Dyeability of Cotton Treated with Silk Peptide Dyed With Black Tea Dyestuff

Silk peptide was prepared from tussah noil and characterized by IR and UV-Vis spectra. The cotton fabric was pre-treated with silk peptide, and then dyed with natural dyestuff extracted from black tea. Furthermore the effect of silk peptide pre-treatment on the dyeing properties of cotton fabric was discussed. The results indicated that the colour strength (K/S value) of cotton fabric was improved, and the soaping colour fastness and crocking fastness were maintained after pre-treatment with silk peptide. Meanwhile, the breaking strength of cotton fabric declined slightly, the softness improved and the whiteness remained the same.