The use of cochineal and Monascus purpureus as dyes for cotton fabric

This study describes the dyeing efficiency of cochineal (Dactylopius coccus Costa) and Monascus purpureus colorants on cotton fabric. The effects of mordant, dyeing time and temperature on the shades and fastness properties of both colorants were studied. The colour coordinate values indicate that the cochineal colorant exhibited higher colour strength than M. purpureus for premordanted cotton fabric (4% owf). Optimum dyeing with M. purpureus was observed at a temperature of 80 °C for 80 min at a 30:1 liquor ratio. However, for cochineal, the optimum dyeing conditions were 60 °C for 60 min at a 40:1 liquor ratio. Furthermore, both colorants demonstrated moderate to good fastness properties. The results of the study indicate that cochineal has better dyeing properties than M. purpureus colorants.     

Assessment of the dyeing properties of pigments from Monascus purpureus

Monascus purpureus C322 was cultivated on well‐established production media to yield prevailingly red or orange pigment‐rich ethanolic extracts. Once these extracts had been diluted by an overall factor of 50, they were used as such to dye raw wool standard specimens differently premordanted using alum or stannic chloride. Independently of the mordant used, the specimens dyed with the red pigment‐rich extracts showed a pale red colour tending to pink, whereas the specimens dyed with the orange pigment‐rich extracts exhibited a more definite orange colour. By carrying out a few colourfastness standard tests (manual washing at 40 °C, acid and basic perspiration and hot pressing), stannic chloride‐premordanted wool specimens dyed with the red pigment‐rich extracts were found to be less resistant to acid and basic perspiration than their orange counterparts. Since the production of the orange pigment‐rich ethanolic extracts appeared to be more cost‐effective than that of their red counterparts, the former might support the present demand for colorants of natural origin in the textile sector. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fungal colorants in applications – focus on Cortinarius species

Secondary metabolites in fungi offer an interesting source of bio‐based compounds that could be used as colorants in many applications. From a historical point of view, fungal natural dyes have been used more rarely than plant‐based dyes. This paper investigates the potential of fungal colorants, using Cortinarius species as examples. In our research, fruiting bodies of the fungi Cortinarius sanguineus and Cortinarius semisanguineus were used as sources of anthraquinone dyestuffs. From 10 kg of fresh fruiting bodies, 60 g of anthraquinone powder was obtained, 6% of the dry weight content. The most abundant compounds were emodin, dermocybin and their glucosides, which formed over 90% of the total dyestuff amount. Pure emodin and dermocybin, as well as the crude water extract, were used for the dyeing and printing of natural and synthetic fibres. Conventional mordant techniques and high‐temperature (HT) disperse dye techniques were applied, and light and washing fastness were tested according to International Organization for Standardization standards. Our experiments show that the yields of dye powders extracted from fungi are reasonable compared with the yields of, for example, madder (Rubia tinctorum). Natural anthraquinones produce strong and bright colours on several types of fibres. In particular, for HT disperse dyed polyester, the light and washing fastness properties were excellent. Anthraquinones are common in nature and there are many fungal species which produce them, so there are a variety of possibilities for growing fungi. The use of large‐scale cultures is an interesting perspective for future biocolorant production.     

Mordant dye application on cotton: optimisation and combination with natural dyes

It is well known that cotton fibres can be dyed through the formation of coordinate bonds involving cellulose chains, mordants such as alum, and natural dyes such as alizarin. Similarly, synthetic dyes known as mordant acid dyes can be used to dye wool fibres. Unlike mordant dyes on wool, the fastnesses of natural dyes on cotton are often low. Although concerns surrounding textile sustainability have sparked renewed interest in the use of natural dyes, extensive replacement of synthetic dyes with natural dyes is neither practical nor fundamentally possible. However, similarities in dyeing methods using mordant and natural dyes raise the possibility of using mordant dyes as alternatives to natural dyes in the dyeing of cotton. Further, the potential for combining suitable dyes from these two classes to expand the colour gamut currently available from natural dyes on cotton seem worthy of exploration. The results of this study indicate that shades comparable with those produced by natural dyes can be obtained on cotton using select mordant dyes following Fe²⁺ and Al³⁺ pretreatments. The best results were obtained using a two‐step/two‐bath process and dyes such as CI Mordant Blue 13 and CI Mordant Orange 6. In evaluations of mordant and natural dye combinations using the two mordant dyes logwood and Osage orange as prototypes, interesting fabric shades were obtained. However, the fastness properties of these dyes must be improved in order to produce commercially viable dyeings.     

