FUR DYEING
COAL TAR DYES
In addition to the Aniline Blacks and the Oxidation Colors already
discussed there are certain of the synthetic coal tar dyes such as are
generally used in the dyeing of textiles, which can also be applied on
furs. There are several classes of these dyes, varying somewhat in their
nature, and consequently in their manner of application; in the main they
produce bright shades, such as are but seldom used on furs, yet which may
occasionally serve for the production of novel effects. Basic, acid and
chrome colors are the types which can be employed.
Basic colors possess great fullness and tinctorial strength, but have a
tendency to rub off, and the tips of the hair take a darker shade with
these dyes than the rest of the hair. The addition of acetic acid and
Glauber’s salt to the dyebath will result in a more uniform dyeing. On
account of the comparatively poor fastness to rubbing and washing, basic
dyes are used only for dyeing furs which are intended for cheap carpet
rugs, such as sheep and goat. They may also find use in the production
of light fancy shades on other white furs. The procedure is usually as
follows: The furs are killed in the customary manner with soap and soda
or ammonia, or if this is insufficient, with milk of lime. A soap-bath is
then prepared containing 2.5–6 grams of olive-oil soap per liter of water.
The temperature of the bath is brought to 40° C. To this is added the
solution of the dyestuffs, prepared by mixing the required color or colors
with a little acetic acid to a paste, and then pouring boiling water on
the mixture until dissolved. Undissolved particles or foreign matter are
removed by passing this solution through a cotton cloth or sieve, and
the clear solution then mixed with the soap-bath. The well-washed skins
are then entered into the dyebath and immersed for about half an hour,
or until the desired depth of shade is obtained. They are then removed,
pressed or hydro-extracted and dried. For the production of light shades,
the following dyes may be used:
For cream, light sulphur-yellow, maize, salmon, etc.
Combinations of
Thioflavine
Rhodamine B
Irisamine G
For greenish-yellows
Combinations of
Thioflavine
Victoria Blue B
For light pink
Rhodamine B
Irisamine
Rose Bengal Extra N
For purple
Methyl Violet 3B–6B
Crystal Violet
For sky-blue
Victoria Blue B
For white
Victoria Blue B (Milk-white)
Methyl Violet 3B–6B
Crystal Violet (Ivory-white)
To produce very delicate shades, the moist dyed skins are subjected to a
sulphur bleach overnight, to lighten the color, then rinsed, and dried.
Full, brilliant shades may be obtained by dyeing in a bath of 40° C.,
acidulated with 2–3 grams of acetic acid per liter of solution, the
following dyestuffs being suitable:
For yellow to orange
Thioflavine
Paraphosphine
Rhodamine
Safranine
New Magenta O
For pink
Rhodamine B
Rose Bengal Extra N
For light red
Safranines
For bordeaux and red
Magenta
New Magenta
Russian Red
Cerise
For violet
Methyl Violet 6B–4R
Crystal Violet 5B
For blue
Victoria Blue B
Methylene Blue BB
New Methylene Blue N
For green
Malachite Green Crystals
Brilliant Green Crystals, or combinations of
Thioflavine
Diamond Phosphine
Victoria Blue B
For brown
Chrysoidines
Bismarck Browns
In dyeing skins with harder hair than that of sheep or goat, mere killing
is insufficient to render the hair capable of taking up the dye. The
skins are therefore immersed before dyeing, in a cold, weak solution
of chloride of lime, the affinity of the hair for the dye being thereby
greatly increased.
Acid dyes are employed when a greater fastness is required than can be
obtained with the basic colors. Sulphuric acid in a quantity equal to
half the weight of the dyestuffs used, together with four times that
quantity of Glauber’s salt is added to the dyebath. Formic acid may be
used in place of the sulphuric acid, very good results being obtained.
The skins are immersed in the dyebath, and worked until thoroughly soaked
with the dye liquor, and then allowed to remain until the proper depth
of shade is attained, or overnight. The temperature of the solution is
about 40° C., and only very light shades can be produced in this manner.
