Utilization of Teak Leaf Waste as an Environmentally Friendly Dyes

Abstract

As the second largest teak producer in the world, the abundance of teak leaf waste in Indonesia is inevitable. However, until now the effort to convert this material into functional products with high economic value is still very limited. In this study the potential utilization of teak leaf waste as an environmentally friendly dyeing material for the batik industry is examined. To be applied, extraction of teak leaves is carried out in a water solvent. Optimization of dyeing in cotton fibers is done by involving the use of positively charged alum mordant which can bridge the reaction between cotton fibers and antosianin in teak leaf extract which are both dominated by negative charges. The results showed the appearance of a light brown color on all cotton fibers, both fixed with iron (II) sulfate, alum and lime. However, the intensity of the color produced by each fixer varies in the range of 57.94% -84.62%. In line with this, the resulting fastness also varies on the staining scale 3 and 4. Dyeing with the highest intensity and fastness results from fixation using iron (II) sulfate. While alum and lime fixers tend to produce opposite intensities and fastness. This value shows the high potential of teak leaf waste material to be developed as a substitute for synthetic dyes with high toxicity in cotton fiber dyeing.