Rug Colors and Dyes
The variations found in rugs and kilims around the world are amazing and beautiful. The color combinations present in a kilim or persian rug make it appealing to the eye and a wonderfully decorative work of art. Each color hides a meaning which contributes to it’s fascination. Early rugs and kilims of course used dyes obtained from vegetable
and animal sources. In modern times synthetic dyes (aniline or chrome) are also used
and make rugs more affordable to the average person. The following is a list of some of the most common uses of color in rugs today and from times past.
• Red is the color of fire, enthusiasm, courage, virility, faith, luck and joy. However,
it also carries the idea of sorrow and calamity.
• Orange stands for humility and piety.
• Blue symbolizes a sense of strength and power or force
• Green is used sparingly and only in place which are unlikely to be trodden on.It also means
hope, life, renewal and spring.
• Natural dyes: Vegetable and Animal
Time-consuming, pricey and tiresome are adjectives generally connected to the description of the making and using of natural dyes, both vegetable and animal. Whenever vegetable and animal sources are abundant in the area where kilims or rugs are manufactured the situation
changes and it becomes financially feasible to use vegetable or animal dyes. The sources
of these dyes may vary from country to country but the most common are the following:
• .Indigo:(originally obtained by extracting and fermenting indican from the leaves of the indigo plant) Produces Dark navy blue
• Madder: redroot of the madder plant;(produced by boiling the dried, chunked root of the
madder plant in the dye pot) Produces dark, rusty red.
• Red: cochineal insect
• Yellow: weld, vine leaves or pomegranate peel. produces muted gold
• Brown : walnut shells or oak bark
• Green: combination of weld and indigo
• Purple: hollyhocks
• Black: walnuts
• Larkspur: plant
• Henna: leaves and flowers
An observation should be made regarding slight changes in color usually seen in older rugs for this happens when the weaver starts weaving with a yarn from a different dye lot than the one previously used .This peculiarity is common when working with natural dyes since it is quite difficult to get an exact color match. Fortunately, this condition does not affect the value of the rug. It may in fact increase it’s value.
It is very common on tribal rugs to see this variation in color and is a unique characteristic of hand made rugs. The exact “recipe” used by a particular rug maker was a closely guarded secret which passed from generation to generation, or sometimes died with the passage of time and the rug maker. The nomads who made kilims could not produce a large batch of dye, therefore sometimes the color would vary from lot to lot in that way as well.Also the type and quality of wool was a factor in the final color result.
Long ago dyers realized that as more wool was dyed in a single dyepot, colors became weaker and weaker. Dyers use this notion of depleted dyes to their advantage. The first dyeing produces a deep, strong color. Subsequent dyeings in the same dyepot produce lighter,
softer colors
• Synthetic Dyes: Aniline Dyes
Aniline dyes were speedily adopted in the carpet industry due to their low cost and easy-to-use characteristic. The use of them was not limited to a specific area but spread throughout the world. In the last years of the nineteenth century aniline dyes were strongly acidic which damaged the quality of the rug by destroying the natural oil in the wool causing the rug to wear off in no time. In addition, the colors ran when the kilim was washed or faded if the rug was exposed to sunlight.
Because of these problems, aniline dyes are not used as much as they used to be. Nowadays they are used in the dyeing of inferior-quality rugs. If you do not know whether your precious kilim or persian style rug was aniline dyed. You should rub a damp cloth over the pile. If the rug was dyed with a good-quality vegetable or chemical dye it will not rub off onto the cloth, but if it does then your rug has been dyed with aniline.
• Synthetic Dyes: Chrome Dyes
At present, oriental rugs are dyed with Chrome dyes. In contrast to natural dyes, these are simpler to use, quite cheaper and their dye is much easier to match. Chrome dyes offer a greater range of shades and colors which are colorfast. The natural oils of the wool are not removed so the kilim will not be worn off as fast as an aniline dyed one. Although chrome dyes are widely used, in the past there were also complaints with them because their colors were harsher than the hues of natural dyes. This was corrected by the implementation of a light chemical wash which is done to most rugs before being exported to ensure the richness of the rug.
