From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids
- For the baseball player, see Jermaine Dye
Yarn drying after being dyed in the early American tradition, at
Conner Prairie living history museum.
A dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber.
Both dyes and pigments appear to be colored because they absorb some wavelengths of light while reflecting others. In contrast with a dye, a pigment generally is insoluble, and has no affinity for the substrate. Some dyes can be precipated with an inert salt to produce a lake pigment.
Archaeological evidence shows that, particularly in India and the Middle East, dyeing has been carried out for over 5000 years. The dyes were obtained from either animal, vegetable or mineral origin, with no or very little processing. By far the greatest source of dyes has been from the plant kingdom, notably roots, berries, bark, leaves and wood, but only a few have ever been used on a commercial scale.
[edit] Food dyes
One other class which describes the role of dyes, rather than their mode of use, is the food dye. Because food dyes are classed as food additives, they are manufactured to a higher standard than some industrial dyes. Food dyes can be direct, mordant and vat dyes, and their use is strictly controlled by legislation. Many are azoic dyes, although anthraquinone and triphenylmethane compounds are used for colours such as green and blue. Some naturally-occurring dyes are also used.
[edit] Other important dyes
A number of other classes have also been established, including:
- Oxidation bases, for mainly hair and fur
- Leather dyes, for leather
- Fluorescent brighteners, for textile fibres and paper
- Solvent dyes, for wood staining and producing coloured lacquers, solvent inks, colouring oils, waxes.
- Carbene dyes, a recently developed method for colouring multiple substrates
[edit] Chemical classification
By the nature of their chromophore, dyes are divided to: [1]
- Category:Acridine dyes, derivates of acridine
- Category:Anthraquinone dyes, derivates of anthraquinone
- Arylmethane dyes
- Category:Diarylmethane dyes, based on diphenyl methane
- Category:Triarylmethane dyes, derivates of triphenyl methane
- Category:Azo dyes, based on -N=N- azo structure
- Category:Cyanine dyes, derivates of phthalocyanine
- Category:Diazonium dyes, based on diazonium salts
- Category:Nitro dyes, based on a -NO2 nitro functional group
- Category:Nitroso dyes, based on a -N=O nitroso functional group
- Category:Phthalocyanine dyes, derivates of phthalocyanine
- Category:Quinone-imine dyes, derivates of quinone
- Category:Azin dyes
- Category:Eurhodin dyes
- Category:Safranin dyes, derivates of safranin
- Indamins
- Category:Indophenol dyes, derivates of indophenol
- Category:Oxazin dyes, derivates of oxazin
- Category:Oxazone dyes, derivates of oxazone
- Category:Thiazin dyes, derivates of thiazin
- Category:Thiazole dyes, derivates of thiazole
- Xanthene dyes, derived from xanthene
- Fluorene dyes, derivates of fluorene
- Category:Pyronin dyes
- Category:Rhodamine dyes, derivates of rhodamine
- Category:Fluorone dyes, based on fluorone
Also
- Category:Natural dyes
- Category:Metal complex dyes
- Category:Pigments
- Category:Inorganic pigments
[edit] External links
