The accelerating effect of a small cationic quaternary ammonium compound and the adsorption kinetics in the dyeing of silk with reactive dyes

In order to develop an eco-friendly method for silk reactive dyeing that uses a lower accelerant dosage to achieve a higher dye fixation, hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride was synthesised as an accelerant for the dyeing of silk with reactive dyes. The accelerating effect, corresponding adsorption kinetics, and interaction mechanisms among hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride, reactive dyes, and silk were investigated. At hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride concentrations of 10.8–14.4 mm, the dye fixations for three reactive dyes were much higher than those achieved with sodium sulfate, even though the required dosages of hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride were 30–40 times lower than those of sodium sulfate. The wash fastness, rub fastness, light fastness, K/S, and colour difference values after dyeing with hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride were similar to those obtained using sodium sulfate, and silk can be dyed uniformly. The adsorption kinetics followed a second-order kinetic model. The activation energies of surface adsorption for the three reactive dyes were lower than those of sodium sulfate. The high fixation of reactive dyestuffs and the low required dosage of hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride demonstrate that the use of this new accelerant provides a novel, highly efficient method for silk dyeing. A possible acceleration mechanism of hexyl dimethyl octyl ammonium chloride for reactive dyes adsorbed on the surface of silk was proposed, based on a series of activation parameters of the adsorption process.