Catalytic Dyeing Process

Catalytic Dyeing Process

Author: ChemViews

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a linear aliphatic polyester that is derived from 100 % renewable sources and decomposes into CO2, water, biomass, humus, and other natural substances. It can be dyed using a typical textile dyeing process, where it is scoured with detergent and alkali to remove hydrophobic auxiliaries, then dyed with disperse dyes in an aqueous dyebath.

Patrick McGowan and co-workers, University of Leeds, UK, report a method for forming PLA that removes the need for wet-processing operations. The dye is directly incorporated into the backbone of the polymer from an aluminium-based catalyst.

This process yields colorant by mass of 0.5–0.7 % with respect to mass of the polymer; significantly less than that of conventionally dyed textiles wherein medium and dark shades would typically require 2.0–10.0 % dye with respect to the mass of the fiber.


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