dyestuff

The common name of the dyestuff, Tyrian purple, derives from the habitat of the mollusks, which the Phoenicians purportedly began harvesting in the 16th century B.C. in the city-state of Tyre in present-day Lebanon.

Four of the companies, including Nanjing Chemical Fibre, Lianhe Chemical Technology, Jiangsu Yabang Dyestuff and Jiangsu Yoke Technology, are based in eastern Jiangsu province where the local government has launched sweeping checks on its chemical sector.

Spanish chronicles of the conquest marvel at the vivid colors of cochineal dyestuff for sale in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, and the first shipment soon left for Spain.

“We lay the dyestuff over ice, and as it melts, the dye soaks into the carpet and is sealed.”

To prepare the dyestuff, chemists rely on two main processes: extraction and filtration.