Reliable and economical dyeing of high-quality

fabrics made from cationic dyeable fibres

Dr. Rainer Casaretto, DyStar Textilfarben GmbH & Co. Deutschland KG

Cationic dyeable fibres are fre-
quently used in modern fibre
blends, especially when a combi-
nation of brilliant shades and top
fastness properties is required.
However, dyeing multifunctional
fabrics is very demanding. The
increasing variety of fibre blends
means dyers need a wide range
of carefully matched dyes as well
as extensive knowledge of the
properties of fibres and how to
dye them. DyStar’s restructured
Astrazon® range makes it the
market leader in this field. The
optimised product range is
designed to help textile finishers
meet top quality requirements
while minimising costs.
polyamide with standard poly-
amide increase the variety of
shades that can be obtained on
carpets using the differential dyeing
method. Workwear made from m-
aramid fibres such as Nomex® pro-
tects fire-fighters in extreme condi-
tions and fireproof overalls made of
the same material have long been
indispensable in motor racing.
The properties of cationic dyeable
synthetics are as multifarious as
their applications. Evidently, such
fibres are not easy to dye so textile
finishers need the necessary ex-
pertise. For example, for special
processes such as dyeing PAN
fibres during the wet spinning
process high-quality liquid dyes
that meet narrow quality tolerances
are essential. The impact of steam
and heat during production of the
fibres places enormous demands
on the Astrazon liquid dyes. How-
ever, the benefit is that the fibres
can be dyed during the spinning
process, thus reducing the dyeing
process from hours to just sec-
onds.
The new face of Astrazon
DyStar has restructured its broad
offering of cationic dyes under the
motto “The new face of Astrazon”.

Manmade fibres such as acrylics

and other cationic dyeable fibres
allow designers to create a wide
variety of articles without having to
worry about problems like wear
comfort. That is why they are pop-
ular for fashionable knitwear and
functional sportswear as well as
table linen, upholstery velvets, car-
pets, bathmats and even the fab-
rics used for cuddly toys and imita-
tion fur. Alongside polyacrylonitrile
(PAN) fibres, there is growing
demand for specialities such as
modacrylic, cationic dyeable poly-
ester and polyamide and m-aramid
fibres. Modacrylic fibres are mainly
used as flame retardant compo-
nent in household textiles and
functional fabrics such as blankets
in planes. Cationic dyeable poly-
ester is frequently found in top-
fashion sports and leisurewear, Cationic dyeable fibres have gained ground in recent years and now have a firm place
while blends of cationic dyeable in modern fibre blends.
The new Astrazon range offers a full range of shades for all types of cationic dyeable fibres.
The restructured range is geared to
the latest fibre trends and reflects
today’s wide range of fibres and
fibre blends, rapidly changing fash-
ion trends and steadily rising
expectations. New and optimised
dyes have been integrated to round
out the range. All imaginable
shades can now be created with
Astrazon dyes: from specialities
such as fluorescent yellow and red
to popular black and navy blue
hues.
There is no doubt that DyStar mar-
kets the world’s widest and most
balanced range of cationic dyes. It
can therefore offer solutions for all
types of cationic dyeable fibres.
Unlike conventional Colour Index
products, Astrazon dyes meet con-
sistently high quality standards,
providing the basis for reliable and
economical dyeing processes.
Clear benefits for textile finishers
Innovations and cost savings are
vital to withstand international
competition in the textile industry.
As the world’s premier supplier of
textile dyes, DyStar offers cus-
tomers the benefits of maximum
Color Confidence and Controlled
Coloration through its Astrazon
dyes.
Color Confidence means the prod-
ucts meet top standards of produc-
tion fastness and shade consisten-
cy throughout the production
process and have excellent service
properties. As well as having
extremely high light and wet fast-
ness, Astrazon dyes meet the high
weather fastness specifications set
for outdoor articles. Other high-
lights are good solubility and low
dusting, ensuring excellent indus-
trial hygiene. What is more, with
Astrazon dyes conformance to all
common ecological standards
including Oeko Tex Standard 100 is
no problem.
Controlled Coloration ensures that
dyeing and printing processes run
smoothly. Astrazon quality dyes
enable experienced dyers to
achieve “right-first-time” quotas of
up to 98 percent because all
Astrazon dyes are extremely well-
matched, allowing reliable dyeing
even if process conditions fluctu-
ate. An additional benefit is that
dyeing processes can be optimised
with the aid of Optidye® A comput-
er software. That avoids faulty dye-
ings, reduces unit production costs
and raises productivity.
Always a step ahead
DyStar is one of the few suppliers
that invest in in-house research and
development in the field of cationic
dyes. At its headquarters in Frank-
furt, Germany, it has the world’s
only pilot gel dyeing facility, which
is used to develop new liquid dyes
and test and develop auxiliaries
and fibres in simulated operating
conditions. This has enabled
DyStar to increase its leading edge
in cationic dyes in recent years.
DyStar offers textile finishers an
attractive package of optimised
Astrazon dyes and extensive serv-
ice. That is the key to reliable dye-
ing of modern fabrics, without clos-
ing the doors to innovation.
In the world’s only pilot gel dyeing facility, DyStar tests new liquid dyes, auxiliaries and fibres under operating conditions.