The use of sodium edate in the dyeing of cotton with reactive dyes

The present paper was aimed at studying the possibility of using organic salt (sodium edate) in the dyeing of cotton fabrics with reactive dyes in place of inorganic salt (sodium sulphate) and in the absence of alkali. For this purpose, dyeing of cotton fabrics with reactive dyes using sodium edate and sodium sulphate was investigated and the results obtained were compared. Factors affecting dyeability such as salt concentration, alkali concentration, the use of mixed electrolyte, dyeing time and temperature were also studied. The colour strength and fastness properties of the dyed fabrics using sodium edate were comparable to those obtained with sodium sulphate. The overall results suggest that sodium edate offers the potential as an exhausting and fixing agent for reactive dyeing of cotton.