RESEARCH PLAN

ON

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT MORDANTING AGENTS ON THE FASTNESS PROPERTIES

OF COTTON KNITTED FABRIC DYED WITH MARIGOLD EXTRACT DYES

Submitted By
Md. Mohsin Alam

ABSTRACT
Natural dyes may be defined as the dyes which are extracted from the flower petals, leaves, bark,
steam to ensure environmental friendly dyeing of the sample and end uses of the dyed sample with
the application of mordanting agents to retain better fastness properties. Natural dyes are very
popular for their different hues and environmental friendly nature but most of the natural dyes are
non-substantive and must be applied on textiles with the help of mordants, usually a metallic salt,
having an affinity for both the coloring matter and the fibre. In this study, natural dyes were
extracted from marigold flower petals and applied on 100% cotton knitted fabric in exhaust method
using six different metallic salts (K2Cr2O7, FeSO4, NiSO4, CuSO4.5H2O, potash alum) as mordant.
Various fastness properties of the dyed sample were measured to evaluate the effect of different
mordanting agents on fastness properties of dyed samples. The effluent was characterized through
COD measurement to find the pollution load of different mordants. From the observation of the
overall result it is found that sample dyed with marigold flower extract having mordanted with
potash alum shows excellent color fastness and less environmental hazardous properties.

1. OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH:

1. Extraction of natural dyes from fresh marigold flower.
2. Application of marigold extract on 100% cotton knitted fabric using different mordants.
3. Investigation on the effect of different mordanting agents on fastness properties of cotton fabric
dyed with marigold extract dyes.
4. Characterization of effluent through COD measurement to determine the pollution load of
different mordant agents.
5. Finally finding out the best mordanting agent for application of marigold extract dyes on 100%
cotton knitted fabric better color fastness properties.

2. NATURAL DYEING:
Natural dyeing may be defined as a process of dyeing the textile materials with the extracts from the
natural sources like plants, animal and minerals by the help of mordants, usually a metallic salt,
having an affinity for both the coloring matter and the fiber.
2

3. NATURAL DYES:
Natural dyes are the dyes and pigments obtained from renewable resources of nature, such as plant
and animal and minerals. Natural dyes are applied chiefly for coloration of food, drugs,
cosmetics,textile, paper, leather, shoe-polish, candle, wood etc. Natural dyes are mostly nonsubstantive and must be applied with mordants on textiles [1]. Natural dyes cover a wide range of
chemical classes including indigoid, anthraquinone, alpha-naphthoquinone, flavones, flavonols dihydropyrans, anthocyanidins and carotenoids [2].

4. CHEMISTRY INVOLVED IN NATURAL DYEING:

Most of the natural dyes have no substantivity on cellulose or other textile fibres without the use of a
mordant. The majority of natural dyes need a mordanting chemical (preferably metal salt or suitably
coordinating complex forming agents) to create an affinity between the fibre and dye or the pigment
molecules of natural colorant. These metallic salts as mordant form metal complexes with the fibres
and the dyes. After mordanting, the metal salts anchoring to the fibres, attracts the dye/organic
pigment molecules to be anchored to the fibres and finally creates the bridging link between the dye
molecules and the fibre by forming coordinating complexes.

Mordanting chemistry with Aluminium sulphate as shown below:

Thus, for proper fixation of natural dyes on any textile fibre, mordanting is essential in most of the
cases.
3

5. ADVANTAGES OF NATURAL DYES:

The advantages and major attractions of natural dyes are as follows:
They are obtained from renewable resources.
They pose no health hazards.
Their extraction involves mild or no chemical reactions.
They pose no disposal problem.
They are harmonized with nature.
They offer soft, soothing and uncommon shades.
Locally available plants and vegetable waste can be used as natural dyes.
Provides job opportunity for all those engaged in cultivation, extraction and textile application.
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF NATURAL DYES:
1. It must have a suitable colour.
2. It must be able to fix or must be capable of being fixed to fabric.
3. It must not be fugitive after fixing on fabric to be dyed. The flower contains many chemical
substances: Carbohydrates, minerals, mucilage, vitamins (especially riboflavin, thiamin),
pigments including crocin, anthrocvianin, carotene, lycopene, zigzantin etc.

7. PROPERTIES OF MARIGOLD FLOWER:

The flowers contain flavonol - quercetagetol which is a derivative of quercetol. It is accompanied by
2 of its glucosides & luteine (a carotenoid). It also contains patulutol & some ellegic acid which act
as a mordant. The flower contain several pigments which appear to vary with the source of material.
This flower contain mainly two classes of pigments:- a) Flavonoids & b) Carotenoids. Flavonol is
major subgroup of flavonoids, presents in woody angiosperms & soluble in water. Xanthophyll also
presents in flower and is insoluble in water, but soluble in fats & fat solvents. Quercetagetin have
been isolated from Indian types where kaempferitrin & helenien from Rumanian varities.

