How are different Dyes made?
Dying a cloth
Dyes are colour substances which impart their colour to the fabrics on which they are applied and for which they have a chemical affinity. Until the middle of the last century the dyes available were natural products obtained. The most important breakthrough in this field was made in 1856 with the discovery of the first synthetic dye by william Henry Perkin. This was mauveine a bluish-purple dye discovered accidentally by william perkin during experiments aimed at synthesizing the drug quinine.
These synthetic dyes were satisfactory when used with animal fibres such as wool but they were easily washed off from vegetable fibres like cotton. After dyes a large number of azo dyes were developed. Azo dyes are two component dyes used for cellulose fibres. The material is first treated with one component and then put in the solution of the other component react to produce a dye within the fibres themselves. These dyes are highly resistant to washing. Today we have a large number of synthetic dyes obtained from coal tar or petroleum products which are not only used to colour textile but also plastic paper leather fur oil rubber soap food cosmetics ink and metal surfaces.