The Effect of Polycation on the Light Fastness of C.I. Acid Red 249

Cationic compounds are frequently used in direct dyeing processes and in ink-jet printing as dye-fixing agents. In some cases, however, they can reduce the light fastness of dyes used. This report deals with the effect of a polycationic compound, Polyfix 601, on the light fastness of C.I. Acid Red 249, an anionic 2-phenylazo-1-naphthol dye, in aqueous solutions and in PVA films. As a comparison, the much smaller ammonium cation was used, which has no observable effect on hue or dye light fastness. However, some changes to the dye’s physical properties were observed