Colour dyes, just like pigments, are used for many purposes such as for aesthetics, decorative as well as artistic. They are also used in sheep herding to mark and identify some flocks. The most common use of dyes is in the manufacturing or paper and textiles. They are called as fluorescent brightening colour dyes. Combined with contrast agents, these same dyes can be used for biological and medical imaging. Another amazing use of dyes is in powerful lasers that emit a wide range of beam wavelengths which are also used for manufacturing, spectroscopy and astronomical applications. Interestingly, these dye lasers are even used to erase tattoo inks.
Similarly, pigments are also used for artistry, but are mostly utilized for paints, inks, fabrics, plastics, cosmetics and even food, and many more. They are commonly used for car finishes and signs. Unlike colour dyes, pigments are insoluble that have to be combined with binders to make them bond to the substrate. While they are conventionally made from minerals, most pigments are now made from synthetic materials. When it comes to durability, pigments are much better at withstanding exposure to intense light, heat and weather elements. They can also keep their colour much longer, lasting for many centuries, in fact.
Chemists who develop colour dyes and pigments, as well as inks, are innovating new formulations with ingredients to hold their colours better and longer, but cost less. These innovations are expected to produce environmentally-friendly paint and coating products that don’t use heavy metals and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Instead, they will be using sustainable raw materials like natural oils. Moreover, they are further developed to have greater stability, better flow properties and interactions with the substrates they are being applied on.
Whether you need high quality colour dyes or pigments, A.S. Paterson Company offers a wide variety of them for any purposes you have.