Direct Black 22 Dye Supplier: The Complete Technical Guide for Buyers
- Dhruv Garg
- Aug 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 24
Direct Black 22 Manufacturer and Supplier: A Buyer's Guide
Most people searching "Direct Black 22 manufacturer" already know what the dye does. What they actually need to figure out is who to trust with the order — and that's usually harder than it should be, because most supplier pages read like a chemistry textbook and tell you nothing about how the company actually operates.
So this one's written a bit differently. I'll cover the technical basics quickly, then spend more time on what I'd actually want to know if I were sourcing this from outside India for the first time: documentation, pricing logic, payment terms, and what tends to go wrong.
A bit about us first, since it matters for everything below: Avi Chemicals has been manufacturing dyestuffs out of Ahmedabad since 1980. We work as a manufacturer selling directly to traders and import agents — not through a middleman chain — currently shipping to buyers across Indonesia, Vietnam, Turkey, Bangladesh, Morocco, Egypt, Spain, Italy, USA, China, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and many more countries, with regular orders going to Bangladesh, Vietnam, Turkey, Morocco, and Indonesia.
What Direct Black 22 actually is
Direct Black 22 (CAS 6473-13-8, Colour Index 35435) is a multi-azo direct dye — a blue -grey to black powder, fully water-soluble, giving a neutral to slightly bluish-black shade. You'll also see it sold as Direct Black VSF, Direct Fast Black GF, or Solophenyl Black FGE, depending on which manufacturer's brand name is on the label. Same molecule, different trade names — worth knowing so you don't think you're comparing two different dyes when you're really comparing two labels.
Strength grades on the market usually run 100% to 3200%, sometimes higher under a proprietary name. This is the first thing I'd flag to anyone comparing quotes: a cheaper per-kg price on a lower-strength grade often isn't actually cheaper once you work out the dosage you'll need. Ask for price per unit of dyeing performance, not just price per kg.
Where it gets used
The two big applications are cotton textile dyeing and kraft paper. On cotton and other cellulosic fibres, it has high substantivity, meaning it exhausts well without needing unusually high salt dosage to hit a deep shade — that's part of why it's stayed the standard black rather than getting replaced. In paper, particularly kraft and recycled-fibre board, it sits alongside Direct Black 80 and 155 as one of the three workhorse blacks. Recycled fibre has inconsistent cationic demand batch to batch, so if paper's your application, that's worth a direct conversation with your supplier about consistency rather than assuming it from a spec sheet.
It also shows up in leather dyeing and some ink applications, though textile and paper are where the real volume is.
How it compares to the other common blacks
If you're not sure whether you actually need Direct Black 22 specifically, here's the practical difference:
Dye | Shade | Where it's the better choice |
Direct Black 22 | Neutral, slightly bluish black | Default option — reliable across both cotton and kraft paper |
Direct Black 80 | Warmer, brownish-black undertone | Paper where a kraft-brown tone is acceptable or preferred |
Direct Black 155 | Cool, bright blue-black | Cotton textile where visual depth matters more; note it's more sensitive to metamerism, so specify your light source when you approve a shade |
We go deeper on the full direct dye range — including the paper-specific blues — in our Direct Dyes for Paper & Textile guide.
What I'd actually check before placing an order
I've seen enough international orders go sideways to know it's almost never the dye chemistry that's the problem — it's a mismatch between what the buyer expected and what showed up. Before you commit to volume:
Ask for a Certificate of Analysis for the specific batch/lot, not a generic spec sheet that could apply to any batch ever made
Get the MSDS for your import documentation
Get the TDS confirming strength grade and recommended application method
If you're placing repeat orders, ask how the supplier controls for shade consistency lot to lot — this is the thing that actually determines whether you keep ordering from them
Pricing, payment, and what to expect
I won't quote a number here because dye pricing tracks raw material costs and moves month to month — anyone who gives you a fixed number on a public blog post is either outdated or not being straight with you. What I can tell you is how the conversation usually goes: you share with us your quality, quantity, and destination, and we quote against current input costs, typically within 24-48 hours of testing against your sample.
On payment, we typically work on different terms depending on the various circumstances such as e.g. "30% advance, balance against shipping documents" or "LC at sight" for new international buyers, adjusting as the relationship builds. If you're a first-time buyer and this is your main hesitation, say so upfront — it's a normal question, not an awkward one.
Packaging, shipping, and customs
Standard export packaging is 25 kgs boxes or HDPE bags with liner, palletised for containerised shipping on larger orders. We ship out of Mundra / Nhava Sheva port generally on regular basis.
For customs, direct dyes fall under HS Chapter 32 (synthetic organic colouring matter) — the exact subheading can vary slightly by destination country's tariff schedule, so confirm the specific code with your customs broker rather than relying on ours as final.
If you're ordering multiple dye types together and trying to work out full-container versus part-container economics, that's totally separate and different economics.
A quick real example
A buyer in Indonesia once queried us about a shade shift they were seeing on Direct Black 155 between two production runs — turned out to be a lighting difference in their QC room, not the dye. We ended up sending both batches under a standardised light source so they could compare properly. It's a small thing, but it's the kind of back-and-forth that a spec sheet alone never resolves — which is really the point of this whole post: the paperwork gets you 80% of the way, and a supplier who'll actually talk through the other 20% is the one worth ordering from again.
Getting a quote or sample
Send us:
Your application (textile, paper, leather, or other)
Required shade depth and strength grade, if known
Order quantity — sample or bulk
Destination port
We'll come back with pricing, CoA/MSDS/TDS, and a lead time for your specific requirement. Trusted by importers in 12+ countries since 1980.
FAQs
Q. What is Direct Black 22 used for?
A. Mainly cotton and cellulosic textile dyeing and kraft paper, with some use in leather and ink. It gives a neutral to slightly bluish-black shade.
Q. What is the CAS number of Direct Black 22?
A. CAS Number of Direct Black 22: 6473-13-8, and Colour Index of Direct Black 22: 35435.
Q. How is Direct Black 22 different from Direct Black 155?
A. Direct Black 22 is more neutral and reliable across both cotton and paper. Direct Black 155 is a cooler, brighter blue-black better suited to textile applications where depth matters, but it shifts more under different lighting, so always confirm shade under a standardised light source.
Q. What documents should I ask for before ordering?
A. A batch-specific CoA, MSDS, and TDS, minimum is suggested. Rest can be as per requirements.
Q. Do you accept small trial orders, or only full containers?
A. We accept all type of quantities, from small trial orders to full containers.
Q. How is it classified for customs?
A. HS Chapter 32. Confirm the exact subheading with your customs broker, since it can vary slightly by country.
Q. Does it work on blended fabrics or only cotton?
A. It's built for cellulosic fibres — cotton, viscose — and performs best there. On blends with synthetic fibre, results depend on the blend ratio, so it's worth a direct conversation before you commit to a shade.
Q. How do I get a sample or quote?
A. Send your application, shade/strength requirement, quantity, and destination port through our contact page. We'll respond with pricing and documentation.
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