Natural dyes in madder (Rubia spp.) and their extraction and analysis in historical textiles

Textiles coloration using extracts from the roots of various madder species (Rubia spp.) has been performed for centuries. To date, 68 anthraquinone colorants have been detected in Rubia spp. used to dye textiles. Many of these dyes are sensitive to hydrolysis and degradation from enzymes, extraction chemicals and processing temperatures, and are often overlooked as colorants in historical textiles. Conclusions in literature of the past 30 years concerning colorants present in planta and, particularly, in madder‐dyed artefacts are being challenged as new analysis methods are developed. The recent advent of ‘soft’ extraction techniques has demonstrated that anthraquinone glycosides and other sensitive molecules, such as carboxylated compounds, need to be preserved; this valuable chemical information embedded in the dye structure may be lost if extraction and analysis is too harsh. Some compounds thought to be present in madder and madder‐dyed artefacts are in fact degradation products resultant from the extraction process, and degradation pathways have been developed to better understand the reactivity and stability of these compounds. Detailed analysis of dyes in textile artefacts can reveal important cultural and heritage information concerning historical textiles relative to the specific dye species, the area of the world where this may have grown, how and where it was dyed, and, perhaps, where it was traded. Understanding the precise molecular structure of these dyes and their chemical reactivity is important to provide knowledge of their interactions with physical substrates, such as textile fibres, which could be used to develop superior techniques for analysis of artefacts.     

Dyeing of silk fabric with phenazine from Pseudomonas species

Phenazines, namely oxychlororaphin and pyorubin, were extracted from Pseudomonas sp., purified and their dyeing potential as colorants for silk dyeing were examined. The effects of the process variables, such as phenazine concentration, pH, temperature, time, type of mordant, relative colour strength and fastness properties have been studied. The results showed that the optimum condition for dyeing was 90 °C at pH 3 and dyeing time 90 min for oxychlororaphin, and 70 °C at pH 3 and dyeing time 60 min for pyorubin. The K/S value of a pre‐mordanted silk fabric with oxychlororaphin was high when compared to that with the pyorubin. The antimicrobial activity of a dyed silk fabric was tested against Salomonella paratyphi, Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri.     

Oxygen plasma pretreatment improves dyeing and antimicrobial properties of wool fabric dyed with natural extract from pomegranate peel

This paper presents the application of conventional potassium aluminium sulphate wool mordanting and a biochemical method with silver nitrate (as antimicrobial agent and mordant)_, alone and in combination with oxygen plasma, as part of comprehensive research into pretreatment processes for wool dyeing with natural extract from pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.). Pretreatment with oxygen plasma significantly improved the hydrophilicity and tensile strength of all tested samples and showed that oxygen plasma can improve K/S, washing fastness, and even replace certain mordants in wool dyeing with natural pomegranate dye. All dyed samples exhibited good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which can be contributed to the phenol content in pomegranate dye. Only after 28 days of intensive ageing in natural weathering conditions did K/S and antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae slightly decrease in dyed samples pretreated with oxygen plasma.     

Dyeing of cotton with the natural dye extracted from waste leaves of green tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica)

Due to an increase in the production of green tea, the amount of leaf waste has increased enormously, causing serious environmental problems. With regard to environmental awareness, the possibility of reusing the waste leaves of green tea as a low‐cost and abundantly available source of natural dye for dyeing cotton fibres was investigated. Natural dye powder from the waste leaves of green tea (NDPT) was successfully applied to dye cotton fibres without mordant by batch experiments. NDPT was obtained as a dark brown powder with a yield of 2.7 ± 0.5% w/w from dried waste leaves of green tea. The optimal conditions for dyeing NDPT onto cotton fibres were: pH of dye solution, 3; material to liquor ratio, 100:1; dyeing time, 180 min; concentration of dye solution, 3.0 mg/ml; and dyeing temperature, 100 °C. The colour of cotton fibres dyed with NDPT was observed to be dark brown. The adsorption data of NDPT on cotton fibres was best fitted with a Langmuir adsorption isotherm model with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.997. It is clear that there is a strong possibility of reusing the waste leaves of green tea as a low‐cost and abundantly available source of natural dye for dyeing cotton fibres.     