Rugs which are dyed in this way can never achieve the soft hue of a rug which is dyed with a natural dye. The rug fades a bit over time, depending on it’s exposure to the sun and general use, but the color which it achieves as a result is warm and unobtainable in any other way. The next time you look at your treasured rug or kilim, think of how it was dyed and appreciate it’s beauty all the more. Kilims and rugs are wonderful to behold!
c 2206 Bill Kernodle
Bill Kernodle is a rug enthusiast,art lover,world traveller and owner- operator of Revelation Imports.com.You may see what he has to offer on rugs,antiques,gifts,collectibles and hand made items from around the world.
Gas Regulators minimize gas flow blockages
Consisting of regulators, flowmeter regulators, and flow gauges, Series 30 features Sure-Seat(TM) technology with copper and nickel filter that prevents debris and ice from entering seat during operation. Diaphragms are constructed of laminated neoprene with reinforced nylon fiber. Instead of diaphragm burst disk, high-pressure regulators feature automatic reset relief valve. Flow gauges offer CO2 outlet flow up to 35 cfh without freezing or blocking gas flow.
-Includes regulators, flowmeter regulators and flow gauges
-Provides accurate, reliable gas flow readings
-Reduces gas flow blockage, freezing and related failures
The Series 30 products replace Smith’s current 1700 and 1900 series regulators to help customers consolidate and reduce the cost of their inventory, while still achieving the best performance-they offer higher quality, in one product line, and at a more competitive price.
Featuring Smith’s new Sure-Seat(TM) technology that prevents debris and ice from entering the seat during operation, Series 30 regulators reduce failures common with non-filtered designs to extend welding and cutting time and save money associated with related downtime or part replacements.
Series 30 regulators provide highly accurate outlet readings to ensure precision performance, while flow gauge models offer CO2 outlet flows as high as 35 CFH (cubic feet per hour) without freezing or blocking gas flow.
Each Series 30 regulator and flow gauge is covered by Smith’s three-year limited warranty and a freeze-free guarantee, which is especially important for straight CO2 applications.
To ensure durability and extend service life, Smith engineers have manufactured the Series 30 regulators, flowmeter regulators and flow gauges from the highest quality industrial materials. Diaphragms are constructed of ultra-strong laminated neoprene with reinforced nylon fiber, and a sturdy copper and nickel filter surrounds the company’s Sure-Seat design.
Further enhancing product durability, Smith’s high-pressure regulators feature an automatic reset relief valve instead of a diaphragm burst disk to minimize parts failures and replacements resulting from high-pressure surges.
Smith Equipment offers ‘Premium Products Built for a Lifetime.’ For more information on the Series 30 regulators, flowmeter regulators, flow gauges or other Smith Equipment products, call Smith Equipment Customer Service at 800-843-7912, fax 605-882-2100 or visit www.smithequipment.com.
With headquarters in Watertown, SD, Smith Equipment is a leading manufacturer of oxy-fuel cutting, welding and brazing equipment and specialty gas regulators.
Spotlight: Gas sensors
A gas sensing element is the primary element in a gas-detection system that responds to the presence of a combustible gas, including any reference or compensating unit. Gas sensors interact with a gas to initiate the measurement of its concentration. It then provides output to a gas instrument to display the measurements. Ammonia, aerosols, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chlorine, dust, fluorine, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, nitrogen dioxide, oxygen, and sulfur dioxide are just a few of the common gases measured by gas sensors.
The advanced IR2100 Infrared Point Gas Detector is now rated SIL 2 suitable. The IR21 00 is designed for operation for application in oil/gas production, chemical processing, wastewater treatment, and other process industries where combustible gases pose a potential explosive threat to people, equipment and facilities.
