Glossary of textile terms

 BATIK OETORO

 

Glossary of textile termsThis is where we try to make things clear. This is necessary so that we can all communicate on the same level and simplify all this confusion. The words listed here are pretty much industry standard, but you will find some specific terms used by various segments of the industry. If you don't see what you are looking for, please notify us so that we can add it. And if you disagree with it then that's OK too.

Selecting the first letter of the word from the list above will take youto the appropriate section of the glossary.

Acetic Acid 30%A concentrated liquid acid eleven times stronger than household vinegar. Used in dyeing wool, silk, nylon and polyester.

Albatex - see Resist Salt L  Alginate - see ManutexNaturally occuring substance found only in sea weed. Sodium Alginate is principal product, which dissolves in water to form a viscous solution.

 Alizarin The red colouring matter of the madder root.

AlkanetPlant dye (also called ox tongue)WHERE FROM: South American plantWHAT FOR: Textile dyesWHY USED: Color: red to brown

 

AlumPotassium, Aluminum Sulfate. Mordant, seals the surface of fabric or paper prior to marbling .

   

Ammonium SulfateA mild acid forming salt used with Acid Dyes. Used to insure levelness for light to medium shades.

Anti-Chlor

see Sodium metabisulfite

Anionic;All compounds have an electrical rating for compatibility purposes. Anionic compounds are positive in nature and will blend with like charges or compounds that are nonionic (No charge).

 

AuxiliaryThe products necessary to assist dyeingAzoic DyesDyes which are produced directly in the fibre by the combination of their constituents. See Naphtol Dyes.

Base extenderMix with colour concentrates to make textile paints for screenprinting, hand painting or stenciling. Added to colour to achieve pastel shades.

 

BinderConcentrated binder to hold pigment colour on the fabric. Use 50-100ml per liter of solution

British gumBurnt starch gum.Thickener for discharge printing with hypochlorite bleach.

Calgonmetaphosphate - water softener

CatechuExtract from Heartwood of the tropical mimosa plant (from the Javanese acacia family)Used as Mordant for textile dyes and leather tannersWHY USED: Color: brown

 

CationicAll compounds have an electrical rating for compatibility purposes. A

cationic compound has a negative charge and will only mix with a like compound, or a nonionic compound (no charge). It should be noted that because of this difference, pigment garment dyeing has been greatly simplified.

CarragheenExtract of "Irish Moss" used to make a "floating" bath for marbling. Considered superior to any other material, it gives a very sharp image definition.

Carrier

The dyeing auxiliary required when immersion dyeing to dye polyester with Polysol Dyes.Good ventilation is mandatory as is the use of a respirator.

 Caustic Soda Flakes ( Lye)Sodium Hydroxide. Strong alkali used with vat dyes such as Indigo. Wear protective clothing, when mixing and have good ventilation. Always add Caustic Soda to cold water!! It is corrosive.

 Citric Acid CrystalsSubstitute for Acetic Acid 30%. Use 1 teaspoon to replace 2 teaspoon Acetic Acid 30%.

 Colorless ExtenderA marbling color without the color. Use colorless extender as a marbling color if you want your fabric color to be part of the design. It is also used to slow the spread of fast colors. Apply drops of colorless extender on the Methyl Cel base, then apply drops of marbling color on top. 

Condies Crystals - see Potassium Permanganate

 

 

Direct Dye;A dyestuff that coats the cellulosic fiber through the application of an electrolyte (salt) and temperature (140F-180F). This type of dyestuff requires an after treatment to gain washfastness.

Disperse DyesDyes that are insoluble in water which are applied to the fibre as a

fine suspension or "dispersion"

 DrimafixA liquid used with all Drimarene-K reactive Dyes to fix hand painted applications at room temperature without steaming.

Drimarene - KFibre reactive dye (Sandoz 1958) Brilliant colours, Stable in aqueous solution. Very long shelf life.

Drimalan - FReactive dye for silk and wool

DR-33An industrial Guar gum used to thicken dyes and the burn-out/devore paste during burn out processes. Extremely stable.Won't break down under strong acid or alcaline conditions.

Dye ActivatorSee Soda Ash   DyefixCataionic agent. Used on cotton to improve wash fastness of Solar Dyes (direct dyes)Can be used as an after treatment od fibre reacive dyes if adequate washing facilities are not available.

Electrolyte;The compound or liquid added to a dyebath to force the color out of the water and onto the fabric.Exhaustion RateThe rate at which the color goes on the fabric. Exhaustion is different for different colors and should be considered when a new process is developed and adjusted for. Colors exhaust on an uneven curve according to the electrolyte content of the dyebath.

