| Abstract: | The levelling properties of nine reactive dyes containing one or two sulphatoethylsulphone reactive groups or one sulphatoethylsulphone and one monochlorotriazine reactive groups have been investigated. A novel test method specifically applicable to reactive dyes has been used in order to evaluate levelling. Undyed and dyed cotton samples were simultaneously dyed in the same bath and the fractions of the additional dye fixed on each of the cotton samples were determined afterwards. A dye distribution index has been proposed that predicts reactive dye levelling according to whether the index exceeds 50% or not. The index was found to depend not only on the nature of the dyes, but also on the concentration of the dye fixed on cotton, the dyeing temperature and the salt concentration in the dye liquor. In redyeing tests the degrees of primary and secondary exhaustion and of dye fixation were measured as a function of concentration of the dye fixed on cotton. Finally a satisfactory correlation was found between the index and the classical inorganicity/organicity value of the dyes. The results also suggest that the levelling properties depend on the degree of dye aggregation. |
