The effect of CO2 laser irradiation on surface and dyeing properties of wool for textile design

Abstract

The consumption of water and energy used in current dyeing and finishing processes in the textile industry pose significant environmental concern. By offering alternative solutions to traditional textile wet processing through laser technology, there is potential to increase environmental sustainability through significant reduction in energy and wastewater effluent. In addition, laser technology can offer digital design capabilities combined with the ability for bespoke or short run production.A laser enhanced dyeing technique, allowing surface patterning of woollen textile substrates is presented. The study examined the effect of CO2 laser irradiation as a pre-treatment to dyeing 100% wool fabric with reactive dye and it’s potential as a creative tool for textile design. Using a 10.6µm, 60 Watt CO2 laser, optimum laser processing parameters for treating wool, were determined. Tests were then performed to analyse the effectiveness of the laser pre-treated and dyed fabric. Reflectance spectrophotometry, dye exhaustion and colour difference values were calculated, revealing that laser treatment has an increasing effect on the colour difference value. Investigations concluded CO2 laser irradiation could be used to increase dye uptake on the fabric surface. After dyeing, the laser marked areas appeared tonally darker on the surface of the cloth. This tonal differentiation was then used to examine quality of line and mark making that can be achieved to impart surface patterning on woollen textiles.The consumption of water and energy used in current dyeing and finishing processes in the textile industry pose significant environmental concern. By offering alternative solutions to traditional textile wet processing through laser technology, there is potential to increase environmental sustainability through significant reduction in energy and wastewater effluent. In addition, laser technology can offer digital design capabilities combined with the ability for bespoke or short run production.A laser enhanced dyeing technique, allowing surface patterning of woollen textile substrates is presented. The study examined the effect of CO2 laser irradiation as a pre-treatment to dyeing 100% wool fabric with reactive dye and it’s potential as a creative tool for textile design. Using a 10.6µm, 60 Watt CO2 laser, optimum laser processing parameters for treating wool, were determined. Tests were then performed to analyse the effectiveness of the laser pre-treated and dyed fabric. Reflectance spectrophotometry, d...