Re: Dye for support fabrics/reactive dyes

["M. Geiss-Mooney" <mgmooney@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the reference, Janet. In re-reading your note in the
Conservation News (November 1995, Issue 58, page 60-61), I see that your
fuller quote from the Ciba-Geigy information booklet "Reactive Dyes
Basic Principles" was: "dyeings stored for prolonged periods in the
polluted atmosphere of a large town for example... can be subject to
acid hydrolysis". Unfortunately, you don't mention the booklet's
publication date but I guess we can only hope that the atmosphere in a
storage area of a historical society, museum, collector, dealer, etc. is
a lot less polluted now than a large town at that point in time. And
that products that act as scavengers (containing zeolites and/or
activated charcoal) are now readily available for storing acidic
textiles. Proper dyeing procedures are readily available from dye
retailers/wholesalers and d-i-y publications and of course must be
rigorously followed with the most up-to-date health and safety
procedures in place for all aspects (including disposal of spent
dyebaths).
Regards,
Meg Geiss-Mooney
Textile/Costume Conservator
in northern California where Spring is starting to spring 

Janet Farnsworth wrote:
> 
> Dear Erica:
> 
> I suggest you read my note in Conservation News No58 November 1995:
> Lightfastness and stability of Reactive Dyes vs direct Dyes and the
> implications for dyeing support fabrics.
> 
> The main problem with reactive dyes in my opinion, is their chemical
> stability. Since they are known to oxidise and produce hydrogen halides
> I do not feel they are suitable for Textile Conservation. [The most
> common Hydrogen halide is hydrochloric acid]
> 
> I wrote the note as a result of reading the Ciba-Geigy literature with
> great care, and I have yet to come across any information to make me
> change my mind.
> --
> Janet Farnsworth