In 1900 and again in 1914, the Cassella Co., a large German manufacturer
of dyestuffs, obtained patents for processes enabling the dyeing of
furs in hot solution with the acid dyes. The method required that the
skins be chrome-tanned in order to render them resistant to the action
of hot solutions, the addition of a small amount of formaldehyde to the
chrome solution increasing this effect. The skins are then treated with a
solution of chloride of lime in order to increase the affinity of the hair
for the dyestuffs. The method as it is now practised is as follows: The
skins which have been cleaned and washed are chrome tanned by the method
as described in the chapter on Tanning Methods, 60 grams of formaldehyde
being added to every 10 liters of the chrome solution. After proper
tanning the skins are rinsed, and while still moist they are subjected to
a treatment with chloride of lime. They are first immersed for 15 minutes
in a cold bath containing 120 grams of hydrochloric acid 32–36° Twaddell
per 10 liters of water, then without rinsing, they are entered into a bath
made up by adding gradually in four portions the clear solution of 2–4
grams of the chloride of lime per 10 liters of water. After working for
an hour, the skins are removed and entered again into the acid solution,
in which they are worked for another 15 minutes. In order to neutralize
and remove the last traces of the chloride of lime from the furs, they are
rinsed in a luke-warm bath containing 1–2 grams of sodium thiosulphate,
or hyposulphite of soda, in 10 liters of water. The skins are then rinsed
again, and hydro-extracted, or pressed, and are ready for dyeing. The
dyebath is prepared with the required quantity of dye, to which is added
10–20% Glauber’s salt and 2–5% acetic acid (both calculated on the weight
of the skins). The skins are entered at 20° C., then after three-quarters
of an hour to 40° C., and then after another hour slowly to 50–55° C. For
blacks, the temperature is raised as high as 65° C. After dyeing the skins
are treated with a solution containing per 10 liters
90–120 grams of olive-oil soap
12–25 grams olive oil
12 grams ammonia
for 15 minutes, then hydro-extracted and dried, without further rinsing.
For this method of dyeing, the following dyes may be used:
For yellow and orange
Fast Yellow S
Acid Yellows
Naphthol Yellow S
Tropaeoline
Orange GG, R, II, IV
For reds
Acid Reds
Lanafuchsine
Azo Orseille
For violet
Azo Wool Violet
Acid Violets
For blue
Cyanole FF
Azo Wool Blue
Naphthol Blue R
Formyl Blue B
For green
Naphthol Green B
Fast Acid Green
Cyanole Green
For brown, combinations of
Fast Yellow S
Acid Yellows
Tropaeoline DD
Orange GG
Lanafuchsine
Indigo Blue N
Cyanole B
Fast Acid Green BN
For black
Naphthylamine Blacks
Naphthol Blacks
Naphthol Blue-black
For grey
Silver Grey N
Dyed with the addition of 1/2–1% of alum
The chrome colors are dyed on furs when very fast shades are desired, all
the fancy colors being produced in this manner, but for black, only the
acid dyes are suitable. The preparation of the skin is exactly the same as
for the acid colors, except that the treatment with chloride of lime may
be omitted, although for very full shades it is desirable. The dyeing is
carried out as follows: The dyebath is prepared with the requisite amount
of the desired dyestuff, which is previously dissolved, and to this is
added a solution of sodium bichromate, the amount of this substance being
half the weight of the dye. The solution is heated and the skins entered
and dyed for 1–2 hours at 70–80° C. Then the dyebath is exhausted by the
addition of 1/3% acetic acid, the skins being worked for another half
hour, then rinsed, hydro-extracted and dried. Any of the one-bath chrome,
or after-chrome colors may be used for this method.
Recently methods have been patented for the dyeing of furs by means of
the vat colors. Vat dyes are among the fastest coloring matters ever
produced, and their application on furs would be a great advantage, if
suitable shades could be obtained. The general process for dyeing with vat
colors, consists in reducing the dye, which is usually very insoluble,
into a soluble “leuco” compound, by means of hydrosulphites in the
presence of alkalies. The leuco compound is not a dye itself, but when
the fibre absorbs it, and is then exposed to the air, the leuco compound
is reoxidized to its original insoluble form, which remains fast and
permanent. The use of strong alkalies in vat dyeing has hitherto been a
great obstacle in the use of these dyestuffs, but in 1917, the Farbwerke
Hoechst, a large German dye works, patented a process as follows: “A
process for dyeing furs with vat colors. The dyeing is done in solutions
of the vat dyes (after the addition of gelatine or some other protective
colloid), which are rendered neutral or only slightly alkaline with
ammonia, by neutralizing the caustic soda of the solution of the leuco
compound of the vat dyes by the addition of ammonium salts, or suitable
acids. The dyeings thus obtained are uniform and fast, the leather is dyed
to only a slight degree, and shows no deleterious effects of the dyebath
on the tannage.” As a practical application of this process, another
patent was taken out by the same company, also in 1917, as follows:
“A process for producing fast blacks on furs, consisting of dyeing a
ground color with appropriate vat dyes in a hydrosulphite vat, and after
oxidation in air, topping with an Aniline or Diphenyl black. The dyeings
obtained by the combination of vat dyes which are fast to oxidizing
agents, with an oxidation black, have an appearance matching that of
logwood black in beauty; and with a dark-blue to blue-black under-color,
and a full, deep black top color, cannot be distinguished from logwood.
These dyeings also have the advantage of being faster to light than
logwood or other blacks.”
While these processes undoubtedly have many meritorious qualities which
make them interesting, they do not seem as yet, to have attained any
great practical application. However, it is a field of fur dyeing which is
worth while developing, and with certain necessary improvements in these
processes, the vat dyes may yet supersede partially some of the other
methods of dyeing furs.