Dyeing and Colour Fastness Properties of Silk and Cotton Fabrics Dyed with Eucalyptus Bark Extract

Abstract

This research was concerned with dye extraction from the bark of eucalyptus and application for silk and cotton fabric dyeing. Silk and cotton fabrics were treated with premordanting process before dyeing experiments, in order to facilitate dye absorbency of fabrics such as silk dyeing at 90ฐC for 40 minutes and pH 4, cotton dyeing at 60ฐC for 40 minutes and pH no adjustment. The best result was achieved when liquor ratio between fabric and dyed solution as 1:30 was employed. Silk dyed in the solution extracting from the bark of eucalyptus with mordant compound displayed yellow to brown colour except fabric using fesrrous (Fe) mordant exhibiting the shade of dark brown to grey. For cotton fabric, the shade of yellow to orange was obtained, except fabric using ferrous (Fe) mordant displaying the shade of pale grey to gray. Silk and cotton fabrics treated with pre-mordanted and dyeing process has presented the properties of colour fastness to washing, water and perspiration from good to very good level whereas colour fastness to light and rubbing was from fair to good level.