Glossary

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Azo dyes

Synthetically produced dyes

With over 2000 organic compounds, azo dyes are the largest group of dyes. They are particularly light-fast, stable, strong dyes that respond well to mixing. Aniline, the substance used to produce azo dyes, used to be extracted from coal tar. Today it is obtained from crude oil in a chemical reaction.

In the human body, enzymes split many azo dyes into their component compounds, which are considered to be highly carcinogenic. Whereas azo dyes had a wide range of applications at the beginning of the 19th century, today their use is largely limited to the colouring of greases, wood and paper. Only a few are authorised for colouring food, cosmetics and textiles. Many azo dyes are still suspected of triggering allergies and sensitivities, and for contributing to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).