Effect of Low-Temperature Dyeing on Properties of Cashmere Fibers

The effect of different dyeing temperatures on the properties of cashmere fibers was characterized and discussed in detail in this research. The influence of dyeing processes on fiber morphology, mechanical properties and chemical characteristics was investigated by using FTIR, SEM, EDS, DFE, alkali solubility, etc. Due to dyeing, the mechanical properties and DFE of cashmere fibers decreased while the alkali solubility increased. The SEM images showed that the high-temperature dyeing caused greater damage to the fiber surface than that of the low-temperature dyeing, which was consistent with the test results of DFE and alkali solubility. The new bands at 1127 and 1042 cm-1 that appeared in FTIR clearly showed the destruction of disulfide bonds. Furthermore, EDS results substantiated that the different amounts of increase of sulfur on different dyed cashmere fibers. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the change of dyeing temperature had obvious effect on the properties of cashmere fibers, and that the dyeing process at a lower temperature was very significant to reduce the cashmere fibers damage.