To enhance the dyeability of cotton fiber with the application of reactive dyes by using chitosan

Due to growing environmental concerns, the research on coloration of textiles with reactive dyes is gaining special attention nowadays because of their maximum usage, excellent wet fastness and friendliness. One disadvantage of reactive dye is the hydrolysis, due to which a large amount of dye does not fix the fabric leading to extensive washing. The present study deals with increasing dyeability and functionality of cotton reactive dyeing using chitosan. In conventional reactive dyeing method, salt and alkali's concentration are more used generating effluent, which is harmful for marine life, crops and also for human health. For overcoming this problem, we have used a chemical name as chitosan due to which concentration of salt and alkali will be reduced. Different reactive dyes were applied on woven fabric pretreated with chitosan and comparison was made. Colorfastness properties like rubbing, washing and light fastness of untreated and treated dyed fabric samples were measured using AATCC 08, AATCC 61 (2A) and AATCC 16, respectively. The color strength of these dyed fabric samples was determined by K/S value for comparison.