Effects of reactive dye structures on surface tensions and viscosities of dye solutions

Abstract

In textile inkjet printing, the surface tension and viscosity of the reactive dye solution are two important physical properties to control the droplet formation. In this work, surface tensions and viscosities of four reactive dye solutions with/without surfactants and organic solvents were tested to investigate the effect of reactive dye structures on them. The results show that on dye molecules the hydrophobic groups not linking to hydrophilic groups or large in size can lead to a decrease in the surface tension and an increase in the viscosity. Moreover, droplet formations of these solutions are observed. It is found that reactive dye structures can also affect the droplet formation through influencing the surface tension and viscosity of dye solutions. This study is significant for adjusting the surface tension and viscosity of the reactive dye solution according to dye structures.