MetalComplexdyes

Role of metal

Mostlythelightfastnessandthewashfastnessofthedirectdyedfabricsparticularlycotton
canbeimprovedbytheaftertreatmentwithmetalsaltsofcopperandchromium

Theroleofthemetalatomistoformacomplexwiththedyestuffalreadypresentonthe
fabric

Metal- Complex dyes

Theseaftertreatmentsareessentiallytwobathprocessandthereforeconsumemoretime

Sometimeswooldyesbychromedyes,haveseparatechromiummordantaddedadditionally
duringdyeingcalledthemetachrome process

Thisprocessesislengthyandcumbersome

Metal- Complex dyes

Somemetalcomplexed dyescanbepreparedfromchromedyeswhicharethemselvesnot
suitablefordyeingforthatsubstrate

Thusanazo dye(Neolan)canbeconvertedtoPalatineFastblueGGNaftercomplexing with

chromium

Thedyehastwosulphonic acidgroupsofwhichneutralizesthepositivechargeonthe
Chromium(chelated)formingazwitter ion,whiletheothersulphonic acidgroupreactswith
theaminogroupog thefibre byelectrostaticforcesonproteinfibres

What actually happens

TheNeolan andthePalatinefastdyesaresolublebecauseofthepresenceofsulphonic acidgroupsin

them,howevertheyrequirefairlylargeamountsofsulphuric acidinthedyebath

Duetowhichfreeaminogroupareprotonated,whichcannotthenformcoordinatebondswiththe
metalatom,asaresultcoordinationbetweenaminogroupoftheproteinandchromiumatomofthe
dyeissuppressed

Properties of Metal complex dyes

Nopreorpostaftertreatmentwithmetalsaltsisrequired

Someofthemarebrighterthanthechome dyes

Howevertheirfastnessisslightlylowerthanchromedyes,butstillitisgoodenough

Duetotheireaseofapplicationandfastnessproperties,theyareusedfordyeinghighclass
dressmaterial,hosiery,ladieswear

Metal-complex dyes

Metalcomplexdyesthatareotherwiseknownaspremetallized dyesshowsgreataffinity
towardsproteinfibres.

GenerallyithasbeenseenthatmetalcomplexdyesareChromiumorCobaltcomplexes.
Amongthepopularmetalcomplexdyes,avarietyknownas1:2metalcomplexdyesfinds
applicationfordyeingpolyamidefibres.

Fordyeingwool,metalcomplexdyesarethemostfavoured.Thefollowingtableshowsa
comparisonbetween1:1metalcomplexand1:2metalcomplexdye.

Metalcomplexdyesgenerallycannotbesaidasbelongingtoaparticularapplicationdye
class.

Infact,Metalcomplexdyesbelongtonumerousapplicationclassesofdyes.Forexample,
theyarefoundamongdirect,acid,andreactivedyes.Whenappliedinthedyeingprocesses,
metalcomplexdyesareusedinpHconditionsthatisregulatedbyuserclassandthetypeof
fibre type(wool,polyamide,etc).ThepHlevelsforwooltypicallyrangesfrom:

Stronglyacidic(rangingfrom1.8 4for1:1metalcomplexdyes)

Moderatelyacidicneutral(rangingfrom4 7for1:2metalcomplexdyes)

Types of Metal complex dyes

Chemicallyspeaking,Metalcopmplex Dyescanbebroadlyclassifiedintotwoclasses.1:1
metalcomplexes,where,onedyemoleculegetscoordinated withasinglemetalatom.In
1:2metalcomplexes,onemetalatomiscoordinated withdoubledyemolecules.
Thedyemoleculesaretypicallyamonoazo structurewhichcancontainadditionalgroupslike
hydroxyl,carboxyloraminogroups.Theycanformstrongcoordinationcomplexeswith
transitionmetalions,likeNickel,Chromium,CobaltandCopper.

Feature of Metal complex dyes

Excellent,lightfastness.

Mediumwashingfastness.

Showsverygoodleveldyeingandpenetrationcharacteristics.

