Living · 6 pages · 12 min
How dye binds some fibers and not others
A dye stays only when its chemistry can react with, enter, or be trapped by that fiber.
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From the opening
Dye binds when the dye molecule and the fiber have a way to hold each other, by a chemical link, by dissolving into the fiber, or by being trapped there as an insoluble color. If that match is missing, the color sits on the surface and leaves when the cloth is washed. The opening covers reactive dyes link to cellulose, acid dyes bind protein fibers, and disperse dyes dissolve into polyester.
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Inside
- Reactive dyes link to cellulose
- Acid dyes bind protein fibers
- Disperse dyes dissolve into polyester
- A wash reveals a missing bond
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Fiber-reactive, acid, and disperse dye classes
- Vat dyeing with indigo as a trapped pigment