Synthesis of a di‐(p‐sulphophenoxy)‐s‐triazine reactive dye and its application in wool fabric ink‐jet printing

Reactive dyes based on p ‐sulphophenoxy‐ s ‐triazines were synthesised, characterised and applied to wool fabric by ink‐jet printing. The extent of dye‐fibre covalent bonding (% fixation) was measured on prints produced using different development methods. The most promising method to obtain high dye‐fibre fixation values was to interleave the printed wool with a pre‐wetted cotton fabric and store for 3 h. Steam fixation was also investigated but gave lower fixation values. The degree of dye hydrolysis vs time in the ink formulation was evaluated because ink stability is critical in commercial operation; a reformulated ink based on a phosphate buffer was found to improve ink stability.