Investigation of dyeing properties of olive fruit waste extract on cotton fabric using metallic mordant

Abstract

To obtain a cost-effective and eco-friendly natural dye, Olea europaea fruit waste aqueous extract (OFW-AE) has been investigated for its potential to dye grey fabric. The dye obtained as OFW-AE was tested under the effect of different factors related to the dyeing process. Characterization of the extract was done using UV-visible and FTIR analysis techniques that confirmed the presence of different phytochemicals including different pigments. UV-visible spectra showed absorption in the spectral region from 390 to 500 nm which is mainly due to different colorants present in the OFW-AE. FTIR analysis indicated different functional groups associated with phytoconstituents present in the extract. Different factors of the dyeing process were also optimized to achieve maximum dyeing efficiency of the OFQ-AE. The factors including dye/extract concentration (10 and 20%), time (20, 30, and 40 min), temperature (50, 60, 70, and 80 °C), pH (8 and 6), and mordant (NaCl) were investigated. The impact of these factors on the dyeing process was evaluated by measuring the color yield (K/S) and the fastness properties of the raw cotton dyed fabric samples. Better results of fastness properties were shown by the fabric dyed using metallic mordant (NaCl) with 10% concentration of OFW-AE at pH 8. Results indicated that the use of metallic mordant at higher temperatures increased the access of the dye molecules to the mordanted fabric and thus improved the K/S values and fastness properties of the dyed fabric. These results confirmed that natural dye from OFW-AE has potential applications for cotton dyeing and can be a viable alternative to synthetic colorant.