Study of hydrolytic kinetics of vinyl sulfone reactive dye in siloxane reverse micro-emulsion

Reactive dyes maintain a long reaction with fiber and show a high dye uptake and fixation rate, and effectively decrease the dyeing waste water in siloxane reverse micro-emulsion. However, little research has been carried out into the hydrolysis reaction of reactive dyes in reverse micro-emulsion. In this study, Reactive Blue 19 was selected as a model vinyl sulfone reactive dye to study its hydrolysis in siloxane reverse micro-emulsion. The hydrolysis reaction was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. The results show that the hydrolysis rate of vinyl sulfone dyes in siloxane reverse micro-emulsion was slower than that in a traditional bath. Influences due to the ratio of aqueous dye solution to siloxane, non-ionic surfactant, cellulose fiber, and temperature on the hydrolysis reaction of vinyl sulfone reactive dye were also researched. The results show that with more aqueous solution emulsified in the siloxane media, the hydrolysis reaction of vinyl sulfone dye is faster. Reactive dyes were emulsified into a water micro-environment with non-ionic surfactant, which formed reverse micro-emulsion, and decreased the content of free water; this further influenced the hydrolysis of reactive dye.