Effect of Selected Mordants on Fastness Properties of Cotton Fabric Dyed with Henna Leaves Extract

Abstract

Henna extracts were obtained from the leaves of Lawsonia inermis using ethanol, distilled water and calcium hydroxide as solvents. The ethanol  extract gave the highest percentage yield (5.6%), followed by the calcium hydroxide with (1.9%) yield. The ethanol extract was use to dye cotton  fabric using copper (II) sulphate, iron (II) sulphate and crushed babool seeds as mordants. The cotton fabric dyed in the absence of the mordants  show poor fastness to washing and fair fastness to rubbing and wet pressing with very good fastness to dry and dump pressing, but While the fabric dyed using mordants show very good fastness to washing, dump and wet pressing, and an excellent fastness to rubbing and dry-pressing.

Keywords: Cotton fabric, Colour fastness, Henna Extracts, Mordants