Pigment Printing

Pigments are insoluble colouring matter mostly mineral origin

have been used for the colouration of metal wood, stone, and textile
material.
Trade name of pigments:

Trade name: Manufacturer Country

Acranium Bayer W.Germany
Acron Parckh Dye crop W. Germany
Aquabond/ Aquaprint Inmount crop USA
Helizarine BASG Ag Germany
Imperon Hoechst Germany
Noepralae Francolor France
Seabond, lifebond HDC Company USA
Syntrofix Syndex pvt.ltd India.
 Structure and characteristics of pigments:
1.Quinacridone:

Characteristics: These give yellow to violet pigments by

chelation with different metals. Mn and Ni chelates have
better light fastness.
 1.Dioxazine:

Yellow, red, orange, violate, and blue pigments can be

obtained from these.
•Fluorubine:

Grenish yellow pigments with very good all round fastness

properties and useful for dope dyeing.
•Isoindolinone:

These give greenish yellow, red, and brown pigments.

Basic principle: Material necessary for pigment
printing:
•Pigments( Multi colour)
•Film former(Binder)(Polymeric material)
•Cross linking agent(Fixer)
•Catalyst (To accelerate X-linking)
•Wetting agent
•Etc.
Cross linking is occurred in Acetic Acid medium in
pH=(5-5.5)
Functions of ingredients of print paste in pigment
printing:
The functions of the ingredients of the print paste
of pigment printing are mentioned below:
Pigment: Pigment impart colour to the print.
Binders & Fixers: Binders are long chain polymer
macromolecules. They imparts stickiness and plasticity
to the print paste. They help to adhere the pigment
particles on the fibre surface.
Fixers are cross linking printing agents which help
the binders in their functioning,
Catalyst: Catalysts promote the cross linking reaction,
leading to fixation of the binder to the fabric. Catalysts
are acid liberating agents which under suitable
conditions initiate the cross linking reactions.
Characteristics of a good binder:
Binders and fixers play important rolls in pigment
printing in achieving optimum fastness properties.
Binder is a film forming substance made up of long
chain macro molecules which when applied to the fabric form
three dimensional X- linked network.
The characteristics of a good binder are mentioned
below:
• It should not impart any harsh and stiff handle to the
fabric.
• It should create a soft handle.
• It should impart good rubbing and washing fastness
property to the printed fabric.
• It should not impart any unhygienic or bad chemical effect
on the print.
4.It should form a film like coating on the fabric during
the curing process and should have good sticking
capacity to hold the pigment particles together.
5.The coating produced by binder should be
transparent.
6.It should be cheap and available and should have a
long lasting effect on printed fabric.
Required Properties of Pigments:
•Pigments should have good covering power.
•Pigments should have freely mixing properties.
•Pigments should be chemically inert.
•Pigments should have good resistance to acid.
•Pigments should be resistance to solvent.
• Pigments should have suitable brilliance , hardness, and
stability.
•Pigments should have good wet , light, and abrasion
resistance.
•Pigments should have good characteristics for excellent
dispersion including :
Particle size
Electrical charge
 Specific gravity
 Purity and crystalline structure
• Should be applied to all fibre & cheap.
Pigments printing:
Pigment-------30 parts
Binder---------600 parts
Fixer-----------10 parts
Na alginate---100(50% solution)
White sprit---250 parts
______________________
Total 1000 parts
After printing the fabric is dried and cured for making
X- linking of the binder film with the fabrics.
Process: Pre treatments

Roller/Rotary printing Printing (with binder & fixer)

Drying (110-120ºC)

Dryer
Curing
(Cotton 140-160ºC, 3 – 5 min)
(Polyester 160 - 220ºC 30 – 60s)

Stenter
Washing (Some time it is not need)
Advantage and Disadvantage of Pigment Printing
Advantage:
•Applicable to natural and synthetic fibre
•Wide range of colour can be produced
•Can be used for dope dyeing for filament yarn.
•Easy applicable
•Less expensive
Disadvantage:
•Not controllable for the binder film
•Use of solvent like kerosene, spirit etc can produce
problems like flammability, odor, pollution etc.
•The jamming up of equipment and air & water pollution
is observed .
•Wet and rubbing fastness is average.