EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS DYEING FIXATION METHODS ON LIGHT FASTNESS OF COTTON DYED WITH REACTIVE DYES‪.‬

Byline: Awais Khatri - Email: awais.khatri@faculty.muet.edu.pk, Mazhar Hussain Peerzada and Rafique Ahmed Jhatial ABSTRACT: In continuous dyeing of cotton with reactive dyes, steaming and baking are two ways to expedite dye-fibre reaction and are often regarded as dye fixation phase of the dyeing process. Steaming is carried out at around 102oC with 100% moisture while baking is a dry heating at 150-180oC. Such difference in temperature and moisture conditions tends to produce different colour yields and colourfastness. This paper presents results of an investigation on the effect of the two dye fixation methods on colourfastness to light. Pad-steam and pad-dry-bake processes were studied for the effect of the two methods. The light fastness produced by pad-steam dyeing was generally better than that obtained by pad-dry-bake dyeing.