Industry Mart: Some Major Differences between Dyes and Pigments

Dyes and pigments, these two words are very often heard together, but what are they and what are the differences between the two. Let's discover:

Dyes, according to a very basic definition are substances that are used to change the color of things like cloths and hair. But, this is a very surface definition of dyes; if we go into a little detail, dyes can be said coloring, ionizing, and aromatic organic compounds which show an affinity towards the substrate to which they are applied. Dyes are generally used to impart the desired color to the materials like textiles, foodstuffs, and paper.

Pigments, according to dictionary meaning are powders of various colors that are mixed with a liquid substance to produce a paint, etc. A mature definition of pigments could be: Pigments are colored, organic or inorganic powdered substances that are usually insoluble in water and other solvents. They are unaffected from the physical or chemical effects of the substrate to which they are incorporated. Pigments form the basis of almost all types of paints and are also used in inks, plastics, fabrics, and coating materials.

Given below are some interesting and major differences between dyes and pigments:

The range of dyes is very wide in comparison to the pigments range.

As also discussed above, dyes are soluble in nature while the pigments are insoluble.

Pigments require a binder to get attached to a surface to which they are applied; this is not the case with dyes.

Dyes are dissolved in some liquid substance to form the desired colorant while the pigments owing to their powder form suspend in liquid to form a paint film.

Dyes get absorbed into the material on which they are applied. On the other hand, pigments get bonded to the surface to which they are applied.

The pigment particles are quite larger in size than the dye molecules. Comparing the two is like comparing the size of a soccer ball (pigment particles) with the point of a pin (dye molecules).

The lightfastness of dyes is comparatively less than the pigments. This is the reason that dyes are generally not used for exterior use while the pigments are mostly used for exterior applications.

To know about various types of dyes and pigments, visit: Dyes & Pigments Marketplace.

Dyes