Evaluation of antimicrobial and dyeing properties of walnut (Juglans regia L.) green husk extract for cosmetics

Walnut green husk is one of the main waste products from walnut and could be used as a source of natural dyeing compounds such as juglone. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effective use of walnut green husk extract as a natural hair dye. Dyeing properties, fastness and antimicrobial behaviours of dyed hair and also a skin irritation test for natural hair dye on rat skin were examined. When the extract was mixed with ascorbic acid as a developer, ferrous sulphate as a mordant, and Aloe vera extract used as a secondary mordant and also a cosmetic ingredient, the reaction resulted in a dark‐brown colour on hair samples. The dyed hair exhibited appropriate colour strength having excellent morphology for a hair surface coated with dye molecules. In addition, the dyed hair possessed good resistance to washing and daylight fastness, without any irritant properties as shown in a rat model, although high concentrations of iron‐based mordant may be problematic for long‐term usage. This paper also suggests the use of natural mordants such as lactic and oxalic acids to avoid any probable risks. Walnut green husk extract was an appropriate natural hair dyeing agent in practice and showed maximum antimicrobial activity compared with semi‐synthetic and commercial hair dyes. The results demonstrated that walnut green husk can be used as an economical, valuable, eco‐friendly and safe source of dyeing and antimicrobial agents for cosmetic products.     

Effects of additives on the dyeing of cotton yarn with the aqueous extract of Combretum latifolium Blume stems

Flavonoid constituents from the aqueous extract of the stems of Combretum latifolium Blume sourced in Thailand have potential use as dyestuffs for cotton dyeing. In an effort to improve current natural dyeing methods with this extract, further aspects of the process were studied. It was found that, before equilibrium was reached, an increase in temperature led to an increase in dye adsorption rate of the extract; the initial rate and extent of dye adsorption was further increased by the addition of sodium chloride to the dyebath. In addition, cotton yarn pretreated with a chitosan solution (with and without a crosslinking glyoxal solution), followed by dyeing with C. latifolium extract, provided better depth of shade and also gave better fastness to light and washing than the untreated cotton yarn. Post‐mordanting cotton yarn with a biomordant solution from Memecylon scutellatum leaves also gave good light and wash fastness of the resulting dyed cotton, comparable with the dyeing results with the less environmentally friendly alum as a mordant.     

Improving the colorfastness of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabrics with the natural dye of Caesalpinia sappan L. Wood extract and the effect of chitosan and low-temperature plasma

The effect of a low-temperature plasma and/or chitosan pretreatment as a mordant on the dyeing of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabrics with an aqueous extract of Caesalpinia sappan L. wood, which showed a remarkably high coloring property in a natural dyeing system, was investigated. After dyeing, scanning electron microscopy, add-on, color measurements, and fastness to washing tests were performed. Dyeing with the C. sappan L. extract led to fair-to-good fastness properties in conventional natural dyeing. The results clearly show that the pretreatment with chitosan and/or plasma is better than a metal mordant in terms of the dye uptake and reduction in the dyeing time, that the proposed pretreatment coloration reaction could be carried out without the need for repetitive dye steps, and that it prevents the excessive use of dye chemicals, thereby resulting in a more ecofriendly process. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and application to cellulose of reactive dye precursor of anti‐bacterial N‐halamine

To achieve textile dyeing and functional finishing in one process, a bleach‐resistant reactive dye precursor to anti‐bacterial N‐halamine was synthesised by reacting a type of dichlorotriazine reactive dye with 4‐amino‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine. The synthesised compound, which can be transformed to an N‐halamine molecule by exposure to dilute bleach solution, was used to dye cotton fabrics. After exposure to a dilute sodium hypochlorite solution, dyed cotton fabrics showed excellent anti‐bacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7, facilitating a ca. 6‐log reduction in bacteria within a short period of contact. Compared with the dichlorotriazine reactive dye, the reactive dye precursor demonstrated comparable dyeing properties including exhaustion and fixation values. No differences in rub fastness, wash fastness or bleach fastness were detected between fabrics dyed with, respectively, dichlorotriazine reactive dye and the reactive dye precursor to N‐halamine.     

