DYEING FAULTS

Many faults that appear in fabrics and yarns after dyeing are not all related to dyeing.
Many of these faults can be traced back to prior production processes. It is important
therefore when assessing a fault to try to ascertain the root cause. Careful
consideration of the possible cause of the fault will enable suitable corrective action to
be taken to ensure that the same faults do not re-occur. Whilst the following list is not
exhaustive it highlights some of the problems that dyers face on a daily basis.

PIECE DYEING

Fabric preparation
Fabric that has had a poor preparation history will invariable give problems during
dyeing that may not be readily apparent as dyeing faults.
Quality control procedures should be in place to ensure that preparation is correct,
particularly in the case of fabric to be dyed continuously.

CONTINUOUS DYEING FAULTS

Side to side variation

Uneven heat setting, where one side of the fabric reaches a higher temperature than
the other side.
Uneven padder pressures causing a greater pick up on one side to the other.
Poor preparation can also result in uneven dyeing due to poor wet ability and the
presence of size that has not been removed.

• Variation in concentrations of chemicals or dye in dye trough during padding.

End to end Variation

• Variation in temperature or concentrations of chemicals in developing, rinsing,

• Temperature variation during heat setting

soaping baths, particularly for vat dyes.

• Drying out after cold pad batch dyeing

• Poor preparation (unlevel bleaching or scouring)

Resist Spots

• Condensation drips from roof

These show as areas where the dyestuff has not taken to the fabric

• Marks or contamination on padder bowls

• Fabric wet before dyeing
• Undissolved chemicals
• Poor preparation
• Poor preparation
 Resist marks due to
water spotting on the
fabric prior to padding
with dyestuff.

• Insufficient dye or chemical in padding troughs

Uneven streaks

• Poor preparation
• Incorrect settings during oxidizing, developing or similar
• Pad Bowl damage or incorrect settings

• Badly dissolved dye or chemicals

Dye stains

• Poor machine cleaning

Example of dye specks on cotton fabric

BATCH DYEING FAULTS

JETS AND WINCHES

• Incorrect pump or creel settings

Dye creases or Running lines

• Incorrect loading
• Over loading or under loading machine
• Incorrect liquor ratio
• Inadequate heat setting
• Fabric unsuitable for rope dyeing
 Note the presence
of streaky lines on
the fabric, due to
overloading of the
machine.

• Heating or cooling too fast

Crows Feet

• Incorrect fabric or liquor circulation

• Incorrect pump or creel settings

Chafe or scuff marks

• Incorrect loading
• Over loading or under loading machine
• Incorrect liquor ratio
• Fabric tangles during dyeing

• Incorrect choice of dyes or auxiliaries

Uneven dye

• Incorrect machine settings causing poor circulation of either

• Incorrect rate of heating

liquor or fabric.

• Insufficient time at final temperature

• Incorrect pump or creel settings
• Incorrect loading
• Over loading or under loading machine
• Incorrect liquor ratio
 • Poor dissolving or dispersing of dyes
Dye specks or spots

• Poor choice of dyeing auxiliaries

• Poor machine maintenance and cleaning see attached example

• Precipitation of oligomer behind the jet nozzle.

of the inside of a heat exchanger that has not been cleaned.

The effect of poor

machine cleaning note the
build-up of dyes and
chemicals in the heat
exchanger of a jet dyeing
machine

•
JIG DYEING

•
Ending usually caused by poor dyestuff combination
Listing often caused by temperature variations across the

•
jigger.
Dye spots, incorrect preparation of dyes and chemicals.

PACKAGE DYEING (YARN)

• Incorrectly wound package (uneven tension, too much tension,

Colour variation from the inside to the outside of the yarn package

• Package too large

wrong cross over angles,

• Spindle too dense due to over pressing prior to dyeing

• Pump pressure too low or too high
• Density of pressed packages too high

• Air trapped within package

Lighter areas of yarn

• Pump pressure too high

Damaged yarn

• Poorly wound package

• Manual handling errors
• Excessive processing