Ultrasound energy to accelerate dye uptake and dye–fiber interaction of reactive dye on knitted cotton fabric at low temperatures

• Ultrasound energy was used as an alternative method for dyeing of cotton fabric with reactive dyes.
• Dyeing was carried out at controlled temperatures of 30 °C, 40 °C and 60 °C.
• Ultrasound energy was able to de agglomerate the hydrolyzed dye molecules in the dye bath.
• Dye exhaustion was optimal with ultrasound energy compared to conventional heating method.
• Cavitation during sonication was successfully used to drive dye molecules inside the fibers.

Acoustic cavitation formed due to propagation of ultrasound wave inside a dye bath was successfully used to dye cotton fabric with a reactive dye at lower temperatures. The energy input to the system during sonication was 0.7 W/cm2. This was within the energy range that contributes towards forming cavitation during ultra-sonication. The influence of ultrasound treatment on dye particle size and fiber morphology is discussed. Particle size analysis of the dye bath revealed ultra-sonication energy was capable of de-agglomeration of hydrolyzed dye molecules during dyeing. SEM micrograph and AFM topographical image of the fiber surface revealed fiber morphology remains unchanged after the sonication. The study was extended in understanding the contribution of ultrasound method of dyeing towards achieving good color strength on the fabric, compared to the normal heating method of dyeing. Study showed color strength obtained using ultra sound method of dyeing is higher compared to normal heating dyeing. Ultrasound energy was able to achieve the good color strength on cotton fabric at very low temperature such as 30 °C, which was approximately 230% more than the color strength achieved in normal heating method of dyeing. This indicates that energy input to the system using ultrasound was capable of acting as an effective alternative method of dyeing knitted cotton fabrics with reactive dye.

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