A salt‐free pad‐irradiate‐pad‐steam reactive dyeing process for cotton fabric and the influence of cationising conditions on its coloration

Abstract

Abstract The salt‐free reactive dyeing of cotton fabric meets the need of the modern textile industry and overcomes the problems posed by salt usage. In this study, a pad‐irradiate‐pad‐steam (PIPS) process for the salt‐free dyeing of cotton fabric with a reactive dye was applied. In this process, 3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (CHPTMAC) was used to modify the fabric with cations under microwave heating. Then, the cationic fabric was dyed using a reactive dye. The influence of the cationising conditions in the PIPS process on the K / S value of the dyed cotton fabric was investigated. The results showed that the CHPTMAC concentration, the mole ratio of sodium hydroxide to CHPTMAC, the microwave irradiation power and the treatment time had significant effects on the dyeing of cotton fabric. Also, fastness to light, washing, and rubbing of the dyed cotton fabric was satisfactory.