What are the differences in dyeing temperature and pressure for different fibers of socks?

2025-04-30

Introduction
Socks are an indispensable clothing accessory in our daily life. There are many kinds of socks, and there are significant differences in the dyeing process of socks made of different materials, especially the temperature and pressure requirements during dyeing. This article will explore the differences in dyeing temperature and pressure of cotton fiber, wool fiber, silk stocking fiber, synthetic fiber and blended fiber socks in depth, aiming to provide detailed information for relevant practitioners and readers interested in this topic.

Cotton fiber socks
Dyeing temperature: The dyeing temperature of cotton fiber is usually between 80℃ and 100℃. When using reactive dyes, it is generally pre-dyed at 40℃ to 50℃, and then gradually heated to 60℃ to 65℃ for color fixation. When dyeing with direct dyes, the temperature is often between 80℃ and 90℃, while the temperature for dyeing with sulfur dyes is between 90℃ and 100℃.
Dyeing pressure: Dyeing can be completed under normal pressure, but it is necessary to ensure that the dye solution is fully penetrated at the high temperature stage, which can be achieved by appropriate stirring and other methods.

Wool fiber socks
Dyeing temperature: The dyeing temperature range of wool fiber is relatively wide, and different dyes are different. The dyeing temperature of acid dyes is generally between 80℃ and 90℃, while the dyeing temperature of anionic dyes is between 98℃ and 102℃. When dyeing with vat dyes, first heat it to 75℃ to 78℃ for melting, keep it warm for 30 minutes, then cool it to 40℃ to 45℃, then slowly heat it to 70℃ and keep it warm for 30 minutes, and finally treat it at 60℃ to 65℃ for 30 minutes.
Dyeing pressure: It is usually carried out under normal pressure. In special cases, such as using high temperature and high pressure dyeing equipment, the pressure generally does not exceed 0.5MPa.

Silk stockings fiber socks
Dyeing temperature: Silk stockings use acid dyes or direct dyes, and the dyeing temperature is around 90℃ to 100℃. Synthetic fiber stockings, such as polyester stockings, use disperse dyes at a temperature between 100℃ and 130℃; nylon stockings use acid dyes or neutral dyes at a temperature between 98℃ and 102℃.
Dyeing pressure: Silk stockings are generally dyed under normal pressure. When synthetic fiber stockings are dyed at high temperature and high pressure, the pressure is between 0.4MPa and 0.6MPa.

Synthetic fiber socks
Polyester fiber: Disperse dyes are commonly used for dyeing at a temperature between 100℃ and 130℃, and the pressure is between 0.4MPa and 0.6MPa during high temperature and high pressure dyeing. In the thermosol dyeing method, the baking temperature of polyester textiles is generally between 180℃ and 220℃.
Nylon fiber: Acid dyes are mainly used, the dyeing temperature is between 98℃ and 102℃, and it is carried out under normal pressure.
Acrylic fiber: Dyeing with cationic dyes, in a weakly acidic dye bath with a pH of about 4.5, the temperature generally does not exceed 70°C. When using disperse dyes, gradually increase the temperature from 60°C to 95°C to 100°C.
Spandex fiber: The dyeing performance is similar to that of nylon. It mainly uses acid dyes. The dyeing temperature is generally between 98°C and 102°C, and is carried out under normal pressure.

Blended fiber socks
Dyeing temperature: When polyester-cotton blended socks are dyed using the carrier dyeing method, the temperature is between 60°C and 70°C; in the high temperature and high pressure dyeing method, the temperature is between 130°C and 140°C. The dyeing temperature of nylon-polyester blended fabrics is mostly between 110°C and 130°C.
Dyeing pressure: When polyester-cotton blended socks are dyed at high temperature and high pressure, the pressure is between 0.4MPa and 0.6MPa.

Key points of dyeing process and temperature and pressure control
Pretreatment before dyeing: Socks need to be desized, scour, bleached, etc. to improve the hydrophilicity and dyeing uniformity of the fiber. The temperature is generally between 80℃ and 100℃, and the pressure is normal pressure.
Dyeing process: Control the heating rate and insulation time according to the characteristics of the fiber and dye. For example, when dyeing cotton fibers, heating too fast will cause dye migration, and when dyeing wool fibers at high temperature, heating too fast will cause them to feel.
Post-dyeing treatment: Soaping, washing, drying and other operations are performed. The soaping temperature is determined according to the characteristics of the fiber and dye, generally between 60℃ and 98℃. Pay attention to temperature control during drying to avoid fiber damage.
Dyeing equipment and temperature and pressure control technology
Dyeing equipment: Including overflow dyeing machine, high temperature and high pressure dyeing machine, pad dyeing machine, etc. Overflow dyeing machine is suitable for dyeing various fibers and can work under normal pressure or high temperature and high pressure; high temperature and high pressure dyeing machine is suitable for dyeing synthetic fibers such as polyester and can withstand high temperature and high pressure; pad dyeing machine is mainly used for dyeing fibers such as cotton and wool, and the dye liquid is evenly penetrated through the pressure roller.
Temperature and pressure control technology: Use advanced temperature sensors and pressure sensors to monitor the temperature and pressure changes in the dyeing equipment in real time, and make precise adjustments through the automatic control system to ensure the stability of the dyeing process and the consistency of the dyeing quality.
Environmental protection and energy saving
Environmental protection: Use environmentally friendly dyes and auxiliaries to reduce the pollution of dyeing wastewater. At the same time, effectively treat and reuse the dyeing wastewater to reduce the impact on the environment.
Energy saving: Optimize the dyeing process, use energy-saving dyeing equipment, improve dyeing efficiency, and reduce energy consumption. For example, use a heat recovery device to recover the waste heat generated during the dyeing process and use it to preheat the dye liquid or other production links.

Conclusion
The temperature and pressure of different fibers in socks are significantly different during dyeing. Choosing appropriate dyeing processes and equipment and strictly controlling parameters such as temperature and pressure are crucial to improving dyeing quality and producing high-quality socks products. At the same time, with the enhancement of environmental awareness, the use of environmentally friendly dyes and auxiliaries and the strengthening of dyeing wastewater treatment and reuse are also inevitable trends in the future development of the sock dyeing industry.
In actual production, the selection and control of dyeing temperature and pressure should be comprehensively considered according to factors such as the fiber type and quality requirements of the socks, and the dyeing process should be continuously optimized to improve production efficiency and product quality, meet the market demand for high-quality socks, and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises in the international wholesale procurement market.