Fig: Marigold flower.

4

8. MORDANTING AGENT:
Mordants are substances which are used to fix a dye to the fibres. They also improve the take-up
quality of the fabric and help to improve color and light-fastness. Now-a-days most natural dyers use
chemical mordants such as alum, copper sulphate, iron or chrome. The most commonly used
mordant is alum.

9. MATERIALS USED THROUGH THE EXPERIMENTAL WORKS:

The following materials have been used at different process in this research work:
Material

General description
100% cotton knitted fabric of 160 GSM.

Fabric
Dye

Marigold flower is used for dye source.

Salt

Gluber salt used for dye exhaustion to the fabric.

Potassium Dichromate (K2Cr2O7)

Used as mordanting agent.

Ferrous Sulphate (FeSO4)

Used as mordanting agent.

Nickel (II) Sulphate (NiSO4)

Used as mordanting agent.

Copper Sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O)

Used as mordanting agent.

Potash Alum [K2Al2(SO4)3.24H2O]

Used as mordanting agent.

Stannous Chloride (SnCl2)

Used as mordanting agent.

Washing agent

Felosan NOF, ECE detergent.

Artificial perspiration

To test color fastness to Perspiration.

Table: List of materials used at different process.

10. INSTRUMENT USED THROUGH THE EXPERIMENTAL WORKS:

The following equipment has been used at different stages in this research work:
(i)

IR Dyer

(v)

Crock meter

(ii)

Electronic Balance

(vi)

Perspiration fastness tester

(iii)

Hot Air Dryer

(vii)

Xenon Arc. 150S+ Chamber

(iv)

Rota Wash

11. METHODOLOGY:

11.1. DYE EXTRACTION:

First, marigold flowers were collected, then the petals were separated and finally dried on sunlight (8
hrs.), subsequently dried in room due to preserve their natural colorant. The natural dyes were
extracted by boiling the above substrates in water without any chemicals. 100g of dry substrate was
taken in a stainless steel container with 5 litres of water without any chemical & heated them up to
60oC temperature (not exceed boiling temp.), kept the heated flower for a while to cool and again
heated them up to 60oC temperature, it is successively occurred about 4 times. After that we
squeezed the flower and extracted the dyes. Then, the color component extracted in water is heated
to evaporate the aqueous medium. The color component of natural dyes is laid down in extraction
bath in paste form of required hardness.
Recipe:

Flower Water-

100gm
5 litres.

Temperature- 60oC

11.2. MORDANTING:
Mordanting is the method used to fix a dye to the fibres by using mordanting agents. This method
improves the take-up quality of the fabric and help to improve color and light-fastness. The sample
of cotton is mordanted before dyeing. For mordanting different eco-friendly mordanting agents like
Potassium Dichromate (K2Cr2O7), Ferrous Sulphate (FeSO4), Nickel (II) Sulphate (NiSO4), Copper
Sulphate (CuSO4.5H2O), Stannous Chloride (SnCl2), Potash Alum [K2Al2(SO4)3.24H2O] etc. have
been used. The cloth is then mordanted by dipping it in a solution of above mentioned mordants
separately and water. The cloth is thus ready for subsequent dyeing. A common principle has been
followed during mordanting with different mordanting agents
Recipe:
Mordanting agent 5 g/l

Temp

Time

M: L

60 min

Procedure:
a. Weight sample fabric of 5 gm.
b. Take 100cc water into a pot and add 5gm mordanting agent at room temperature.
c. Now put the sample into the solution and load the pot in the machine.
d. Raise the temperature to 100oC and keep it for 60 min.
e. Cool to 40oC and kept overnight for conditioning.
6

1000C
1: 20

Process Curve:

Fig: Mordanting Curve.

11.3. DYEING:
A common principle has been followed during dyeing
Recipe:
Dyes

20 g/l

Time

60 min

Salt

5g/l

Temp

600C

Leveling agent

1g/l

M: L

1:20

Procedure:
a. Take 20g/l (10% stock solution) of dye solution into a pot and then 5gm salt is added.
b. Before put the mordanted sample it was soaked in cold water
c. Now Put the mordanted sample into the pot and load the pot in the machine.
d. Raise the temperature to 60oC and keep it for 60 min.
e. Cool to 40oC.
f. Cold rinse for 5 min.
Process Curve:
Temp (0c)

Add sample & Salt

60
400C

Drain & Rinsing

R .T
0
60
Fig: Dyeing curve.
7

Time (min)

11.4. WASHING:
At the end of the dyeing process the samples are washed by following
Recipe:
Soaping agent -

1 g/l (5% stock solution)

M: L-

1:20

Temperature-

40oC

Time-

10 min

Then the samples are cold washed by hand and dried by Hot Air Dryer.

