Chemical characterisation of extract derived from Daphne papyraceae and sonicator dyeing of cotton, silk and wool with the extract

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of ultrasonication on new natural dye obtained from leaves and stem extracts of Daphne papyraceae using metal mordant for good cotton, silk and wool dyeing prospects. It also proposes to effect the characterisation of the colorant.Design/methodology/approachFor effective natural dyeing with leaves and stem extracts of D. papyraceae, both conventional and sonication methods for cotton, silk and wool dyeing were carried out using metal mordants. The purpose of using sonication was for betterment of dye uptake, improved dye adherence and good wash and light fastnesses. Results show marked improvement by the chosen dyeing method. Simultaneously, chemical characterisation of the colorant was carried out by first column chromatographic separation of the crude extract, followed by spectral analysis of the isolated products.FindingsThe superiority of sonicator dyeing over conventional dyeing in terms of enhanced resource productivity and, as a result, reduced wastes makes it the established best available technique in the natural dyeing industry. This fact has been examined for several natural dyes. Use of sonicator shows marked enhancement for cotton‐, silk‐ and wool‐dyed fabrics. Typical bath liquor to fabric ratio for conventional dyeing varies from 20:1 to 15:1 and for sonicator dyeing from only 12:1 to 10:1, thereby reducing specific water and energy consumption by 30 and 50 per cent, respectively. The cycle time for dyeing was also reduced by 50 per cent and this would benefit the dyeing process with more tonnage of fabric per unit time and with lower waste generation. This would also result in improved capacity utilization leading to enhanced productivity levels in the dyeing houses.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough metal mordanting with copper sulphate and potassium dichromate is not ecofriendly, only 2 per cent of these metal salts has been used to prepare different shades with leaves and stem extracts of D. papyraceae for cotton, silk and wool fabrics.Practical implicationsThe method developed for natural dyeing of cotton, silk and wool fabrics using sonication in conjunction with metal mordanting has shown marked improvement. The chemical composition of the crude extract shows the presence of flavonoids and other specific natural pigments.Originality/valueThe method developed for natural dyeing of cotton, silk and wool fabrics using stem and leaves extracts of D. papyraceae under sonication in conjunction with metal mordanting has shown marked improvement in terms of dye adherence and fastness properties and can thus be recommended for industrial application. This is a new source of natural dye.