Application of rare earth as mordant for the dyeing of ramie fabrics with natural dyes

Selecting appropriate metallic compounds as mordants is essential for dyeing with natural dyes. This paper presents the application of rare earth compounds as mordant for the dyeing of ramie fabrics with four kinds of natural dyes. The influences of pre-mordanting, simultaneous mordanting, and post-mordanting on the dyeing effect were explored. The post-mordanting was proved to give rise to the highest dye uptake. The effects of dyeing conditions including dyeing temperature and time, dyeing bath pH and the concentration of rare earth on the dye uptake were investigated systematically. The fabrics dyed with natural dyes in presence of rare earth as mordant exhibited high color shade stability in the baths with pH varying from being acidic to neutral and alkaline. Employing rare earth as mordant apparently raised the color fastness to washing, rubbing and light of the ramie fabrics dyed with the natural extracts. In comparison with the commonly used metallic salts, using rare earth chlorides as mordants can greatly reduce the ionic concentration employed in natural dyeing. This study proved that rare earth would be a kind or promising environmentally friendly mordant in natural dyeing.     

Stabilisation and detoxification of henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) extract for hair dye cosmetics by spray‐drying encapsulation

Henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) leaves have been widely used as a natural plant colorant for hair dyeing and body art. However, the utilisation of henna dye extract in commercial colour cosmetics is compromised by its potential harmful effects to humans. This study demonstrates that spray‐drying encapsulation using maltodextrin and gum arabic as biocompatible polymeric carriers can be used as a promising strategy to detoxify henna dye extract while maintaining its hair dyeing efficiency for cosmetics. Henna extract‐loaded microcapsules with an average particle size of 4.1 μm were prepared with an excellent encapsulation efficiency (98.4%) and a negative zeta potential (?34.4 mV). The morphology and physicochemical properties of the microcapsules were characterised by comparison with a spray‐dried sample of neat henna extract. The in vitro toxicological results showed that the microencapsulation process significantly reduced the contact toxicity of henna extract towards human epidermal keratinocytes as well as to the eyes and skin. The encapsulated henna extract also exhibited improved storage stability at three different temperatures (4, 25 and 50°C) for 14 days. Furthermore, the microcapsules demonstrated satisfactory hair dyeing efficiency as natural colorants with good colour fastness towards light and washing.     

A significant approach to dye cotton in supercritical carbon dioxide with fluorotriazine reactive dyes

A series of fluorotriazine reactive dyes have been synthesized and applied to dye cotton in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) with good dyeing results. The pieces of cotton to be dyed were previously presoaked in a protic solvent and cosolvents were applied during dyeing. The colour strength of the dyeings was evaluated by K/S measurements. The K/S values achieved on cotton dyed were up to 35.8 ± 4.2. Even after the cotton was subjected to a Shoxlet extraction at 358 K for 1 h, a maximum K/S value of 20.2 ± 1.8 was measured. The percentage of dye molecules chemically fixed to the cotton was on average 85%. The excellent reactivity of fluorotriazines allowed a reduction of 3 h on the dyeing time. It is noticeable that a dye concentration of 10% on weight of the fibre (owf) can be applied to dye cotton with fluorotriazines, since no damage of the cotton fibres occurred, as observed for the chlorotriazines at this high dye concentration.Dyes with fluorotriazine as reactive group were found to be the most preferable dyes for dyeing cotton in scCO₂, as they were able to exceed the limitation of the reaction with the cotton.     

Studies of the fibre structure and dyeing properties of Calotropis gigantea,kapok and cotton fibres

Calotropis gigantea, kapok and cotton fibres are all natural cellulose fibres, but the first of these is rarely used in textile fabrics. In this study, the structure and chemical composition of these three kinds of fibre were studied, and the dyeing properties of fabrics made from each of them were compared. The purpose of this was to provide a theory basis for the application of C. gigantea fibre in the textile industry. The surface morphology and cross‐section of C. gigantea fibre in comparison with kapok and cotton were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Their fibrous structures were analysed by Fourier Transform‐infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The mechanical properties and water absorption capabilities were also measured and compared. Both C. gigantea fibre and kapok fibre exhibit a high degree of hollowness (80–90%), and no natural twist exists; there is a certain amount of lignin and hemicellulose in C. gigantea fibres; the crystallinity of C. gigantea fibres is 42.54%, and its crystallinity orientation index is 85.40%. C. gigantea fibre has the lowest tenacity but has the highest water content of the three kinds of fibre. The results of dyeing tests show that C. gigantea fabric has the lowest dye uptake and dye fixation.     