The IR2100 has the CE Marking and is certified by FM, CSA, ATEX, and GOST. It continuously monitors hydrocarbon gases and vapors within the lower explosive limit. It features a true fail-to-safe operational design for superior performance without relying on a sintered flame arrestor, which can clog and degrade performance.
The IR2100’s gas detector sensor measures the absorption of IR radiation passing through gas using a dual beam, single-detector method of operation. The IR detector measures the intensity of two specific wavelengths: one at a reference absorption wavelength and the other outside of the absorption wavelength. The combustible gas concentration is determined by comparing these two values. The gas detection sensor features heated IR optics. Its microprocessor logic allows it to discriminate between dirty optics that require cleaning and other potential faults. The detector operates with a 4-2OmA analog output that Is proportional to 0 to 1 00% LEL gas concentration.
Catalytic bead combustible gas sensor
The5100-02-ITistheonly catalytic bead combustible gas sensor with a six-month calibration cycle. Now the user can have the advantage of long term calibration of an IR sensor and cost effectiveness and the broad detection range of the proven catalytic bead sensor. This long term calibration cycle has been performance tested and approved by Factory Mutual.
The 5100-02-IT provides interface via 4-20 mA, Modbus RS-485, or proprietary Sentry bus. The 51 00-02-IT is a standalone module with the features required to provide the due diligence expected in hazardous areas including: FM approved for performance and area safety requirements including Group B, integral scrolling LED with magnet operated menu and easy, non-intrusive calibration, isolated 4-2OmA, Modbus RTU, integral alarm relays, and it is SIL2 approved.
Gas monitors
The SensAlert Plus gas monitors incorporate advanced data retrieval, time-stamped sensor activity, configurable and assignable current fault signals (between 1mA - 4mA), and virtual relay notification. These tools provide the information necessary for truly effective predictive maintenance.
SensAlert Plus maintains and displays (or transmits via HART) the following data: percent remaining sensor life, timestamped calibration record, time weighted average (TWA) exposure, missing or nonfunctional sensor, sensor test-on-demand (TOD) result, output current loop fault, head or sensor fault, and calibration error.
Within the FM approved intrinsically safe sensor head is an optional TOD gas generation cell. The TOD cell performs a bump test at programmed intervals or by manual initiation. This feature eliminates manual bump testing and provides the option of performing the test with the 4-2OmA output active or temporarily inactive.
SensAlert Plus accepts toxic, Oxygen, catalytic, and infrared intelligent sensors, all of which may be shop calibrated and hot-swapped in the facility without declassification. SensAlert Plus is FM and ATEX approved for most hazardous electrical classifications.
Signal conditioning, relay modules
A family of 6mm wide, DIN rail mount, signal conditioning and relay modules, designated the 857 Series, aka JUMPFLEX, offer a system approach to signal switching and conditioning. A common profile allows the sharing of accessories, such as jumpers. System features include; pre-marked modules for easy circuit identification, marking tag holder for module identification, built-in indication for power or signal status, and CAGE CLAMPS wiring technology for fast, easy, and maintenance-free wiring. The 857 Series signal conditioners consist of 12 different modules, both configurable and dedicated modules are available. Signal types supported include current, voltage, Hart protocol, RTDs and thermocouples. The 857 Series relay modules includes a growing line of pluggable relay types. Up to seven different modules offer a wide variety of AC/DC coil voltages and are capable of switching loads up to 25OV and 5A.
Self-cleaning mass flowmeter
The Model GF90 flowmeter maintains optimum flow measurement performance while reducing maintenance costs in rugged oil and gas refining applications. The insertion style GF90 mass flowmeter’s self-cleaning purge ports minimize maintenance requirements and costs in dirty gas applications. By connecting the GF90’s purge ports to compressed air, inert gas, or solvent purge lines, process contaminants can be removed regularly and without un-installing the flow sensor element from the pipe to ensure continuous high accuracy measurement and significantly reduce maintenance activity. The GF90 utilizes a thermal mass gas flow sensing element designed with 316 stainless steel and nickel-braze construction.
