Optimization of dyeing parameters of cotton standardized samples for laundry test of dye transfer inhibition program

In order to prevent light-colored clothes from being stained by dyes released from dark clothes during the washing process, some new-type washing machines have developed the dye transfer inhibition washing program. However, there is no certified reference materials for the test of dye transfer inhibition function. To this end, cotton fabric and reactive dyes are used as experimental materials to prepare standardized samples to evaluate the dye transfer inhibition function of washing machines. Firstly, the single factor analysis method is used to analyze the significance of the dyeing parameters including dye dosage, dyeing temperature, sodium sulfate dosage and sodium carbonate dosage. Secondly, a 4-factor 5-level experimental design and theoretical prediction of the best dyeing parameters are successively carried out through central composite design and response surface method. Two evaluation indicators, the dye release amount of the standardized sample of dyed fabric and the color difference value of the standardized sample of white fabric after washing, are proposed as the response values for response surface analysis to search the optimal dying parameters in theory. The optimal dyeing parameters obtained through response surface analysis are that the dosage of dye is 5.63% (owf), the dyeing temperature is 60 °C, the dosage of sodium sulfate is 93.60 g/L, and the dosage of sodium carbonate is 15 g/L. Experimental results indicate that the standardized samples prepared with optimal dyeing parameters can effectively distinguish the dye transfer inhibition function of washing machines.

Preparation of certified reference materials for cotton fabric’s dye transfer inhibition performance test of household washing machines

At present, many well-known brands of washing machines in the market are equipped with dye transfer inhibition washing procedures. However, there is no standardized sample available for the evaluation of the dye transfer inhibition washing procedure, and there is no comparability and access standard of the high-quality washing machine with the related functions. In this article, the certified reference materials for the evaluation of the dye transfer inhibition function will be prepared, which consist of certified reference material of white cotton fabric and that of dyed cotton fabric. The certified reference material of white fabric is made of bleached plain fabric, and that of dyed fabric is made with different reactive red dyes and dyeing processes. The size and manufacturing process of the whole set of standardized samples for the evaluation of dye transfer inhibition are selected and determined through experiments. The preparation of the standardized sample for the evaluation of dye transfer inhibition will improve the research and design of the functional washing procedure, which can better solve the pain point when dark and light clothes are washed together.

Natural and synthetic polymers in fabric and home care applications

Polymers can be tailored to provide different benefits in Fabric & Home Care formulations depending on the monomers and modifications used, such as avoiding dye transfer inhibition in the wash, modifying the surface of tiles or increasing the viscosity and providing suspension properties to consumer products. Specifically, the rheology modification properties of synthetic and natural polymers are discussed in this chapter. The choice of a polymeric rheology modifier will depend on the formulation ingredients (charges, functional groups), the type and the amount of surfactants, the pH and the desired rheology modification. Natural polymeric rheology modifiers have been traditionally used in the food industry, being xanthan gum one of the most well-known ones. On the contrary, synthetic rheology modifiers are preferably used in paints & coats, textile printing and cleaning products.