A Novel Activated Charcoal Based Wash to Make Muga Silk Shiny

Abstract

Lustrous golden muga silk is endemic to the northeast part of India. Being pricey, the washing method plays a vital role in retaining the shininess of silk without compromising the fiber’s quality. Kolakhar has been used traditionally for washing muga silk. The present study targets maintaining the overall quality of muga silk washed with different agents. From the FTIR results, it was evident that all the agents had a similar effect with respect to bonds. Activated charcoal showed better results in the shining properties (glossiness 0.029, 1.471 and 0.400 at 20, 60 and 80 degree angle respectively) of muga justifying being the best washing agent compared to other agents (glossiness for detergent 0.000, 0.1257 and 0.514 at 20, 60 and 80 degree anglr respectively) without any damage to the fiber. The hue (angle 24.37), saturation (37.41%), and luminosity (68.52%) of activated charcoal wash fabrics reveal the visual change of the fabrics suggesting the formulation an excellent washing agent contributing to the increased shine in muga silk.

Keywords

• activated charcoal
• luminosity
• muga
• silk
• washing
• rgb