ENVIRONMENTALLY DYEING PROCESS FOR CELLULOSIC PRODUCTS

Abstract

Disclosed is an environmentally friendly method that enables the pre-treatment and dyeing processes applied to cellulosic products used in the production of textile products such as towels, bathrobes to be carried out in a single bath with natural, biological preparations.

Claims

1. A method for enabling the pre-treatment and dyeing processes applied to cellulosic products used in the production of textile products such as towels, bathrobes to be carried out in a single bath, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) heating water located in said bath to 60° C., b) placing the cellulosic product into the heated water bath and adding a wetting agent to ensure that the cellulosic product is wetted homogeneously, c) preparing a pre-treatment bath by adding a mixture of amylase, cellulase, pectinase and cationizing agent prepared by pre-mixing, d) treating the cellulosic product in the bath with a pH value of 6-6.5 for 45 minutes, e) after the pre-treatment process is completed, adding to the same bath natural dyestuffs and mordant substances allowing the dyestuff to be bonded with the cellulosic product, f) performing the dyeing process by increasing the temperature to 95° C.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pre-treatment bath comprises 87-93.4% by weight of water, 1-2.5% wetting agent, 0.5-1% amylase, 0, 1-0.5% cellulase, 4-7% pectinase and 1-2% cationizing agent.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the process step c, said cationizing agent is quaternary ammonium salts, triethanol amine hydrochloride, dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea, methylol hydroxy ethylene urea or choline chloride.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the process step e, said natural dyestuff is pine extract, turmeric, hibiscus, walnut shell, pomegranate peel or onion extract.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the process step e, said mordant substances are individuals or combinations selected from the group consisting of tannic acid, vinegar and lemon.

6. Towels or bathrobes with a permanent touch, colored with natural dyes, obtained by the method of claim 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] In this detailed description, the environmentally friendly method that enables the pre-treatment and dyeing processes applied to cellulosic products used in the production of textile products such as towels, bathrobes to be carried out in a single bath with natural, biological preparations, is disclosed only for better understanding of the subject and without creating any restrictive effect.

Formulation of the Pre-Treatment Bath Used in the Method of the Invention

[0027]

TABLE-US-00001 Preferred Amount By Usable Amount by Content Weight (%) Weight (%) Wetting agent 1.5 .sup. 1-2.5 Amylase 0.5 0.5-1.sup.  Cellulase 0.15 0.1-0.5 Pectinase 5 4-7 Cationizing agent 1.5 1-2 Water 91.35 .sup. 87-93.4

[0028] The method that enables the pre-treatment and dyeing processes applied to cellulosic products used in the production of textile products such as towels, bathrobes to be carried out in a single bath is carried out as follows; [0029] Water is poured into the bath and heated to 60° C., [0030] Cellulosic product is placed into the heated water bath and a wetting agent is added to ensure that the product is wetted homogeneously, [0031] Then, the pre-treatment bath is prepared by adding amylase, cellulase, pectinase and cationizing agent, which were previously mixed in a container, [0032] The cellulosic product is treated in a bath with a pH value of 6-6.5 for 45 minutes, [0033] After the pre-treatment process is completed, the natural dyestuffs and mordant substances allowing the dyestuff to be bonded with the cellulosic product are added to the same bath, the dyeing process is carried out by increasing the temperature to 95° C.

[0034] While the cellulosic product is homogeneously wetted with the wetting agent used in the method of the invention, amylase, cellulase, pectinase and cationizer substances to be added in the next process step are allowed to properly penetrate into the product.

[0035] As a result of the studies conducted, the optimum time for pre-treatment and dyeing processes applied to cellulosic products was determined to be 45 minutes and the temperature to be 60° C. The desired yield cannot be achieved in pre-treatment processes performed below 60° C. Therefore, the dyeing to be performed following the pre-treatment process cannot be performed properly. Also, an efficient result cannot be obtained in pre-treatment processes if the treatment time is less than 45 minutes. It is provided that dyestuff is penetrated into fabrics better by increasing the temperature to 95° C. in the dyeing process.

[0036] The wetting agent is a non-ionic surface active agent and provides that the other substances (cationizing agent and enzymes) composing the pre-treatment bath are better penetrated into the cellulosic product surface.

[0037] Amylase removes the starch size on the cellulosic product. It is a natural, cheap and readily available enzyme substance.

[0038] Cellulase is used to hydrolyze cellulose in cellulosic product structure, to smooth the fabric surface, to reduce pilling tendency, and also performs the function of bio-polishing.

[0039] Pectinase provides hydrophilization of the cellulosic product by removing the pectin in the cellulosic product structure.

[0040] The anionic ionicity of cellulosic products becomes cationic with the cationizing agent. Thus, the possibility of using less dyestuff is provided by increasing the interest of the product to anionic dyestuff. The negative load accumulation is observed on the surface of all fibers after the cellulosic products are immersed in an aqueous environment. Therefore, the use of anionic dyestuffs in dyeing of cellulosic products tends to repel each other with this negative load that occurs on the surface and the dyeing process becomes difficult. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, quaternary ammonium salts, triethanol amine hydrochloride, dimethylol dihydroxy ethylene urea, methylol hydroxy ethylene urea or choline chloride can be used as the cationizing agent.

[0041] Mordant substances used in the dyeing process step are biodegradable (ecological) substances and have no adverse effects on the environment and human health. Mordant substances used in the preferred embodiment of the invention are individuals or their combinations selected from the group consisting of tannic acid, vinegar and lemon.

[0042] The negative loads accumulated on cellulosic products are converted into positive loads thanks to the cationizing agent. As a result of this, it is ensured that cellulosic product surfaces are dyed with natural dyestuffs by changing the load accumulation on the surface. Fixation of natural dye to the cationized product becomes easier. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, pine extract, turmeric, hibiscus, walnut shell, pomegranate peel or onion extract can be used as natural dyestuff.

[0043] During the pre-treatment process, impurities such as oil, wax, dirt etc. on the cellulosic product (raw cotton) are removed while the better affinity of natural dyes into to the fabric is provided by opening chemical bonds in the structure of cotton with cationization process.

[0044] In the method of the invention, since all processes take place in a single bath, the pH value should be 6-6.5. When these values are exceeded, the efficiency of pre-treatment and cationization processes decreases, and dyeing inefficiency also occurs. Therefore, in the method of the invention, substances that can cooperate with each other in suitable pH ranges were used. Optimum running pH ranges were determined as a result of trial studies. As a result of all these studies, the common running pH value of 6-6.5 for a single process were determined in optimum pH ranges of each substance.