Screen-printed electrospun cellulose nanofibers using reactive dyes

Recently, great deal of attention has been paid to dyeing of nanofibers. Herein, the printing of nanofibers has been reported for the very first time. We chose electrospun cellulose nanofibers (ECNF) and printed with three different classes of reactive dyes by flat screen-printing method. The various printing parameters were investigated such as steaming time, dye build-up property, color penetration. Results revealed that the nanofibers after printing showed good color yield and obtained 92% dye fixation within 7 min of steaming time. Irrespective to dye class, the color build-up property on ECNF showed a linear relationship with increasing dye concentration and demonstrated overall good dye color fastness properties. SEM images showed smooth morphology of ECNF after reactive printing. This technique opens a new door to produce colored patterns and designs on to nanofiber webs that can be utilized for aesthetic as well as functional purposes.