Dyeing conventional and microfiber polyester with disperse dyes

The small radius of microfibers causes some problems with the dyeing process and colorfastness of the dyed fabrics. In this study, we examine the high temperature (130degreesC) dyeing, light-fastness, and wash-fastness characteristics of seven different disperse dyes on both conventional (5.5 decitex per filament) and microfiber (0.56 decitex per filament) polyester. We analyze regression equations of build-up curves for different disperse dyes in 1/1 standard depth dyeings. Using a spectrophotometer, we determine K/S values at the appropriate lambda(max) for each dye. The extent of dye exhaustion is expressed in terms of color strength (K/S) using the Kubelka Munk equation. The results of our investigation show that polyester microfibers consume two to three times more disperse dye than conventional polyester fibers. The light-fastness level of polyester microfibers is less than conventional polyester. All the disperse dyes exhibit excellent wash-fastness for both conventional and microfiber polyester.