Name: Elisa

Message: Hi, I am a graduate student and I am doing my thesis project on dyed cotton fibers.  I had a question I thought you might know.  Is there a certain type of dye that is used most frequently by manufacturers in dyeing cotton clothing (i.e. fiber reactive, vat, sulfur, etc.)?  Thanks!

The world market shares of each of the major dye classes for cotton fibers in the mid-1980s were listed as follows, in the 2006 book "Textile Preparation And Dyeing", by A. K. R. Choudhury:

• Sulfur dyes: 29 - 34%
• Direct dyes: 27%
• Vat dyes: 17 - 19%
• Reactive dyes: 9.7% - 12%
• Azoic dyes: 8% - 10%
• Pigments: 6%

(The two different figures for each dye class are referenced as coming from two different sources, J. Park, in the December 1986 issue of International Dyer and Printer, and a 1986 piece, Problems of Dyed Goods with Reactive Dyes and Advantage of Sumifix Supra Dyes, by Sumitomo Chemical Company, Japan.)

These figures may have changed in the last twenty years, but to find more recent figures it's likely you'll have to consult expensive proprietary reports, which I have not read.

Fashion changes could have a significant impact on market share, since different classes of dyes excel for different types of colors. For example, sulfur dyes are not available in most bright colors, but work well for dull colors such as black. In fact, the best-selling individual dye for cotton is Sulfur Black T (Colour Index Sulphur Black 1). Reactive dyes are important for bright, highly saturated colors.

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