ProMinent offers new chlorine dioxide technology
ProMinent Fluid Controls can now offer new systems for the generation of chlorine dioxide, based on the Eka Chemicals patented Purate technology.
ProMinent Fluid Controls can now offer new systems for the generation of chlorine dioxide, based on the Eka Chemicals patented Purate technology. This follows on from the recent announcement from ProMinent Dosiertechnik and Eka whereby Eka have granted ProMinent a manufacturing and marketing licence for this Purate technology. ProMinent is already well established in the supply of chlorine dioxide generators with the manufacture of the renowned Bello Zon systems.
The addition of the Purate range extends the capability to the treatment of very large water quantities.
Depending on the model, up to 200 kg/h ClO2 can be produced.
ProMinent now has the widest range of chlorine dioxide generators on the market and can now cover the complete needs of the global industrial and municipal water markets for chlorine dioxide applications.
Since chlorine dioxide cannot easily be transported, chlorine dioxide generators are used to produce the chemical ‘on demand’.
Chlorine dioxide is widely used as an oxidant and biocide in markets such as drinking water, cooling towers, pulp and paper, phenol destruction, seawater cooling, odour control, waste water, and others.
The patented Purate procedure produces chlorine dioxide by the reaction of sodium chlorate with hydrogen peroxide and sulphuric acid.
The chlorine dioxide is generated with a yield above 95% and is of high purity and free of chlorine and chlorite.
Maintenance-free hydrogen generator
A unique new system, requiring no maintenance, for safe and efficient generation of laboratory hydrogen is now available from Chromsolutions in the UK and Ireland.
A unique new system requiring no maintenance, for safe and efficient generation of laboratory hydrogen is now available from Chromsolutions in the UK and Ireland. The new NMH2 series of hydrogen generation systems are ideal for applications involving gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, supplying hydrogen required in chemical synthesis reactions (eg hydrogenation) and many other laboratory applications. Maintenance free means there is no longer any need to replace old fashioned desiccants as the NMH2 series use a unique new auto drying technology.
* Highest H2 quality at 99.9999% - Others claim the same, but in reality cannot reach it due to desiccants they need, resulting in higher O2 (40 ppm) and moisture (10 ppm) impurities.
* No caustic solutions are required as with many other gas generation units.
* NMH2 is the only hydrogen generator which allows simple cell repair - the cell can be fully disassembled (only 5 parts) and parts simply replaced if required: All other hydrogen generators would require replacement of the entire cell, a very costly exercise, typically around 50% of the purchase price of a replacement generator.
Cells in any hydrogen generator can tend to break down because of poor water quality used, contaminated lab atmosphere etc.
* No hydrogen bleed - a common problem with most other conventional hydrogen generators.
* Higher pressure specification (10.5 bar) than any other unit currently available.
* The only hydrogen generator which allows cascading of multiple units and centralised control with built-in master/slave software.
* Option of remote control through a PC or another smart interface (RS-232 or RS-485).
* Very large water reservoirs with option for an even larger one if required.
* Continuous H2 flow without interruption because no gas tanks or cylinders need to be changed.
* Highest purity because there is no risk of contamination during gas tank or cylinder changes: There simply are no gas tank or cylinder changes!.
* No safety issues as with gas tanks or cylinders because the maximum quantity of H2 present at any time is just a few ml and at a relatively low pressure.
* Automatic shut-off valve after internal alarms such as leaks in the pipes to the GC or other instrumentation.
* Stand-alone concept enables complete independence from central gas supplies.
* Very simple to install - requires minimal operator attention.
Food/pharmaceutical pack gas flow control system
Witt Gas introduces an electronic gas flow control system for MAP on automatic packing machines in the food and pharmaceutical industry, and for atmosphere control in fruit and vegetable storage.
