Carpet Dye Systems – Part 1 Dye Basics Pre-Dye Methods.

Carpet Dye Systems – Part 1

Dye BasicsPre-Dye Methods

Color

To see color we need –1. A source of light2. A dye or a pigment

Color

White light is a blend of all colors.

We see color when some light is absorbed and other is reflected.

Light Sources

Not all light is white. For example florescent lights have more blue. Incandescent lights have more yellow.

Colors can appear to change due to light sources, shadows and reflections

Primary Colors Red, Yellow & Blue are Primary

colors. All other colors can be made by

blending the three primary colors. Yellow + Blue = Green Small and nearly equal amounts of all

three produce grays. Small unequal amounts of all three

gives shades of brown.

Dyes and Pigments

Dyes are liquids. Think of them as being absorbed into the fiber.

Like drops of food coloring in a glass of water, dyes blend to give the final color.

Pigments are solids. They can coat a surface as paint does.

When Is a Carpet Dyed?

Carpet can be dyed at many points in the manufacturing process.

Pre-Dyeing means fibers are dyed before being made into carpet.

Processes that add color later are called Post-Dye methods.

Scott’s Rule-of-Thumb

The earlier in the process that color is added, the more stable the color is.

Solution Dyeing

Colored pellets are added prior to extrusion.

Color is all the way through the fiber like the color in a carrot compared to a radish.

This color resists chemicals, bleach and even sun fading

Solution Dyeing

Colored pelletsadded to olefinor nylon

Molten material

Fibers are extruded through spinnerets, cooled and wound onto spools

Significance

Solution dyed carpets can be safely cleaned with aggressive chemicals such as Flex and Traffic Slam.

All olefin and some nylon, usually for the hospitality industry, is solution dyed.

Stock Dyeing Fiber stock is dyed before

being spun into yarn.

Fibers placed in kettles of dye under heat and pressure

Used for staple fibers

Large bales are blended for uniformity

Stock Dyeing

Staple fibers not yet spun into yarn

Kettle of dye

Significance

Stock dye is often used for single colors in large rooms. Blending permits even color with no streaks.

Stock dyeing is for staple fibers and thus fuzzing is possible.

Be cautious using high pH chemicals. Colors are stable, but not as stable as solution dyed.

Yarn Dyeing Similar to stock dyeing, but done

after the fibers are spun into yarn.

Very even color for small batches but hard to match dye lots from one batch to the next. Can’t be blend with other batches since it is already spun into yarn

Expensive due to extra labor

Yarn Dyeing

Skeins of yarn

Kettle of dye

Significance Frequently used for custom

patterns with CYP (computerized yarn placement)

Use of pH higher than 10 can contribute to color loss. Use such products only as a last resort.

Custom Yarn Placement using yarn dyed fibers.

Courtesy of Burton Carpet

Rosen Plaza Hotel

Courtesy of Templeton Carpet Mills

Space Dye

Long lengths of yarn are knitted into a tube or sock.

Various colored dyes are sprayed onto the sock.

The yarn is unraveled or “de-knitted” resulting in a multi-colored yarn.

When tufted into carpet the yarn will appear to have random color variations or a heather appearance.

Significance

Lacking heat or pressure, dyes do not penetrate deeply into the yarn.

Colors can be lost due to heavy wear, fading from chemicals, sunlight or gases in the air.

Coming Attractions

In part 2 we will consider post-dye methods.

Space Dyeing Continuous Range Beck Dyeing Printing