Textile fibres
To understand how textiles are dyed we need to know something about
the nature of the textiles themselves. Textile fibres are made from
relatively simple molecules that under the right conditions join together
to form long-chain molecules called polymers. These polymers in turn
come together in one of a number of ways to form a fibre. With natural
fibres nature has done the polymerisation, while in the man-made fibres
the chemistry of the fibres has been engineered in the laboratory to
produce a fibre that feels nice, can be woven or knitted, and can be
dyed.
Natural fibres
These include two main types:
- Protein fibres of animal origin, such as wool and silk
- Cellulosic fibres of plant origin, such as cotton, flax and jute
Man-made fibres
These include three main types:
- Synthetic polymers, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic
- Regenerated cellulose, such as viscose and lyocell
- Cellulose acetates, such as diacetate and triacetate
Dyeing can take place at various stages of textile production, for
example, on fibres, yarns, fabrics and garments.
Also See:
Dyes
and pigments: natural
Dyes
and pigments: synthetic
Fastness
tests
