Acidic Dyeing Boosts Sustainability in Textile Production

Researchers at Dalian University of Technology and Donghua University in China developed a new textile dyeing process that uses mildly acidic conditions to bond dyes to cotton and polyester/cotton blends. Traditional dyeing relies on alkaline conditions, which can hinder effective dye fixation and require multiple steps.

This new method employs silicon-containing reactive dyes and a silane coupling agent, KH550, to create a strong, three-dimensional network linking dye, agent, and fabric. The team successfully dyed polyester/cotton blends in a single step, achieving over 90% dye utilization and exceeding 96% reactive dye fixation.

Testing revealed the dyed fabrics exhibited high colorfastness and durability even under extreme conditions. This innovation promises to significantly reduce the environmental impact of textile dyeing by halving water usage, cutting electricity consumption by nearly 50%, and reducing thermal energy demand by over one-third. The researchers believe this approach could reshape textile manufacturing globally.