The chemistries of dyes are just as varied as the spectrum of colours. From dispersibility to absorption and lightfastness…the properties vary as per the nature of the dye molecule. The dye molecules are largely categorized as Oil-based dye molecules and water-based dye molecules. Both dye molecules differ in features, properties, and application. Here’s how-
Oil-based molecule:
Commonly referred to as “solvent dyes”, these are soluble in organic solvents like alcohol, ketones, hydrocarbons, oils, fats, waxes, etc.
Solvents dyes offer higher chemical stability and have excellent solubility in organic solvents.
A few properties of solvent dyes include:
- Temperature stability
- High brightness
- Less light scattering
- More viscosity
- Chemical stability
The application of solvent dyes is vast. However, their main applications include-
Plastic products, solvent-based writing ink, rubber, oil ink, waxes, lubricants, etc.
Water-based molecule:
Water-based dye molecules get full marks for environmental friendliness. However, they offer lesser coverage/density as compared to solvent-based dyes. The colour pay-off, thus, is subtle and softer in comparison.
Properties of water-based dye molecules include:
- High opacity
- Light stability
- High solubility
Application:
The application of water-based dye molecules includes colouring food and drinks, drugs, cosmetics, inks, etc.
So, while both the dyes differ in their properties, the only determining factor should be the quality of the dye and material used. At Neelikon, we maintain high consistency in every batch of dye produced and dispatched.
Neelikon offers a variety of Water-Soluble and Oil Soluble dyes, some of them are mentioned under.
D&C Yellow 11, D&C Red 17, D&C Red 27, D&C Green 6, D&C Violet 2.
To learn more about Neelikon’s offering in dyes and pigments, please write to us at info@neelikon.com.
