Effect of Zeolite Treatment on Dyeing by Extracts form Plant.

Abstract

A traditional dyeing method by plant extracts including treatment with mud adds some excellent properties but poor coloring of textile fabrics. The zeolite was, therefore, tested as a substitute of mud to get natural coloring. The silk yarn dyed in a hot bath of plant extracts was gently crumpled up in zeolite suspension and the effect of the zeolite treatment on weight increment, rubbing fastness, color properties such as L_??_ a_??_ b_??_ and color fastness to light was compared with a traditional dyeing by the plant extracts. The plants used were “Sumomo” fruits (Prunus salicina Lindley) and tree trunks of “Mokkoku” (Ternstroemia gymnanthera (Wright et Arn.) Beddome), “Yamamomo” (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.), “Iju” (Schima wallichii (DC.) Korthals), “Itajii” (Castanopsis sieboldii Subsp. lutchuensis (Koidz.) H. Ohba), and “Sharinbai” (Rhaphiolepis indica (L.) Lindle. ex Ker var. umbellata (Thunb. ex Murry) Ohashi). A silane coupling agent was necessary for the tight adsorption of zeolite to silk fiber and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane was the most effective. The best results of the fastness of dyeing were obtained by the following process of dyeing: dyeing of silk in a hot bath of extracts followed by mordanting with various metal salts and zeolite treatment with a silane coupling agent, and the second dyeing followed by mordanting and finishing with a silicone fiber treatment agent such as softener. About 10% of weight increment was obtained by the zeolite treatment, which was larger than regular traditional dyeing (2%) without mud treatment, but less than that with mud treatment (35% by repeated mud treatment in “Doro Ohshima tsumugi”). The rubbing fastness was improved by using the fiber finishing agent containing silicone compounds. A slightly deep color was obtained by the zeolite treatment. The rubbing fastness and the color fastness to light were in a similar grade to a regular traditional dyeing by plant extracts.