Witt Gas Techniques, the Warrington based gas safety, control, mixing and analysis equipment supplier, has introduced the KD 100-1A Electronic Gas Flow Control system for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) on automatic packing machines used in the food and pharmaceutical industry and also for controlling the atmosphere in fruit and vegetable storage facilities. This system can save up to 30% of gas consumption by automatically regulating the gas flow when the required oxygen (O2) level is reached: then its non-destructive gas analysis protects the quality of the products. It uses an O2 sensor with a measuring range of 0-100% or 0-25% with +/- 0.2% repeatability.
It has an RS232 interface with ASCII-output for remote recording and transfer of line settings including date, time and the measured values.
Reliability is a feature of this system, the gas supply is monitored by pressure switches, whereby a low gas supply pressure will trigger an alarm and the line is immediately shut down.
An audible alarm is an option available.
At the same time the system will compensate for pressure fluctuations in the gas supply and the speed of the line or size of packages has no bearing on the operability of the equipment.
It is user friendly, being easy to calibrate, with low maintenance, has an easy to read digital display and an integrated gas sample pump.
It is available as either 230VAC, 110VAC or 24VDC versions and can be supplied with an optional integrated mechanical or electronic gas mixer for a complete package to mix gas and control oxygen (O2) levels in one unit.
It comes supplied with a lockable door to protect the settings and is set in a splash proof, robust stainless steel casing.
Witt Gas synthetic air mixers in NHS Hospital
Free standing gas mixing systems supplied by Witt Gas Techniques are being used by one of the leading NHS Hospitals to supply high purity air to their operating theatres and intensive care wards.
Free standing gas mixing systems supplied by Witt Gas Techniques, the Warrington based gas safety, control, mixing and analysis equipment supplier are being used by one of the UK’s leading NHS Hospitals to supply high purity air to their operating theatres and intensive care wards. The MG 50, 100 and 200 range of gas mixing systems are specifically designed for the generation of high purity (synthetic) air from oxygen (0-25% mixing range) and nitrogen. They provide high process reliability utilising precision mixing, better than +/- 0.5% abs, 2 independent integrated oxygen analysers for permanent monitoring and documentation of the gas mixtures, whilst pressure sensors monitor the gas supply.
If the inlet pressures become too low an optical alarm is triggered and the system is shut down until re-set.
A lockable protective door protects the required settings from alteration and the system has self-monitoring of the analysers.
The capacity range is from zero to approximately 232Nm3/h dependent upon the model required.
They are easy to use with a knob controlling a proportional mixing valve and a percentage scale providing infinitely variable mixture settings with a setting accuracy of +/-1%.
Intermittent gas mixture withdrawal is possible from zero to the maximum flow capacity of the system.
Each system has a RS232 interface with ASCll output of date, time and measurement value.
Real Crisps orders nitrogen generator
Real Crisps, based in Newport, produce various bag sizes of gourmet potato crisps, and have ordered a Maxigas nitrogen generator for Modified Atmosphere Packaging, to extend the product shelf-life.
Real Crisps, based in Newport, produce various bag sizes of gourmet potato crisps for their own label brand which is distributed to leading outlets. The company also produces own label crisps for major UK multiples. To ensure quality and meet retailer requirements of extended shelf life, Real Crisps have just ordered a Maxigas nitrogen generator from domnick hunter.
Nitrogen is an odourless and tasteless gas that is ideal for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which reduces oxygen in the bag to improve the product shelf-life.
Maxigas produces food-grade nitrogen from normal compressed air via the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) principle that separates nitrogen molecules from the air stream.
The system is much more cost effective than nitrogen cylinders and has the advantage of an on-demand nitrogen supply for less downtime.
Real Crisps attended the recent PPMA Show, where they learnt more about Maxigas and were the lucky winners of a luxury coffee maker.
(Nitrogen can also be used when it comes to MAP packing ground coffee).
Peter Menzies, Operations Manager at Real Crisps, says ‘I am confident that this system, which will provide nitrogen to our packing lines, will prove to be a very good investment.