 

ExtendersWhen a specific type is not specified e.g.; Shelf Life Extender, this usually indicates a product that is used for diluting the original product, therefore extending the use of it.

Fiber Etchsee Sodium bisulphate

Fluorescent PigmentIn simple terms, it is an epoxy type resin stained with various acid and basic dyestuffs. There are only three truly fluorescent colors. They are Pink, Yellow, and Orange. The fluorescent dye stuffs used are Favine Yellow and Rhodamine Red. Once these cakes are formed, they are then ground to a micron particle size, usually around 4 microns.

 

FormosulSodium Formaldehyde Sulfoxylate. Also known as RONGALIT.It is the preferred discharge agent for silk and wool which requires steaming. Will not dammage delicate silk.

Glauber SaltSodium Sulfate. Use in place of common salt when dyeing wool, nylon and silk with acid dyes. May also be used with reactive dyes, especially turquoise, to increase color yield.

Glycerine (Glycerol)Solvent and hydroscopic agent

Guar Gum - See DR-33An industrial gum used to thicken the burn-out/devore paste during burn out processes. Won't break down under strong acid conditions.

GuttaA liquid "resist", which forms a barrier on the fabric to create a pattern. It may be water soluble (Super Gutta or Serti Gutta) solvent soluble (solvent based gutta)

 Hydrogen PeroxideBleaching & oxidising agent (vat dyes)

HumectantA non-hazardous chemical added to retard drying. For liquid colorant and water base screen inks, it is usually Polyethylene Glycol. (PEG). But Urea is used extensively in reactive printing.

Invalon P  

Carrier for dyeing polyester - see Polysol Carrier

LudigolSodium Salt of m-Nitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid.Also known as Resist Salt L.A mild oxidizing agent which prevents reduction of Reactive Dyes during the curing and setting stage of printing and hand painting. Necessary when using Hot Reactive Dyes but optional for cold Reactive Dyes.

LyeSee Caustic Soda flakes

LyogenDyeing assistant for Drimalan-F, used to obtain level colors. Powerfull wetting agent.

Manutex FLow viscosity, high solids Sodium Alginate thickener for all reactive dyes. Primarily used for silk, wool & synthetic fabrics when fine line definition is of importance.

 

 Manutex RSHigh Viscosity, low solids Sodium Alginate thickener for all reactive dyes. Primarily used for cotton. May also be used for silk and synthetics when type of pattern painted or printed does not require fine line definition as in block printing.

Marbling Surfactant - See Oxgal

MercerizingA treatment of celullosic cloth with caustic soda (Lye) in order to make it more receptive to dyeing.

MetaphosphateSodium Hexametaphosphate. The active ingredient in "Calgon" Use as a water softener in hard water areas.

Methyl Cel M112Methylcellulose. Clear efficient base for floating colors when marbling. Once mixed, it can last up to four months.

Modified Basic DyesExeptionally brilliant dyes, known as Astrazones, capable of dyeing acetate and acrylic fibre.

MommeA Japanese weight equal to 3.75 grams which is applied to a piece of fabric measuring 25 yards by 1.49 inches (an area of 1.035 square yards) Thus a 1 momme silk would weigh 3.62 grams per square yard.An 8 momme silk would weigh about 1 oz per square yard. Habutai is woven from 2.5 to 60 momme. China silk is commonly in the 8 to 14 momme range. Momme is abreviated by 'mm'

Naphtol ASProduct of Beta Naphtol, the coupling compound with which the cloth is is first impregnated. The colour is subsequently formed on the cloth after printing or submersing with the second component; a Fast Colour Salt

NonionicAll compounds and chemicals have an electrical rating for compatibility purposes. A nonionic agent has no electrical charge and will blend with either cationic or anionic agents.

 

OxgallLiquid added to marbling colors that tend to sink into the Carrageen base. Add two to three drops until colors float properly.

 

 

Pad Batch Dying;A Process whereby material is saturated with a liquor made from Reactive Dye, Salt, and Alkalai. The material is allowed to sit in a sealed container for a predetermined time to "React". The material is then hot washed and rinsed and an aftertreat is applied.

 

Paddle Dyeing;A process of dyeing textiles in a machine that gently move the goods using paddles similar to a paddle wheel on a boat. This is a slow process, but there is extremely little abrasion on the

goods.

Penatrant;Any agent used to increase the penetration of a colorant into a substrate. Usually they are a blend of surfactants with specific properties for a given substrate.

