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Dyeing:
Dyeing is the process of adding color to textile products like fibers, yarns,
and fabrics. Dyeing

is

containing dyes and

particular

dye molecules have

normally

done

chemical

uncut chemical

in

material.

bond with

fiber

special solution
After

dyeing,

molecules.

The

temperature and time controlling are two key factors in dyeing. There are
mainly two classes of dye, natural and man-made.
The primary source of dye, historically, has generally been nature, with
the dyes being extracted from animals or plants. Since the mid-18th
century, however, humans have produced artificial dyes to achieve a
broader range of colors and to render the dyes more stable to resist
washing and general use. Different classes of dyes are used for different
types of fiber and at different stages of the textile production process,
from loose fibers through yarn and cloth to completed garments.

Vat Dye
Vat dyes are a class of dyes that are classified as such because of the
method by which they are applied. Vat dyeing is a process that refers to
dyeing that takes place in a bucket or vat. Almost any dye, including fiberreactive dyes, direct dyes, and acid dyes, can be used in a vat
dye. Cotton, wool, and other fibers can be all dyed with vat dyes. The
original vat dye is indigo, once obtained from plants but now produced
synthetically

Why So Called Vat Dye?

The word vat means, Vessel. The dyes take their name from vatting.
The vat dyes are naturally coloring matter and kept in wooden vat and
make solubilise vat dyes by the process of formantation so it is called
vat dyes. They are applied in a special kind of a dyebath in which the dye

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is reduced to a soluble form by means of a strong reducing agent, such as

hydrosulphite. The vat dyes are insoluble and cannot be used directly and
requires vatting. Among all the dyes, it has the best fastness properties.
History
The vat dye is found amongst the oldest natural coloring matters used for
textiles. Indigo has been known in India since the earliest periods of which
historical records exist. According to the writings of Julius Caesar the
ancient Britons used Wood to stain their Bodies and faces and Tyrian
purple was exported from Tyre to the Mediterranean countries nearly 4000
years ago. Tyrian purple is extracted from a shell fish and is therefore of
animal origin but woad and indigo exist in plants, combined with glucose
in the form of glucosides the vat dyes are all insoluble in water and cannot
be used for dyeing without modification when treated with reducing
agents they are converted into leuco compounds all of which are soluble
in water in the presence of alkalis. These leuco compounds are
substantive towards cellulose and reoxidize to the insoluble coloured
pigment within the fibre when exposed to air. The leuco compounds are
often colourless or of quite a different colour from the product of
oxidation.
Vat dyes so named: the word vat means vessel. The dye takes their
generic name from vatting , the vat dyes are naturally obtained colouring
matter from the ancient time and kept into wooden vat and make
solubilise in vat by the process of fermentation so it is called vat dye.

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Materials suited for vat dying

Although almost all dyeing can be done in a vat, the term vat dye is used
to describe a chemical class of dyes that are applied to cellulosic fibre (i.e.
cotton) using a redox reaction as described below. Because of the use of
caustic soda, and the very high pH of the dye bath in the dyeing process,
wool cannot be dyed using vat dyestuffs. Wool is soluble in caustic soda
solutions. It is possible to dye wool at room temperatures with indigo (vat
blue 1) and other low substantive vat dyes using soda ash as the alkali
source with very little strength loss. Vat red 10, vat violet 13 and vat
orange 1 can be applied in this manner as well.

Light-oxidized vat dyes

Inkodye is a type of vat dye that uses light rather than oxygen to "fix" the
dye, with a wide variety of possible effects. These dyes, which are
chemically similar to vat dyes, are developed by light instead of being
applied in an oxygen-free bath and being developed in the fabric by
exposure to oxygen. Inkodyes are true dyes, not fabric paints. A dye itself
attaches to the fabric; fabric paint includes a glue-like binder, which
imparts a stiffer feeling to the fabric. The process is more difficult than tiedyeing.

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Chemical structures
Many vat dyes are derivatives of indigo dye. For example, vat blue 2 and 3
are halogenated or methylated derivatives and so are several violets.
Many other vat dyes are derivatives of anthroquinones.

Blue vat dyes

Vat Blue 1, commonly known asindigo dye

Vat Blue 4

Vat Blue 20, aka Violanthrone

Vat Blue 21

Vat Blue 25

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Vat Blue 26

Vat Blue 30

Vat Blue 36

Vat Blue 64

Green vat dyes

Vat Green 1

Vat Green 3

Vat Green 8

Vat Green 9
Vat Green 11
Vat Green 12
Orange vat dyes

Vat Orange 1

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Vat Orange 2

Vat Orange 3

Vat Orange 9

Vat Orange 15

Vat Orange 17

Violet vat dyes

Vat violet 15

Vat Violet 18

Red vat dyes

Vat Red 10

Vat Red 13

Vat Red 18

Vat Red 28

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Vat Red 28

Vat Red 29

Brown vat dyes

Vat Brown 1

Vat Brown 3

Vat Brown 45

Black vat dyes

Vat Black 25

Vat Black 27

Vat Black 29

Yellow vat dyes

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Vat Yellow 1

Vat Yellow 4

Vat Yellow 10

Vat Yellow 12

Vat Yellow 20

Vat Yellow 28

Classification of Vat Dyes

The vat dyes are to be divided into several groups, depending upon their
chemical nature and origin, as follows:
(a) Indigo, including both natural and Synthetic

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(b) Thio-indigo dyes, containing sulphur.