Cancoverupfortheirregularitiesinthesubstrates.

Theyarewatersolubledyes

Application on different materials

MetalComplexDyesisusingforavarietyofapplicationslikewoodstains,leatherfinishing,
stationeryprintinginks,inks,coloringformetals,plasticetc.

Thesearesuitableforwool,silk,polyamides

Themetalusedarecopper,chromiumandcobaltandnickel

Fastnesspropertiesofthefabricdyedbymetalcomplexdyesshowgoodlightfastness,
howeverwetfastnessismoderate,particularlywhendarkershadesaretobeconsidered.

Howeverthefastnessalsoisdependentonthechoiceoffibreandtypeofdyecategory

ThesedyesareeitherdyedatneutralpHtoweaklyacidictoevensometimesstronglyacidic
pH

1:1 Metal complex dyes

Thesedyeshavegoodlevellingandgoodpenetrationintothecarbonizedwool
TheyworkatverylowpH1.82.5withsulphuricacidor34withformicacid,hencearenotatall
suitableforcottonorblendsofcotton
Glaubers saltisusedasexhaustingagentorganiclevellingagenthavetobeusedaswell

1:2 Metal complex dyes

Thesedyesshowmoderatemigrationpropertiesonnylonbutshowoverallverygood
fastnessproperties

Bothionicandcoordinatesbondsareformedwithmetalcomplexdyesandfibre(nylon)

Delosol S type dyes

Delosol Stypedyesandtheadditivecankeeptheperfectphysicalstateofwoolandcahsmere
afterdyeing.
Delosol Stypedyeseriesismadeofimprovedhighcoloringstrengthneutraldye(1:2metal
complexdyes)andreactivedye.Ithashighfastnessandveryclosedyeingproperties.ThepHof
thedyebathadjustedbylevelingagentandaccelerantis4.5.

Continued

Thisdyesystemischaracterizedbyhighdyeingexhaustionrateandexcellentdyeing
reproducibility.Delosol Stypedyeserieshasonly15colorsbutcompletechromatogramthat
canblendalmostallthetrendcolors.

InDelosol Sseriesdyes,Delosol yellowS4GN,red2BandblueS2Rcanbeusedasthree

primarycolours ofmediumandlightcolors.Delosol yellowS2R,red5G,grey5Gcanbe
usedasthreedeepprimarycolours.Thiskindofdyeshasthefeatureofgoodcompatibility
andconstantlevelling propertyandfastness.

Delosol Stypewool/cashmeredyeingsystemcanprovidethefollowingfeaturesandbenefits:

Features
PH4.55dyeing,lessfiberdamage
Differentcolorsanddepthcanusethesamedyeingmethod
Onlyfifteenvarieties,concentratedcolors
Completechromatogram
Highexhaustionrate

Benefits

Protectwool/cashmerequality
Simpleprocess,easytocontrolproduction
Reduceinventory
Betteradaptablility tomarket(matchuptrendcolorrequirement)
Goodreproducibilityfromsampletomassproduction,highreproducibilitybetween
cylinders,lesssewagedischarge

Favoured fibre to be used with

MetalcomplexdyesareChromiumorCobaltcomplexes.Thesedyesshowgreataffinity
towardsproteinfibers.

Fordyeingwool,1:1metalcomplexdyesarethemostfavoured andfordyeingpolyamide
fibres 1:2metalcomplexdyesarefavoured.

Thefollowingtableshowsacomparisonbetween1:1metalcomplexand1:2metalcomplex
dye.

Comparison

Type Levelling Ability WashFastness pHRange

1:1metalcomplexGoodGood
2
1:2metalcomplexPoorVeryGood67
Whenappliedinthedyeingprocesses,metalcomplexdyesareusedinpHconditionsthatis
regulatedbyuserclassandthetypeoffibre type(wool,polyamide,etc).ThepHlevelsfor
wooltypicallyrangesfrom:Stronglyacidic(rangingfrom1.8 4for1:1metalcomplexdyes)
Moderatelyacidicneutral(rangingfrom4 7for1:2metalcomplexdyes)