Adsorption of dyes to cotton and inhibition by polymers

This paper addresses some key factors that control the transfer of dyes between garments during detergency. It is shown that adsorption of a series of substituted arylazo‐2‐naphthol dyes to cotton under simulated detergency conditions is influenced by the log P fragment value of the dye substituent; this suggests that hydrophobic interactions make an important contribution to the binding free energy. The comparative effectiveness of nonionic, zwitterionic and cationic polymers in inhibiting adsorption of dye to cotton was also investigated. Increase in polymer concentration reduces dye adsorption to cotton; increase in polymer molecular weight at constant polymer concentration also inhibits dye adsorption up to a molecular weight of ca. 20000, above which there is no further change. Anionic surfactants reduce the efficacy of polymers by displacing dyes from polymers. Surprisingly, certain dyes become relocated in polymer/surfactant complexes; binding is much more effective than in corresponding surfactant micelles.