Increasing nitrogen generator purity by Deoxo
domnick hunter, leading provider of filtration and speciality gas generation solutions, is launching the world’s first ever complete Deoxo solution to improve the purity of generated nitrogen gas.
domnick hunter, leading provider of filtration and speciality gas generation solutions, is launching the world’s first ever complete Deoxo solution to improve the purity of nitrogen gas. Deoxo is the ideal solution for applications that have a large demand for high purity nitrogen such as metal heat treatments where nitrogen is used to reduce oxidation by blanketing furnaces. The complete skid mounted solution is housed in a durable cabinet and includes hydrogen cell technology.
Nitrogen with a purity of 1%, generated by a Maxigas nitrogen generator also from domnick hunter, is the input to the Deoxo unit, where hydrogen is created from deionised water: the reaction removes trace oxygen to give output nitrogen purity of 5ppm or less.
By-product water is removed by integral performance dryers.
New levels of reliability are achieved from the advanced hydrogen cell technology and the system has a 10 year life with only minimal maintenance requirements.
Other oxygen scrubber systems do not provide the fully integral plug and play solution offered by the domnick hunter Deoxo.
Deoxo gives huge cost savings compared to bulk liquid nitrogen.
Although high demand applications have previously used multi-banked Maxigas generators, resulting in long-term cost savings, the initial capital investment required was relatively high.
Deoxo gives substantial cost savings compared to multi-banking of around 60%.
Bill Zorlutuna, Market Sector Manager, says ‘Deoxo opens new markets for domnick hunter, we can now supply applications that would have previously been dependant on very costly bulk liquid nitrogen and these customers will gain all of the advantages afforded by on-site nitrogen generation including increased control of supply for increased production efficiencies’.
Additional advantages include a relatively small footprint compared to bulk liquid tanks that also require tanker access, an onboard modem as standard for remote monitoring of system parameters / service intervals and a user friendly touch screen interface.
Maintenance free Hydrogen generator
A unique new system for the generation of laboratory hydrogen, that is safe and efficient and requires no maintenance, is now available from Analytik in the UK and Ireland.
A unique new system requiring no maintenance, for safe and efficient generation of laboratory hydrogen is now available from Analytik in the UK and Ireland. The new NMH2 series of hydrogen generation systems are ideal for applications involving gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, supplying hydrogen required in chemical synthesis reactions (eg hydrogenation) and many other laboratory applications. Being maintenance free means there is no longer any need to replace old fashioned desiccants, as the NMH2 series use unique new palladium auto drying technology.
Features are:.
* Achieves the highest H2 quality at 99.9999%: - others claim the same, but in reality cannot reach it due to the desiccants they need, resulting in higher O2 (40 ppm) and moisture (10 ppm) impurities.
* No caustic solutions are required as with many other gas generation units.
* NMH2 is the only hydrogen generator which allows simple cell repair.
The cell can be fully disassembled (only 5 parts) and parts simply replaced if required.
All other hydrogen generators would require replacement of the entire cell, a very costly exercise, typically around 50% of the purchase price of a replacement generator.
Cells in any hydrogen generator can tend to break down because of poor water quality used, contaminated lab atmosphere etc.
* No hydrogen bleed - a common problem with most other conventional hydrogen generators.
* Higher pressure specification (10.5 bar) than any other unit currently available.
* The only hydrogen generator which allows cascading of multiple units and centralised control with built-in master/slave software.
* Option of remote control through a PC or another smart interface (RS-232 or RS-485).
* Very large water reservoirs with option for an even larger one if required.
* Continuous H2 flow without interruption because no gas tanks or cylinders need to be changed.
* Highest purity because there is no risk of contamination during gas tank or cylinder changes.
There simply are no gas tank or cylinder changes!.
* No safety issues as with gas tanks or cylinders because the maximum quantity of H2 at any time is just a few ml and at a relatively low pressure.
* Automatic shut-off valve after internal alarms such as leaks in the pipes to the GC or other instrumentation.
* Stand-alone concept enables complete independence from central gas supplies.
* Very simple to install - requires minimal operator attention.