Ecofriendly ultrasonic natural dyeing of cotton fabric with enzyme pretreatments

Ecofriendly ultrasonic textile dyeing with natural dyes such as Acacia catechu and Tectona grandis show better and faster dye uptake after enzyme pretreatment on cotton fabric, and results of dyeing are better than metal mordanted fabric. It is observed that there is marked improvement in wash-fastness and light-fastness. The role of enzyme pretreatment is primarily for better absorbency, adherence and dyeability of these dyes on cotton fabric, thereby completely replacing metal mordants with enzyme for adherence of natural dyes on cotton. Scanning electron microscopy show surface characteristics at different stages of dyeing. The effect of sonication on the dyeing is compared with conventional heating. The study also shows enhancement in CIELab values.