This is a technical article by Harry Mercer on Indigo dyeing. It is the fourth and the last part of the article in series. The first part can be seen by clicking here and the second one here and the third one here Part 4 of 4: Denim Dyeing Done Right Indigo dye is unique among textile dyes with the unusual color and appearance that it imparts to any fabric, and is along with the extreme comfort of 100% cotton denim is the source of denim’s enduring appeal. Attempts to replicate the Indigo ...Read More

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This is a technical post by Harry Mercer on Indigo dyeing. It is the third part of the article in series. The first part can be seen by clicking here and the second one here Part 3 of 4: Monitoring of the Indigo Dye baths As discussed in Part 2 of this series, most of the control of Indigo dyeing must be managed before the dye and chemicals reach the dye boxes in the machine. In order to measure the effectiveness of control measures of the dye and chemical mixes, it is necessary to measure ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer on Indigo dyeing. It is second part of the article in series. The first part can be seen by clicking here Preparation For Dyeing In the previous article, the basic machine factors in Indigo dyeing were discussed. There are many other details required to achieve the highest quality Indigo dyeings , but ultimately the most important factors involve the preparation of Indigo and chemical feeds to the machine. Approximately 80% of Indigo dyeing control ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer. It tells about the  best practices in Sulphur dyeing for fashion denim and was  a part of the presentation made at Dhaka  by him on a seminar on Sulphur Dyes by Fenazol The Nature of Sulfur Dyes Sulfur dyes are a form of vat dyes – they are water-insoluble and in order to apply to fibers must be made water-soluble through the process of reduction.  Reduction is a chemical process in which hydrogen is liberated. The hydrogen ...Read More

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Bluconnection – an innovative indigo dye manufacturing company from Singapore has compiled a comprehensive compendium about the history , chemistry and application of Indigo dyes. We are producing some extracts from this compendium . Also show is the complete presentation in a slideshow under the article and it can also be obtained in  PDF form Free by email from Paul Cowell of Bluconnection. Indigo History The roots of indigo go back into the stone age when our ancestors used indigo ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer Until 1915, most Indigo dyeing was conducted in skein machines for cotton or loose fiber dyeing for wool. Skein dyeing of Indigo is still the best method for dyeing Indigo on very fine yarns for the delicate high-fashion fabrics. In 1915, the first rope dyeing machine appeared and only in the 1970’s was sheet dyeing introduced. The relative advantages of rope as opposed to sheet Indigo machines is a common subject of debate. Based on my 30 years of ...Read More

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This is a guest post by Harry Mercer. This is a very technical description – read on if you are technically oriented.. Here are given some important dyeing processes related to indigo dyeing – specially on Rope Dyeing . Pre Treatment Pre-treatment is conducted in the 1st tank. The most common pre-treatments are : 1.  Sulfur bottoming 2.  Scouring with sodium hydroxide 3.  Causticizing or Mercerizing Pre- Treatment : Sulphur Bottoming •The purpose of sulfur bottoming was ...Read More

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The name “Loopdye” results from the method of skying or air passage for oxidizing the Indigo-dyed yarn and the method of passing through the Indigo dye. On the other 2 important Indigo machine types, the dyed yarn is passed through from 6-8 Indigo boxes on rope machines or 6-20 Indigo boxes on slasher (sheet) Indigo machines, multiple dye boxes being necessary for dark shades because only a small amount of Indigo can be applied in each immersion. After immersion in each Indigo dye box, ...Read More

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  CSV is a serious problem that occurs on the great majority of Indigo dyeing equipment in which yarns dyed on one side of the machine are a different shade from the yarns on the opposite side. This problem is so common that it is generally accepted as unavoidable, especially in sheet ranges. Basically, the problem arises as a result of the uneven distribution of Indigo within the dye box:  The Indigo dye is initially mixed in a feed tank at concentrations of from 70-100 g/l. This ...Read More

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                        This is a guest post by Harry Mercer The problem of treating wastewater from denim dye waste is significant in many developing countries. Either the costs of treating these wastes affects profit margins or the waste goes untreated and is discharged directly into rivers. The most serious pollution problem results from the use of sulfur dyes in denim. ...Read More

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