Color evaluation of wool fabric dyed with Rhizoma coptidis extract

Berberine is the only cationic colorant of natural plant dyes, which lies in the roots of Rhizoma coptidis and stems of phellodendron. In this study, wool fabric was dyed with the extracts of R. coptidis. Color evaluation was characterized with ΔE, L*, a*, b*, c*, H⁰, K/S. Effects of mordant, extraction concentration, pH value of dye bath, and treatment temperature on color values were studied. Results indicated that wool fabrics dyed with mordant, or at higher temperature, or in alkali solution possessed deeper shades and darker colors. And the wool fabric showed good antibacterial property after dyeing with R. coptidis extracts. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3376–3380, 2006     

Pomegranate fallen leaves as a source of natural dye for mordant-free dyeing of wool

The application of metal mordants is usually necessary in dyeing of wool with natural dyes to improve the dye exhaustion and fastness properties. The majority of metal salts generally used as mordants are considered as toxic and it is important to find replacements for them. Plant sources with high content of tannins are good candidates as bio-mordant or colourant to overcome this drawback. In this study, the waste fallen leaves of pomegranate tree were used as a source of natural dye for the eco-friendly dyeing of wool fabric without the use of metal mordants. The dyeing process variables including dye concentration, dyebath pH, and temperature were optimised using response surface methodology to obtain the highest colour strength. The colour strength was increased by increasing the natural dye powder up to 100%owf while the optimum pH and dyebath temperature were 4 and 100°C, respectively. The sample dyed under the optimal condition exhibited good fastness properties against washing and light. This study approved the potential of Punica granatum fallen leaves for the dyeing of wool without any mordant, while high fastness properties were obtained.     

A route from olive oil production to natural dyeing: valorisation of prina (crude olive cake) as a novel dye source

An attempt has been made to valorise an agroindustrial solid waste in natural textile dyeing as a novel dye source. The dyeing and fastness properties of prina (crude olive cake/pomace) extract were evaluated to fill the gap in this field. This very cheap biomass was utilised (80 g/l) by applying chemical solvent‐free aqueous extraction to dye wool fabric with only small amounts (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 g/l) of metallic mordants, namely alum, iron(II) sulfate, copper(II) sulfate, stannous chloride, and potassium dichromate, and avoiding the use of alkali, acid, chemicals, and auxiliaries in dyeing and washing processes. Colour shades of beige, cream, sandy, apricot, straw, cumin, mustard, olive, and khaki were obtained. Significant differences in colour strength and CIELab coordinates were observed, depending on mordant type and mordanting method. Copper(II) sulfate and iron(II) sulfate ensured the most significant colour changes and nuances, the darkest colours, and the best light fastness values. Prina extract itself (without mordant) has a light fastness of 3 (fair) and excellent wash fastness of 4–5, both for colour change and bleeding. Irrespective of the concentration and mordanting method, alum, stannous chloride, and potassium dichromate did not generate a light fastness improvement compared with the control sample. Although good light and wash fastness values have been achieved without mordants, it is necessary to use them to widen the colour gamut and to obtain increased colour strength.     

Dyeing properties of textiles by Turkish hazelnut (Corylus colurna): leaves,coat, shell and dice

Turkey has a great number of hazelnut trees that possess nutritious components. However, only the inside part of the hazelnut is used as a nutrient, while the rest of it is waste. This study suggests that the waste parts of the Turkish hazelnut could be used as a natural dye for dyeing textile fabrics. The dyeing properties of the leaves, coat, shell and dice of the hazelnut were studied on wool, cotton and viscose fabric by using three different mordants: copper sulphate, iron sulphate and aluminium sulphate. The selected dyed fibre sample surfaces were observed using a scanning electron microscope. The colour strength (K/S), light, washing, rubbing, and perspiration fastness levels of the dyed fabrics were investigated. The experimental natural dyeing results indicate that waste hazelnut‐based products can be used as a natural dye for textile coloration.