How does tie dye work chemistry

At this point, you can hang it to dry or place it in another bag to take home and wash. After the shirt is dyed:. Step 7 : The first time you wash it, place it alone in the washing machine with just a small squirt of dishwashing liquid like Dawn or Joy. Do not use laundry detergent. Write down a synopsis of what occurred before the dyeing of the shirt. Explain the process used to dye your shirt - pattern, tying method. After the shirt sat for 24 hours, describe the pattern of the shirt - picture, if possible.

Post Lab Questions:. If you dyed a rainbow spiral on a shirt and then soaked it in a black dye bath, the result would be a black shirt with a rainbow spiral pattern. What is the purpose of soaking the shirts in the soda ash for 5 minutes? What are some advantages of fiber reactive dyes? Explain how ionic bonding is used to dye the shirts in this lab. Lab Report Requirements:. Create a blog or google doc.

Include pictures of each. Be sure to answer all questions in complete sentences TAG if you must : pre-lab and post lab. Tie Dye Chemistry. The next day her tongue was not blue anymore put the fur on her paw was! Science Experiment Idea : Try dying three identical shirts with kool aid using different amounts of vinegar. Which mixture made the darkest color? Which mixture lasted the longest? To investigate chemical reactions further — try some more experiments at home! You can also ask a math and science expert for homework help by calling the Ask Rose Homework Hotline.

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Need help? The Soda Ash soaks up the protons from the hydrochloric acid in the dye and raises the pH level to about Back then, the spirals and patterns were made with retail household dyes. To make these dye work on different fibers, they were composed of several different dyes, which made them less effective. Nowadays, we use Procion MX fiber reactive dyes , a class of dyes effective on cellulose fibers such as cotton, hemp, rayon, and linen.

They form the covalent bonds that are very hard to break, leaving all your laundry the correct color. Maybe you could incorporate how tie dye works into a science fair project or chemistry class. These molecules carry a "chromophore" which absorb varying spectrums of the light, allowing only certain spectrums to reflect. Covalent bonding is the one of the strongest types of chemical bonds. Pre-soaking in Soda Ash fixer solution is what allows the fiber reactive dyes to work at room temperature.

The Soda Ash works as a catalyst and raises the pH level of the water to approximately Raising the pH level of the solution removes hydrogen from the cellulose structure and raises the level of positive hydrogen ions in the dyeing environment. This frees up sites on the cellulose for the dye molecules to bond too.

The reaction can also be aided with heat, so putting your items near a warm location will speed the reaction. Some tie-dyers have had success with using baking soda and microwaving their dyed articles. Since baking soda is a weaker alkali than Soda Ash, it must be accompanied by heat.