(c) Indigo derivatives, such as the brom-indigos; usually not derived
directly from indigo itself, but built up synthetically.
(d) Anthraquinone derivatives, including the various Indanthrene, Marione,
Algol dyes, some Helindone, and others.
(e) Carbazol derivatives, of which Hydron Blue is the chief representative

Properties:
Here are some highlights of the common properties of Vat dye:

Superior color fastness properties, which are exceptional in other

dye classes

Needs vatting for application

Water insoluble dyes

A number of colors can be produced

Rubbing fastness is not good, but is can be easily lessened with

special treatments to the fabric

Especially used for cellulose fiber with PH (measure of hydrogen ion

concentration) control.

Classification of Vat Dyes depend on properties:

Depending upon the properties one popular classification of vat dyeing
substances has been developed which is given below:

The 1N (indanthrene normal)-group of dyeing temperatures of 600C.

In such dyeing substances no salt is added to the dye bath because
they have high portion of leuco dyes for cotton.

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The 1W (indanthrene Warm) - group of dyeing temperatures of

500C. In such dyeing substances some addition of salt is required so
to aid exhaustion.

The IK- group of dyeing substances requires low concentration of

NaOH with dyeing temperature of 200C.

Equipment and Chemicals:

Bleached 100% cotton ...................(8" x 24")
C. I. Vat Green 1........................... (20 g/L) Indanthrene Green FFG
Dispersing agent ............................(10 g/L)
Alginate NVS ................................(sodium alginate, 1 g/L)
Soap solution .................................(50 g/L)
NaOH solution ..............................(100 g/L)
Sodium hydrosulfite (hydros).......... (100 g/L)
Sodium chloride solution .................(100 g/L)

Application of Vat Dye

Stages in Dying :
(i)Vatting

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(ii) Dying
(iii) Oxidation
Theory of Vat Dyeing:
The simplest arrangement for dyeing fabric is to pull the textile material
through the dyebath so that the dye can exhaust on to the fabric surface.
Low liquor ratios and the addition of common salt or Glauber's salt both
promote such exhaustion. In some cases, the addition of acid also
promotes exhaustion. If the dye is only partially soluble in water and likely
to be exhausted unevenly, the addition of soap or sodium carbonate may
promote leveling. A dyeing is considered to be level if all parts of all fibers
have been penetrated evenly and completely. Machines for this type of
dyeing are called batch machines.

Package and beam machines for yarns.

Jigs for open width fabrics

Winches for woven and knitted fabrics in rope form

Jet dyeing machines for knitted fabrics in rope form.

Paddle machines for sewn products like bedspreads

Smith drums for nylon hosiery or special machines for nylon hosiery

If a dye is not soluble in water, as is the case with vats, it may be applied
to the fabric as a dispersion by a padder. Once the insoluble vat dye has
been uniformly applied to the fabric surface, usually with the aid of special
dispersing agents (detergents), it can be solubilized by reaction with a
reducing agent, e.g., sodium hydrosulfite ("hydros", Na2S2O4) in dilute
NaOH. Once it has been converted to its soluble (LEUCO) form, the vat dye
can penetrate into the cotton fibers. After adequate time for penetration
to occur, the fabric is withdrawn from the bath and oxidized by air or an

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oxidizing agent such as sodium perborate or hydrogen peroxide. This

process is schematically represented below.

pad

hydros

Vat dye (insol) on fabric surface

LEUCO form (soluble)

NaOH

Before chemical reducing agents were readily available, vat dyes were
converted to their soluble leuco form by fermentation of organic matter in
wood tubs called vats. This method of reduction and application is the
source of the name for this class of dyes. Once the vat dyes have been
regenerated inside the fiber, they are very insoluble. This accounts for
their excellent wash fastness. Because they can be applied as a dispersion
by padding, solubilized by reduction, and finally reoxidized when inside
the fibers, vats are well- suited to continuous dyeing operations. Such
treatments

exhibit

number

of

advantages:

a) Very efficient use of the dye. All that is made up can be applied.
b) The insoluble vat is very evenly distributed over the fabric surface,
leading to

level

dyeings

c) Continuous processes are normally more economical processes than

batch processes

Problems with anthraquinone dyes

A number if chemical problems aruse with some quinone vat dyes . these
include:
1. Multiple reduction steps for poluquinones such as iudanthrone;
2. Isomerusm of leuco compounds to oxanthrones;

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3. Hydrolysis of amide groups;

4. Over-oxidation after dyeing;
5. Dehalogenation of some dyes,

To

minimize

these

types

of

problems

the

suppliers

recommendations for vatting and dyeing must be followed.

Indanthrone (Cl var blue 4) and some of its derivatives show a number of
these problems indanthrone has two anthraquinoe residues in its
molecule. The normal blue leuco compound used in dyeing is that
corresponding to the reduction of one of the anthraquinone groups (5, in
figure 17.5). If both anthraquinone groups are reduced. The final product
(6) gives a brownish yellow solution. Has poor substantivity for cotton and
is more difficult to oxidize. Such over-reduction produces duller blue
dyeing of lower colour yield.

Referneces:
http://royceintl.jimdo.com/2013/02/05/vat-dyes-properties-classificationmuch-more/
http://textilelearner.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-so-called-vat-dyeclassification-of.html#ixzz37ArEfGAm
http://textilelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/02/vat-dye.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vat_dye
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyeing

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