipe in setting a woad vat, and each considers he has a secret art by means of which he ensures the successful working of this vat, and this he jealously guards. ”

“ Therefore (and especially in dyeing light shades on goods manufactured of shoddy) only a small quantity of soda or borax is to be added to the dye-bath and severe boiling is to be avoided. Wherever it is possible goods which are to be dyed in light shades should be made from the palest materials, and the dark qualities only used for goods which are to be dyed in dark shades. ”

“ It is best, however, not to take the wool out of the hot bath, but to leave it in until the bath becomes cool, and then to take it out, by this means the colour becomes deeper and more solid looking, and is faster on the wool.
One cause of irregular dyeing may be mentioned, as it is occasionally met with, namely, the presence of foreign fibres in the goods, cotton in wool fabrics, and even of different varieties of the same fibre. All dyers know that dead or immature cotton will not dye up properly, a fact or defect more especially met with in indigo dyeing than probably in any other colour. ”

“ Metals of all kinds must be avoided, as they lead to a decomposition of the peroxide, and therefore a loss of material. To the bath so prepared just enough ammonia should be added to make it alkaline, a condition that may be ascertained by using a red litmus paper, which must just turn blue. Into the bath so prepared the well-scoured goods are entered and worked well, so that they become thoroughly saturated. They are then lightly wrung and exposed to the air for some hours, but must not be allowed to get dry, because only so long as they are moist is the bleaching going on ”

“ By the chloring of the wool the intensity of the shade dyed is increased to such a degree that when dyeing with Acid black, Naphthol black, Naphthol green, Nigrosine, Fast blue, Water blue, and some others dyed in an acid bath, but little more than half the dye used on unchlored wool is required, while with Induline, more even and intense shades are obtained than is otherwise possible. ”

“ To obtain good results it is needful that the dyer of union fabrics should be a man of keen observation and have a thorough knowledge of the dyes he is using, for each dye makes a rule to itself as regards its power of dyeing wool and (p. 169) cotton; some go better on to the cotton than on to the wool, and vice versa. Some dye wool best at the boil, others equally well below that heat; some go on the cotton at a moderate temperature, others require the dye-bath to be boiling; some will go to the cotton only and appear to ignore the wool. ”

“ First there is a small quantity of dirt; there is what is called the suint, a kind of soapy matter, which can be removed by washing in hot water. This soap has for its base potash, while its acids are numerous and complex. The wool contains a fatty-like substance of the nature of wax, called cholesterine, and this imparts to the fatty matter, which be extracted from the wool fibre, very peculiar properties. ”

“ While the shades are somewhat faster to light on wool than they are on cotton, they are no faster to soaping and in some cases not so fast. What may be the function of the salt, or other such added substance, is not very clear, probably it plays the same part as to similar bodies in dyeing the basic dye-stuffs. The dye-stuffs which are referred to above are all derived from coal-tar, and in the recipes which follow many examples of their use will be found. ”

“ Then again the dyes and mordants used in dyeing them are found to have some action on the wire of the carding engine through which they are passed; at any rate, a card does not last as long when working dyed wools as when used on undyed cotton or wool fibres. Yet for the production of certain fancy yarns for weaving some special classes of fabrics it is desirable to dye the wool before it is spun into thread. The best plan is undoubtedly to dye the fibre after it has been carded and partly spun into what is known as slubbing, or sliver. ”

“ The preparation of indigo extract or indigo carmine from indigo is also a case of sulphonation. The sulpho-acids of the azo colours, of the basic dyes, and of indigo are usually insoluble in water, although there are great differences in their properties in this respect. They will combine with bases such as soda, calcium and potash to form salts which are soluble in water, and it is usually in the form of sodium salts that these azo and acid dye-stuffs are sold to the dyer and calico printer. It is this power of combination with bases that makes them of value in wool dyeing. ”

“ When sulphuric acid is used as the assistant along with the bichrome, then there is formed on the wool fibre a deposit of chromic acid and chromium oxide, and this exerts an oxidising effect on the colouring matter or dye-stuff, which in some cases, as the Alizarine Blue, Alizarine Yellow, etc., leads to a destructive effect, and, therefore, the production of weak shades, so that it is not possible always to use an oxidising mordant. ”

“ The dyeing of the goods with the direct colours offers very little difficulty, and only requires that a little attention be paid, particularly to goods in which the cotton either appears on the surface forming a design, or is spun or twisted together with the wool. ”

“ The greater number of red shades are now dyed by means of the artificial dye-stuffs, as these are much easier to dye than are the natural dyes, and they give, on the whole, more even and brilliant shades, while as regards fastness to milling, acids, and light they are fully equal, and in most cases superior, to the natural dyes.
The Direct Red Dyes.--Of this group of red dye-stuffs, Benzopurpurine, Titan Scarlet, Diamine Fast Red F, and Benzo Fast Red are types; many of them have been found to be very serviceable in wool dyeing. ”

“ A careful washing is not enough for this purpose. Cleanliness is undoubtedly the condition which the fibre must possess to enable the dye to hold on and not to come off the fibre, this latter causes a loss of dye-stuff, soils the whites, and gives rise to trouble between the dyer and finisher; it is also (p. 078) the condition for making the dye go on the wool evenly. The washing must be done at the boil, so that the fibre is well wetted out and all the air bubbles adhering to it are driven out. ”

“ In some cases, as in dyeing with fustic or logwood, it gives rather brighter colours, due to the fact that the tanning matters present in the dye-stuffs is not fixed on the wool, as is the case with the mordanting method, but is retained in the dye-bath. For dyeing with logwood and copperas or bluestone the process is not a good one, as it does not give as full shades as by the ordinary process. For dyeing with the Alizarine colours, using chrome fluoride as the mordant, it can be applied with fair success. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Fine wools take up (p. 082) more colour than coarse, and, consequently, even from the same bath, will come out a deeper shade; if a fabric, therefore, contains the two kinds of cotton, or the two kinds of wool, they will not dye up evenly.
In the preceding sections brief notes have been given about the principal methods of dyeing wool, with some indications of the dyes which can be used under each method. In the succeeding sections will be given a number of recipes showing how, and with what dye-stuffs, various colours, shades and tints can be dyed upon wool. ”

“ Working at the boil should be avoided with indigo extract, as tending to make the shades greenish in tone; from 170° to 180° F. will usually be found hot enough to dye good shades.
Indigo extract is not much used by itself in dyeing blues on wool, but it is extensively employed along with other dye-stuffs to produce an immense variety of shades--drabs, greens, fawns, greys, lilacs, etc., of which some examples will be given later on.
Indigo Blue.--Prepare a bath with 10 lb. indigo extract, 5 lb. sulphuric acid, and 10 lb. Glauber's salt. Work just under the boil to shade. ”