The Effect of Weighting Salts on the Rate of Dye Absorption and Wash Fastness of Silk Yarns

Abstract

There is chemical relationship between the protein fibers, wool and silk. Therefore silk can be dyed by the same methods as used for wool. Mordant dyes are used to increase dye absorption and wash fastness of wool and silk. In this paper weighing is used instead of mordanting process. A comparison was made by using mordant dyes to see the difference between degummed silk yarns and weighted silk yarns, dyed by the same dyestuff. Salt such as Zn(NO3)2, ZnCl2, Pb(NO3)2, Pb(CH3COO)2 were used for weighting silk and then dyed with 3 mordant dyes: C. I. Mordant orang6, C. I. Acid blue 158, C. I. Mordant brown 33. The results demonstrate that the wash fastness and dye absorption of the samples were improved, which it depends on dye structure. It is advantageous to replace some of the lost weight of silk (during degumming process) and achieve a desirable change in dye uptake and wash fastness.