Eng.

Dr Faiza Safdar
Introduction
• Fiber reactive dyes are colored organic compounds that are capable
forming a covalent bond between reactive groups of the dye
molecule and nucleophilic groups on the polymer chains
within the fibers.
• They are the highly successful class of modern synthetic dyes
due to their wide shade gamut, fibers their flexibility in application
and the excellent fastness properties they offer when dyed on
wool, silk, cotton and regenerated cellulosic fibers.
Constitutional Characteristics Of Reactive
Dyes
• The four characteristic features of a typical reactive dye
molecule are
1. Reactive group
2. Chromophoric group
3. Bridging group
4. Solubilizing group
Reactive group:
Reactive dyes owe their covalent bond forming ability to the presence of
the reactive groups in their structure.

Chromophoric group:
Chromophoric groups contribute color to textile fibres. Commercial
reactive dyes may contain following Chromophores
• Azo Reactive Dyes
• Anthraquinone Reactive Dyes
• Phthalocyanine Reactive Dyes
• Triphenodioxazine Reactive Dyes
Bridging group
A bridging group is a group that links the reactive system to the
chromophore. They also influence the reactivity, degree of fixation,
stability of reactive dyeing & other dyeing characteristics such as
substantivity & migration, significantly.
Solubilizing Groups
Solubilising groups provide characteristics such as water solubility,
substantivity, migration & wash off. The dominant solubilizing group in
reactive dyes is the sulphonic substituent.
DCT(highly reactive dye), MCT
Classification of reactive dyes BASIS OF
REATIVE GROUP
A) ON BASIS OF REATIVE GROUP
1. Hetro cyclic ring containing three or two nitrogen atoms
a. Chlorine-substituted Triazine
b. Pyrimidine derivative
2. Activated vinylsulphone

Vinylsulphone
Sulphatoethyl sulphone reactive dye
Types of Reactive Dyes
❑Monofunctional Reactive Systems
These systems can react only once with the nucleophilic groups in the
fibre e.g. Triazine, pyrimidine, vinyl sulphone dyes
❑ Bifunctional Reactive Systems
Bifunctional reactive dyes contain two separate reactive centers for
reaction with suitable groups in the fibre. They also have the potential to
combine with more than one group in the fibre chain molecule. e.g.
Bis(amino-chloro triazine), monochloro triazine-Sulphatoethyl sulphone
▪ Homobifunctional Reactive Dyes (dyes consist of two similar reactive
groups)
▪ Heterobifunctional Reactive Dyes (consist of two different types of
reactive groups)
Factors effecting Reactive Group
Selection
• Economy –dyes must enable them to be produced at acceptable cost.
• Availability – the system selected must be free from patent restrictions,
health hazards or other limitations to exploitation.
• Facility – ease of application.
• Storage stability – the dye containing the reactive groups must be stable to
storage under ambient (normal) conditions.
• Efficiency – the yield in manufacture of the reactive dye must be efficient
and the dye fixation must be high under conventional conditions of
application.
• Bond stability – the dye–fibre bond must be reasonable stable under
severe conditions of washing and durable finishing.
Different Reactive Dyes and Structures
Reaction Chemistry of Reactive dyes
• Cellulose is attached to reactive group of dye by following two ways.
Either by:
• Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction
Or
• Nucleophilic Addition Reaction
Reaction Chemistry of Reactive dyes
• Nucleophilic Substitution Reaction
• All dyes based on heterocyclic rings bearing halogen substitutes undergoes
Nucleophilic Substitution reaction for bond formation.
• Nucleophilic substitution characterizes dye fiber fixation that occurs when a
leaving group in the reactive system is displaced as a result of an interaction
with a nucleophilic group on the polymer chain.
Example:
• The reaction of a mono-chlorotriazine reactive dye with a hydroxyl group of
cellulose & or an amino group of keratin is typical of this process.
• The same process accounts for the competitive hydrolysis reaction between
the dyes & water during dye application.
• Briefly, the attacking nucleophile can be either a cellulosate anion or
hydroxide ion, the former leading to fixation of dye to the fibre and the later
resulting in hydrolysis of the reactive dye.
Nucleophilic Addition Reaction
• Dyes that containing Vinyl sulphon (dyes containing sulphathoethyl
sulphone group) group undergoes substitution addition reaction.
• Trade name of vinyl sulphone is Remazol.
• Nucleophilic addition characterizes the dye fibre reaction in which a
nucleophilic group in the fibre adds across an activated C-C double bond
in the reactive group.
 +

Reaction of vinylsulphone dye with cellulose

(dye fixation reaction)

Reaction of vinylsulphone dye with wool

(dye fixation reaction)

(3) Dye-SO2-CH=CH2 + H-OH Dye-SO2-CH2-CH2-OH Reaction of vinylsulphone dye with water

(dye hydrolysis reaction)
Reactivity of different reactive Group
• Variation of substituents = variations in fixation

• Based of reactivity of reactive groups reactive dyes are of following

types.
• “Cold” dyes = fixation temperature of 30-40°C
• “Warm” dyes = fixation temperature of 50-80°C
• “Hot” dyes = fixation temperature of >80°C
Properties of D0ifferent Reactive Groups
• Dyes having a vinyl sulphone reactive system have poor alkaline
fastness (stable to acid hydrolysis)
• Monochloro triazines and fluoro triazine have good fastness to light,
perspiration and chlorine as compared to others.
• Monochlorotriazine and monofluoro triazine types show a lower
resistance tendency to peroxide washing and dye-fibre bond stability
Properties of Reactive Dyes
• More stable dye class.
• Wide range of application temperature.
• Can be links a large number of chromophores.
• Fastness properties are are in range of good to very good.
• Due to variety of reactive groups can be applied in continuous
as well as semi continuous process along with exhaust