Textiles Dyeing with Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Peel Extract Using Natural Mordant

Abstract

ABSTRACTAgricultural waste represents a potential source of raw materials as natural dyes. The peel from pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a waste product, it is used in the textiles industry as dye. The objective of the study is to improve dyeing properties of pomegranate peel dyed silk fabric. We analyzed the pigment composition of pomegranate peel extract through ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy; evaluated natural mordants and metallic mordants on fabrics dyed with pomegranate peel extracts by testing the K/S value, color characteristics, and color fastness; examined the morphology of dyed fabrics before and after color fixing treatment by scanning electron microscopy. The major pigment component in pomegranate peel is ellagic acid. An orthogonal array experiment revealed that the optimum dyeing conditions were pH 9, 60°C 60 min for silk fibers. Under the natural mordant, the K/S value of dyed fabric could acquire maximum (8.70). Moreover, the K/S value and color fastness of dyed fabrics could be further enhanced to 11.74 and level 5 by color-fixing treatment of natural gum rosin. Overall, the dyed silk samples with pomegranate peel represented good dyeing properties with natural mordant and natural color-fixing agent of gum rosin.

Keywords

• Plant dye
• pomegranate peel
• natural mordants
• dye-fixing agent
• silk fabric
• color properties