Dyeing of Wool with Aqueous Extract of Cotton Pods Improved by Plasma Treatment and Chitosan: Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology

In this study, a new source of natural dye was introduced. Dried cotton pods were used as a source of natural dye for coloration of wool. Oxygen plasma was used as a pre-treatment to improve the dyeability of wool fibers. FUR and FESEM were employed to observe the changes made on the fiber surfaces after plasma treatment. The dyeing process of plasma treated wool fibers was optimized using response surface methodology. To investigate the possibility of replacement of metal mordant with an environmentally friendly process, chitosan was applied on plasma treated sample and the dyeability of the sample was compared with the raw and alum mordanted samples. The color fastness to washing and light and the antibacterial properties of selected samples were evaluated and compared.