Process Curve:
Temp (0c)
Add sample & soaping agent
40
Drain & Rinsing

R .T
0
10

Time (min)

Fig: Washing curve.

12. COLOR FASTNESS ANALYSIS:

The following color fastness properties are measured:

SL NO

FASTNESS

METHOD

01

Color fastness to wash

ISO 105 C06

02

Color fastness to perspiration

ISO 105 E04

03

Color fastness to saliva

ISO 105 E04

04

Color fastness to water

ISO 105 E01

05

Color fastness to rubbing

ISO 105 X12

Table: Color fastness analysis.

13. COMPARISION AMONG FASTNESS PROPERTIES FOR DIFFERENT MORDANTS:

Mordants
K2Cr2O7 FeSO4

Fastness

NiSO4 CuSO4.5H2O Potash Alum

SnCl2

Wash fastness

3-4

3-4

4-5

3-4

Alkaline Perspiration

4-5

Acidic Perspiration

4-5

4-5

Saliva

4-5

4-5

Water

4-5

4-5

4-5

Dry Rubbing

4-5

4.5

Wet Rubbing

4-5

4-5

4-5

Light fastness

4-5

Table: Comparison among fastness properties for different mordants.

It is observed that samples mordanted with potash alum shows excellent color fastness to wash. From
perspiration test, it is observed that samples mordanted with ferrous sulphate, potash alum are more
resistant to perspiration. For saliva test, it is found that samples mordanted with copper sulphate,
potash alum are more resistant to saliva. In case of color fastness to water, samples mordanted with
ferrous sulphate, copper sulphate, potash alum shows better result. Rubbing fastness test provides
information that samples mordanted with potassium dichromate, nickel sulphate, potash alum shows
more resistant to rubbing for both dry and wet. Sample dyed with natural dyes having mordanted
with copper sulphate and potash alum possesses a high light fastness rating.

14. EFFLUENT CHARECTERISATION:

The COD value measured for the effluents of different mordanting agents are as follows:
Used Mordanting agent
K2 Cr2O7
FeSO4
NiSO4
CuSO4.5H2O
Potash Alum
SnCl2

COD (mg/l)
1247
855
1351
760
811
1635

Table: COD value for the effluents of different mordanting agents.

It shows that K2 Cr2O7, NiSO4 and SnCl2 totally exceed the limiting range of COD where as
FeSO4, CuSO4.5H2 O and Potash Alum are in limiting range.
9

15. CONCLUSION:
This project work indicates that samples dyed with marigold flower extract dye have an influencial
effect on the fastness properties due to the use of different mordants. Different mordants impart
better fastness properties differently like samples mordanted with potash alum shows excellent color
fastness to wash and samples mordanted with ferrous sulphate and potash alum are more resistant to
perspiration. Mordents like copper sulphate and potash alum makes the sample more resistance to
saliva and gives the sample higher fastness to light. Briefly it can be said that potash alum mordant
gives better fastness properties in all aspects to the sample dyed with marigold extract dyes.
16. SUGGESTION FOR FUTURE WORK:
In future non-aqueous and other solvent assisted system for extraction of color may be used.
In future it may extend to other natural flower and using more types of mordanting agents.
The mordanting and dyeing at 1000C and 600C respectively in this research work may be
changed to new experiment in future.
In future natural mordanting agents like aloevera during mordanting may be used instead of
chemical mordanting agents for natural dyeing and printing.
It may be research on effect of shade & analysis of anti-microbial finishing on different types of
fabric by dyeing with marigold extracted dyes.

REFERENCES
[1] http://www.wikipedia.org /Natural Dye
[2] Dyeing of Textiles with Natural Dyes by Ashis Kumar Samanta and Adwaita Konar, Department
of Jute and Fibre Technology, University of Calcutta, India
[3] Pruthi, Neelam;Agarwal,Radhika;Singh,S,Jeet,Saroj Effect of mordants on printting with
merigold flowers dyeNatural Product Radiance,Volume-6;Issue-4;Page:306-309 (2007)
[4] Nilani, Duraisamy, P., Dhamodaran, Kasthuribai, Alok Semwol and Suresh The Effect of
Marigold Flower Dye with Natural Mordant on Selected Fibers; Journal of Pharmacy Research,
Volume-1; Issue-2; page: 176-181 (Oct- December 2008)
[5] M., HarikrishnanExtraction of natural dyes (Xanthophyll) from marigold flower Journal of
Advanced Scientific Research, Volume-4; Issue-2; Page: 48-50 (2013)
10