The dye-vats may be either round tubs or square wooden tanks; when cloths or warps are being dyed these may be fitted with winces and guide rollers, so as to draw the materials through the liquor. In the case of yarns in hanks these appliances are not necessary.
Fig. 30 is a sketch of an indigo dye-vat for cloth or warps.
(1) Lime and Copperas Vat.—To prepare this vat take 75 gallons of water, 4 lb. of indigo, 8 lb. copperas, and 10 lb. of good quicklime. Put these into the vat in the order shown. The amount of indigo is added in proportion to the shade which is required to be dyed: for pale shades, 2 lb. to 3 lb. will be sufficient; while for deep shades, 6 lb. to 7 lb. may be used. The amount of copperas should be from one and a half to twice that of the indigo. The vat should be stirred very well and then left to stand. The changes which occur are probably the following: The lime acts upon the copperas and produces ferrous hydrate—this is unstable and tends to take up oxygen and hydrogen from the water, particularly when there is some indigo present, and forms ferric hydrate; hydrogen is at the same time liberated, and combines with the indigo to form the soluble indigo white. It takes about twenty-four hours to make an indigo vat. When properly made and in good condition, the liquor will be clear and of a brownish-yellow colour, a bluish scum may collect on the surface. If the liquor appears at all greenish it is an indication that the indigo has not been completely reduced, and the vat needs a further addition of lime and copperas, which should be of good quality. Too much of each should not be used, because with them there is formed at the bottom of the vat a sediment of calcium sulphate and ferric hydrate, and it is not wise to increase this to too great an extent, which would be the case if too much lime and copperas were added.
To Use this Vat.—Any scum on the surface is raked on one
side, the cotton yarn immersed for a few minutes, then it is taken out, wrung, allowing the excess liquor to flow back into the vat, and the yarn hung up in the air for the blue to develop. The depth of shade which is dyed depends chiefly upon the amount of indigo in the vat, and also upon the time during which the hanks are dipped in the liquor. Light and medium shades can be readily and conveniently got by a single dip, but deep shades are best got by repeating the dipping once or twice as occasion demands. Deep shades got by using a strong bath at a single dip are found to rub badly, while by repeated dips the dye gets more into the substance of the fibre, and therefore the colour is more firmly fixed and it rubs less.
Some indigo dyers have quite a range of vats, using those fresh made for dyeing deep shades, while the old vats being nearly exhausted are used only for light shades and finally when completely exhausted are thrown away. After the day's work the vat should be stirred up and then allowed to stand. If necessary it may be strengthened by the addition of fresh quantities of indigo, lime and copperas, the next morning it will be ready for use. Generally a lime-copperas vat will remain in good working order for about a month, when it will be necessary to throw it away.
(2) Zinc and Lime Vat.—Zinc dust is a bye-product in the process of zinc extraction. It is a grey, very heavy powder, consisting mostly of finely divided metallic zinc, with traces of oxide and sulphide of zinc. Of these only the metallic zinc is active in reducing the indigo, the rest of the ingredients are not of any consequence. The valuation of zinc dust is a very difficult operation, but it is desirable that this be done, as the product is liable to be very variable in the proportion of actual zinc it contains, and it will pay large buyers always to have it tested. Zinc dust must always be kept in a dry place.
For the reduction of zinc powder lime is chiefly used. The following are two good mixtures.
Vat with zinc and lime:—