Piece Dying or Piece Goods Dyeing;The process whereby textiles are dyed in their whole form, prior to cutting and sewing.

Pigment;A dry colorant that requires dispersion and grinding to become a useable ink or dye. They are considered to be environmentally safe in dry form and only run into problems after dispersion. Check your MSDS or HMIS for health and handling warnings.

Procion dyeFibre reactive dyes (ICI 1955) simple to use. Not stable in aqueous solution. Limited shelf life. Expensive to use ;about half way price between vat and direct dyes. High degree of fastness.see Drimarene-K also Reactive dyes

Potasium PermanganateStrong oxidising agent. Used in reducing (bleaching) dyeings with Indigo and Soga 91. Will dammage cloth if used in strong concentrations.

PigmentInsoluble colours which have no substantivity for the fibre. They are fixed by being mixed with a binder which provides bond between them and the fibre.

Polyester CarrierThe dyeing auxiliary required when immersion dyeing to dye polyester with Polysol Dyes. Good ventilation is mandatory as is the use of a respirator

 

Reactive dyesClass of dyes that chemically react with cellulose in presence of weak alkalai to form a strong colour bond. Procion was developed by ICI in 1955, followed by Drimarene-K (Sandoz), Levafix (Bayer), Remazol (Hoechst) & Cibacron (Ciba). Three determinig factors for reactive dyeing are time, temperature, and alkalai ReductionIn textile technology, this term means eithrer the removal of oxygen from a sustance, or the addition of Hydrogen

Resist Salt LSodium Salt of m-Nitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid. Also known as Ludigol. A mild oxidizing agent that prevents reduction of Reactive Dyes during the curing and setting stage of printing and hand painting. Necessary when using hot Reactive Dyes but optional for cold Reactive Dyes.

RongalitTrade name for Formosul (sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate) usedas colour remover.

SablostaticDyes that Vapourise and transfer when heated

ScourThe removal of impurities from fabric by means of washing with detergent and the addition of other assistants - such as solvents. The process will vary with the type of fiber.

Soda AshSodium Carbonate. Use as an alkali fixative for reactive dyes.

Sodium Acetate CrystalsAn acid forming salt that acts as a leveling agent for Acid dyes. Sodium Acetate is a granular powder.

Sodium BicarbonateBicarbonate of Soda or Baking Soda. Weak alkali used in setting reactive dyes on silk by steaming. Use 2-5g per litre of dye solution.

Sodium BisulphiteColorless to white crystals that form a very strong acid when dissolved in water. Used to burn out cellulose from cotton and cotton blend fabrics. It is CORROSIVE to skin & eyes in

Sodium HydrosulfiteReducing agent for preparing Synthetic Indigo Dye. Also used as bleaching agent for Direct (Solar) dyes and some Fiber Reactive dyes.

Sodium HypochloriteBleaching agent. Household bleach commonly contains 3.2% Sod.Hypochlorite

Sodium MetabisulfiteAlso known as Anti-Chlor used to neutralize chlorine from bleached fabric.

Sodium SulphateUse in place of common salt when dyeing wool, nylon and silk with acid dyes. It is used with reactive dyes, (especially Turquoise, Scarlet & Green) to increase color yield.

SublimationChemical conversion of a solid substance directly into vapour by the means of heat. On cooling the substance re-solidifies.

Termosoling - TheromfixationFixation by dry heat or 'baking'

T.R.O.Or Turkey Red Oil.Sulphonated Castor Oil, stabiliser and softener of Naphtol dye bath.

T.U.D.Thiourea Dioxide. A safe replacement for Sodium Hydrosulfite in vat dyeing, discharge printing and general color stripping on cellulose fibers. Non flammable. Good shelf life if stored in a dry location. Five times stronger than Sodium Hydrosulfite.

Ultraviolet (U.V.)The low end of the visable light spectrum which extends below visable range. This frequency of light is considered the culprit in color fading as well as causing skin cancer.

UreaA synthetic nitrogen compound used as a humectant in printing and painting with all classes of dyes. Also acts as a dye solubilizing agent with reactive dyes when the amount of dye used exceed the solubility of that dye.

VatA vessel , or a liquor containg a reduced (leuko) vat dye.e.g. Indigo

Vat dyesInsoluble dyes that are applied to the fibre in an alkaline solution of the dye in a reduced (leuko) form. They are subsequently fixed by oxidising them back to its insoluble form. Vat dyes have a very high fastness.