What are the differences in the effects of color fixers on cotton socks and nylon socks?

What are the differences in the effects of color fixers on cotton socks and nylon socks?

The role of color fixers
Color fixers are an important auxiliary agent in the printing and dyeing industry. They are mainly used to improve the color fastness of dyes on fibers and prevent the color from fading or falling off during washing, friction, sun exposure, etc. Color fixers form chemical bonds or physical adsorption with dyes and fibers to enhance the binding force between dyes and fibers, thereby improving color fastness.

Types of color fixers and how to use them
There are many types of color fixers. According to their chemical structure and mechanism of action, they can be divided into the following categories:
Cationic polymer color fixers: They form ionic bonds with anionic dyes through cationic groups to form insoluble color lakes that are deposited on fibers.
Resin type color fixers: They include formaldehyde-containing resin type and polyamine-containing resin type, which are combined with fibers and dyes through covalent bonds to form a protective film.
Cross-linking reaction type color fixers: They contain reactive cross-linking groups and can form a mesh film on the fiber surface to seal the dye.
Formaldehyde-free color fixer: It does not contain formaldehyde and is more environmentally friendly. It is made by reacting organic amines with epichlorohydrin.

The use of color fixer usually includes the following steps:
Prepare the color fixer solution and dissolve it in an appropriate amount of water according to the instructions of the color fixer.
Soak the dyed fabric in the color fixer solution and maintain a certain time and temperature to allow the color fixer to fully penetrate and react.
After soaking, take out the fabric and wash it with water to remove excess color fixer and floating color.
Finally, dry or air dry.

The effect of color fixer on cotton socks
Cotton socks are mainly composed of natural cellulose fibers. The application of color fixer on cotton socks can significantly improve the color fastness. The active substances in the color fixer can form a three-dimensional mesh film on the surface of cotton fibers, seal the dye inside the fiber, reduce the friction coefficient, and prevent the dye from swelling, dissolving, and falling off during wet friction, thereby improving the wet rubbing fastness. For example, color fixer KS can form a highly diversified cross-linking system with cotton fibers, making the dye and fiber more firmly combined.

Effect of color fixative on nylon socks
Nylon socks are made of synthetic polyamide fibers, which have different properties from cotton fibers. The application of color fixative on nylon socks can enhance the bonding between dyes and fibers and reduce color fading. Common color fixatives include cationic color fixatives and cross-linking color fixatives, which can bind to nylon fibers through electrostatic action or chemical reaction to form a solid color layer. For example, color fixatives for nylon can react with nylon fibers, and the molecules of color fixatives can cross-link with each other to form a three-dimensional network structure, so that acid dye molecules are effectively fixed in the fibers and the wet fastness is improved.

Different effects of color fixative on cotton and nylon socks
Chemical bonding method:
Cotton socks: Color fixatives and cotton fibers are mainly bonded by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces.
Nylon socks: Color fixatives and nylon fibers can be bonded by ionic bonds, covalent bonds, van der Waals forces and other methods.
Color fastness improvement:
Cotton socks: Color fixatives can significantly improve the wet rubbing fastness and washing fastness of cotton socks.
Nylon socks: The color fixative can improve the wet fastness of nylon socks, especially for dark varieties.
Feel and comfort:
Cotton socks: The color fixative may increase the smoothness of cotton socks and reduce the friction coefficient after treatment.
Nylon socks: The color fixative has little effect on the feel and comfort of nylon socks after treatment, but it is still necessary to select a suitable color fixative to avoid affecting the original characteristics of the fabric.
Environmental protection:
Cotton socks: The use of formaldehyde-free color fixative is more environmentally friendly and suitable for green processing of cotton socks.
Nylon socks: It is necessary to select an environmentally friendly color fixative suitable for synthetic fibers to reduce the impact on the environment.
Application process:
Cotton socks: The use process of the color fixative is relatively simple, and the color fixation is usually carried out directly after dyeing.
Nylon socks: A more complex color fixation process may be required, including pretreatment, color fixation, post-treatment and other steps.

Conclusion
The application of color fixatives on cotton and nylon socks can significantly improve color fastness, but there are differences in chemical bonding, color fastness improvement, feel and comfort, environmental protection and application process. Cotton socks focus more on improving wet rubbing fastness and washing fastness, while nylon socks focus more on improving wet treatment fastness. When choosing a color fixative, it is necessary to select the appropriate type of color fixative and application process according to the material and dyeing requirements of the socks to achieve the best color fixation effect. At the same time, environmental protection is also an important consideration, especially in the current context of increasingly high requirements for environmental protection.