Dependence of the dyeability of modified cotton on the substituents and the nature of the dye

Cotton cellulose was chemically modified by introducing acrylamide, acrylonitrile and carboxyalkyl moieties in the form of groups or polymers. In carbamylethylated, cyanoethylated and carboxymethylated cotton, these moieties are in monomeric groups, whereas, in graft copolymers of cotton cellulose with acrylamide, acrylonitrile or acrylic acid, the moieties are in polymeric forms. These substrates were dyed independently using direct, acid, basic or reactive dyes. Results showed that at roughly equal nitrogen content, polyacrylamide–cotton graft copolymer exhibited a much higher colour strength than carbamylethylated cotton when the two substrates were dyed using basic dye. The opposite is the case for direct and reactive dyes. The acid dye produced comparable colour strengths. Similar trends were observed when the other samples were dyed with these four dyes. The results were explained in terms of microstructural changes in the physical and chemical structure of cotton caused by the etherification and grafting reactions.