Fabric Color Changes in Polyester Micro-fibers Caused by the Multiple Reuse of Dispersed-dyes Dye Baths: Part 1

Abstract

Fabric color change is analyzed with three dispersed dyestuffs (C.I. Disperse Blue 56, C.I. Disperse Yellow 211 and C.I. Disperse Red 167:1) when 100% polyester micro-fiber dye baths are reused several times. The polyester fabrics were dyed with a single dyestuff, binary mixtures and ternary mixtures using different concentrations, but keeping the same shade. The color of the dyed samples was determined using colorimetry on the basis of the samples' reflectance measurements. The CIELAB color space coordinates ( L*, a*, b*, C* and h) were calculated together with the color differences Δ L*, Δa*, Δ b*, Δ Cab and Δ Hab between fabrics dyed in reuse dye baths and the standard fabric dyed in the initial dyeing process, and total color differences between two samples was calculated using the CMC ( l: c) equation, Δ ECMC(2:1). Graphics in the CIELAB color space were created using a Matlab algorithm. Part 2 of this study analyzes whether dye bath reuse technology can prove to be efficient when a fabric is dyed with binary and ternary mixtures.