Cotton Textile Dyeing by Plant-Derived Colorants in the Presence of Natural Additives

Abstract

AbstractThe research reported in this paper concerns the examination of the ability to dye cotton textiles with plant-derived colorants in the presence of various natural additives. For this purpose, cotton textile samples were dyed with commercially available plant-derived dyes, which are usually used for food application, using a cold dyeing process in acidic conditions. The natural origin additives which were applied during the dyeing process were cosmetic grade and low molecular weight chitosan, nettle extract and shellac in an ethanol solution. The dyed fabrics were analyzed using FTIR spectroscopy, and the mechanical properties were tested to study the influence of colorants and additives on cotton textile properties or the dyeing process. Furthermore, the color stability under the influence of UVC irradiation was studied, using a colorimeter. The obtained results indicated that applied plant-derived colorants may effectively dye natural fabrics, such as cotton. The application of natural additives had a beneficial influence on cotton textile properties and the dyeing process. The pretreatment of cotton with chitosan, nettle extract or shellac improves the color stability following UVC irradiation of the material. Moreover, those additives can influence the mechanical properties of cotton textiles. Further research, however, is required to develop the most favorable dyeing conditions in each case.