What is the difference between dyes and pigments?
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1. Pigments: Pigments are coloring substances that are usually mixed with the substance to be colored; they are primarily inorganic compounds； Dyes are colored substances used to attach to various fibers and other materials, either directly or with the help of mordants. Some of them can combine with the material to be dyed, and they are mostly organic compounds. Pigments cannot color something, whereas dyes can. The difference between pigments and dyes is that pigments are fine powdery colored substances that generally do not dissolve in water, oil, or solvents, but can be evenly dispersed in them. Pigments are the secondary film-forming components of colored paints; they are also used in the preparation of primers, putties, and for coloring wood during wood decoration processes. Dyes, on the other hand, refer to compounds that enable fibers or other materials to be firmly colored in a certain medium. The dyes and pigments we introduce are limited to organic compounds. Ancient dyes were derived from plants and animals. In 1856, Perkin invented the first synthetic dye—mauve, which led to the emergence of a new field within organic chemistry: dye chemistry. The 1950s. Pattee and Stephen discovered that dyes containing dichlorotriazine groups form bonds with the hydroxyl groups on fibers under alkaline conditions, marking a shift in fiber coloring from a physical process to a chemical one and initiating the era of synthetic applications for reactive dyes. Today, dyes are not limited to coloring and printing textiles; they are used in many fields such as paints, plastics, paper, leather, optoelectronic communications, and food. Dyes are classified into the following categories based on their performance in applications: 1. Direct dyes 2. Acid dyes 3. Disperse dyes 4. Reactive dyes 5. Reduction dyes 6. Cationic dyes 7. Ice dye dyes 8. Polycondensation dyes. In addition, there are also oxidation dyes, sulfuration dyes, and others.
Dyes are primarily used for textile products, enabling them to be colored; they contain chromophoric groups, and often include conjugated systems as well as other light-emitting groups. Dyes are generally used as coloring components in coatings and are usually inorganic oxides such as iron oxide red, zinc white, and titanium dioxide. In general, their mechanisms of color production differ
Let me share my simple personal understanding; I’m not sure if everyone agrees with it. Generally, clothes of better quality are dyed using dyes, while those of lower quality use pigments. If clothes fade noticeably after washing, it’s obviously because pigments are being used.
Pigments are inorganic, while dyes are organic. :lol
Dyes generally bind to the substance to be colored or cover its surface through dissolution, reaction, and other methods, whereas pigments mainly cover or disperse the substance to be colored or the medium through fine particles. Additionally, their areas of application also differ.
The difference between dyes and pigments lies in the way they color objects; dyes can penetrate inside an object to impart color, such as inside fibers； And pigments can only act on the surface of objects, such as the surface of fabric. A pigment is a fine powdery colored substance that is generally insoluble in water, oil, and solvents, but can be evenly dispersed in them. Pigments are the secondary film-forming substances in colored paints; they are also used frequently in formulating primers, putties, and for coloring wood during wood decoration processes. Opaque paint, due to the presence of pigments, gives its coating certain color and covering power. At the same time, pigments can also enhance the durability, weather resistance, and wear resistance of the coating film. Unlike pigments, dyes are colored substances that can dissolve in liquids such as water, alcohol, oil, or other solvents. The dye solution can penetrate into the wood and undergo complex physical and chemical reactions with its constituent components (cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose), thereby coloring the wood without obscuring its texture, and allowing it to be colored in vivid and durable hues