subject: The Different Aspects Of A Solvent Dye [print this page] When it comes to hitting the right chord with consumers, manufacturers today understand the demands of the market. They understand that the taste of the consumer is rapidly changing with an emphasis on more vibrant and colorful stuff. This customization of colors can only be achieved with the use of dyes. There are different types of dyes used for the coloring of different types of substrates. Solvent dyes are one of the commonest types of dyes used in the dyeing industry. It was a common myth in the past that solvent dye could be used for coloring of plastics. Although a majority of applications in the plastic industry such as acetates, nylon, polyester, acrylics, PVC,PMMA, PETP, polystyrene and styrene monomers makes use of these dyes. However today it is used on a variety of substrates that include a wide range of materials such as textiles yarns, vinyl and automobiles.
The section below helps to focus on the various aspects of a solvent dye,
Solubility -These dyes are soluble in most of the organic solvents but do not exhibit the property of ionization. Ionization is a process in which the dye breaks down in to acidic and basic ions when distributed in an aqueous medium. Hence, unlike most dyes that are soluble due to their chemical property of ionization, solvent dyes are limited to specific solvents.
Naming The nomenclature or the naming of these dyes is done by using the word solvent that is then followed by name of the base color of the dye and its unique number.
Process of dyeing- The dye is generally dissolved in the material that needs to be dyed which is either a lipid or a non-polar solvent. These dyes are generally used as solution that is dissolved in an organic solvent. These dyes lose their ionization properties as a large number of these dyes as azo dyes in which the rearrangement of molecules has taken place. This rearrangement also makes these dyes dissolve in triglycerides along with other types of ethers, Ketones, alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, oils, fats, waxes and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
Applications In many applications, solvent dye is used directly on the surface of the substrate that needs to be colored. These dyes have various types of applications that include marking pens, inks used for printing, pens, candles, waxes, polishes, leather, wood stains, acrylic resins, shellacs and varnishes. Other areas of its applications may include signaling of smoke, pyrotechnics, coloring lubricants and industrial cutting sector. Even the field of medicine widely makes use of these dyes for the differential coloring of cellular structures for clinical diagnosis.
