Is there a discharge chemical for disperse dyes that you know of?

Name: Mary

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Country or region: Colorado

Message: Is there a discharge chemical for disperse dyes that you know of?

Yes. You will probably want to use the same discharge chemicals for disperse dyes (a type of dye used for synthetic fibers only) that you use for silk dyes.

Disperse dye molecules contain many of the same chromophore sections as the molecules of dyes of other classes. As a result, reducing-type discharge dye chemicals will often work on disperse dyes, although, as with any class of dyes, there may be some dyes which discharge poorly or not at all. The color of dyes comes from the arrangement of double bonds in the dye molecules; reducing-type discharges convert these to single bonds, turning the dye colorless.

Avoid the use of chlorine bleach, which is based on hypochlorite, when discharging synthetic fiber materials. When bleached, polyester tends to develop a dull yellow stain which cannot be removed, while other fibers such as nylon and spandex, like silk, are so badly damaged that they seem to just dissolve. Any reducing-type discharge chemical will be preferable to chlorine bleach.

All of the sulfur-based discharges have similar effects; they all work best in hot water, too. A dye that resists one reductive discharge chemical is likely to respond poorly to others. One of the most convenient discharge agents to use on a small scale is Rit Color Remover, a product that is much more satisfactory than the dyes of the same brand name. It contains sodium hydrosulfite, and can be purchased in local fabric stores. There are several other popular discharge chemicals that you can use; my page, "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?", lists a number of them. Scroll down past the section on oxidative bleaches, including chlorine bleach, to the section on the other kind of discharge, reductive discharges.

Industrially, two of the most popular discharge agents for disperse dyes are Rongalit C and tin (II) chloride. Rongalit C is commonly used by dye artists in the form of Formosul, as well as deColourant Mist and deColourant Paste. I don't know of anyone who is using tin (II) chloride for hand work, but it is the same chemical known as stannous chloride, not to be confused with tin(IV) chloride or stannic chloride. Since it is used as a mordant for dyeing fabric with natural dyes, it can be obtained from natural-dyes suppliers such as Aurora Silk. Tin is somewhat hazardous, so must be used with care. I do not have a recipe for using tin as a discharge agent.

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Posted: Friday - January 17, 2014 at 10:27 AM

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Is there a discharge chemical for disperse dyes that you know of?

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