Influence of acetated‐based and bromo‐based ionic liquids treatment on wool dyeing with acid blue 7

Bromo‐based and acetated‐based ionic liquids (ILs), 1‐butyle‐3‐methylimidazolium bromo (Bmim]Br), 1‐ethyl‐3‐mthylimidazolium bromo (Emim]Br), 1‐butyle‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate (Bmim]Ac), and 1‐ethyl‐3‐mthylimidazolium acetate (Emim]Ac), were synthesized and employed for wool surface treatment. Scanning electron microscope results indicated that the wool surfaces treated with acetated‐based ILs were eroded more than those treated with bromo‐based ILs. Comparable studies showed that the wool samples treated with acetate‐based ILs, especially Emim]Ac, had higher initial dyeing rate and equilibrium exhaustion than those with bromo‐based ILs. Along with treatment temperature and time increasing, acetate‐based ILs had more remarkable effects on mechanical and dyeing properties of the wool samples than bromo‐based ILs. The wool samples treated with Emim]Ac at 60°C for 10 min had excellent low‐temperature dyeing properties. The color depth (K/S) investigations showed that the wool samples treated with acetate‐based ILs possessed darker color depth than those treated with the bromo‐based ILs. Color fastnesses of the wool samples treated with Bmim]Br, Emim]Br and Bmim]Ac exhibited the same grades as the untreated sample, while wet color fastnesses of Emim]Ac treated sample were slightly decreased. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012