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The Dyeing of a Blend of Wool and Fibrolane for the Hand Knitting Trade
Author(s) -
Cheetham R. C.
Publication year - 1953
Publication title -
journal of the society of dyers and colourists
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.297
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1478-4408
pISSN - 0037-9859
DOI - 10.1111/j.1478-4408.1953.tb02816.x
Subject(s) - dyeing , wool , formic acid , acetic acid , absorption (acoustics) , chemistry , lactic acid , materials science , acid dye , chemical engineering , composite material , chromatography , organic chemistry , biology , bacteria , engineering , genetics
The dyeing of a hand knitting yarn consisting of a blend of wool and Fibrolane has been investigated with a view to providing a method of obtaining dyeings of adequate wet fastness and softness of handle. Preliminary work on separate fibres showed the effect of acid solutions as used in normal wool‐dyeing methods on Fibrolane, and indicated the necessity of employing modified dyeing techniques if degradation of the fibre were to be avoided. It was found that pH control, and to a lesser degree temperature control, were essential, and as far as possible dyeing should be conducted at pH 4.0, using buffered solutions for the purpose; under these conditions imbibition by Fibrolane of water from acid solutions is at a minimum. Rate‐of‐dyeing curves for Fibrolane, wool, and a blend of the two, at various pH values between 2.0 and 7.0, show that Fibrolane has a high initial rate of absorption of dye at the lower pH values in this range; in a dyebath at pH 4.0 the absorption of acid is such that the final pH approaches neutral where acid is used alone, but with buffered acid solutions the pH can be stabilised much more readily, and remains about pH 4.0. Dyeing at pH 4.0 is most effectively conducted with a buffered solution based on an acid with a p K a value around 4, e.g. lactic, formic, or acetic acid. It was found necessary to use aggregated acid dyes to obtain the requisite wet fastness, which remained satisfactory with the modified method. Suggestions are made for assisting level dyeing.