能溶于油、脂肪、熱苯，石蠟油或熱的石蠟，幾乎不溶于水。在醇或苯中呈微紫紅色溶液，氫氧化鈉對本品醇溶液顯紅紫色溶液，稀釋則生成紅色沉淀。 

Sudan蘇丹紅 IV 是一種疏水性偶氮染料?？墒垢视腿ト旧⒊尸F(xiàn)強烈的紅色。該染料不會污染脂質(zhì)小滴或磷脂。

油和脂肪染色，蘇丹Ⅳ可以用油紅O(oil red O)代替；制造高溫溫度計用色

Sudan IV已被用于主動脈的“正面”染色，對富含脂質(zhì)的斑塊進行染色。它還被用于對小鼠的脂質(zhì)動脈粥樣硬化病變進行染色。

Sudan IV is a hydrophobic azo dye. It stains triglycerides and imparts an intense red color. The dye does not stain lipid droplets or phospholipids.

Sudan IV has been used to in en-face staining of aorta, stains the lipid rich plaques.[4] It has also been used to stain lipids atherosclerotic lesions of mice.