Introduction of synthetic dyes
In 1864 Bismark brown, the first of a type of dye known as an azo dye,
was produced. These rapidly grew in importance until by the turn of
a century over half the synthetic dyes available were of this type.
Methods were also developed for producing azo dyes directly on fabric
with later improvements such dyes became very important in textile printing.
In 1873 the first sulphur dye was produced. These were relatively cheap and easy to make and became widely used. Even today many dyes of this type are widely used, although the colours available are rather limited.
In 1884 Congo red was discovered, it was the first dye which could dye cotton directly, without the use of a mordant to fix it on the fibres. Within a few years a wide range of this type of dye was available.
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