How Is Synthetic Dye Made?

Until the middle of the 19th century, textiles were dyed exclusively using natural materials. Modern synthetic dye production, however, requires a series of chemical reactions.

History

The first synthetic dye, mauve, was discovered in 1856 by William Henry Perkin as he attempted to synthesise quinine. Mauve was an aniline dye, derived from a poisonous, oily, organic compound---in other words, a carbon compound---called aniline (C6H5NH2).

Modern Methods

Modern synthetic dyes are exclusively organic compounds. Developments in dye chemistry and finishing methods have produced a range of synthetic dyes that are easy to handle and color-fast. The range includes acid dyes, azoic dyes and chrome or mordant dyes.

Indigo

Indigo---a blue dye used to dye jeans---was originally a plant extract but is now produced by the reaction of sodamide with phenylglycine at a temperature of 392 degrees Fahrenheit to produce indoxyl, which reacts with oxygen to form indigo dye.

References

• ColorantsHistory.org: The Chemistry and Manufacture of Vat Dyes
• The Colour Experience: Synthetic Dyes
• Royal Society of Chemistry: Colour: A Brief Historical Perspective
• Made How: Indigo