Application of Complex Green Reducing Agents in Indigo Dyeing

Abstract

Indigo is one of the most important vat dyes in the textile industry, and it must be reduced to a water-soluble leuco form before dyeing. This study aims to seek a complex green reducing agent as a possible substitute for the environmentally unfavorable sodium dithionite(SD) used in indigo dyeing. Firstly, the stability of three reducing agents, SD, thiourea dioxide(TD) and glucose(GS), is compared. The reduction system of indigo dyeing with TD can maintain good stability after 2 h vigorous stirring. However, SD and GS cannot reach the reduction potential required by indigo after 1 h vigorous stirring, and the dyeing performance of indigo decreased. Considering that GS is more eco-friendly than SD, the complex of TD and GS is selected as the green reducing agent of indigo dyeing. Secondly, the reduction potential, pH and K/S values for indigo dyeing on cotton fabrics with different mass ratios of the complex reducing agents are analyzed. The results show that the optimum mass ratio of TD to GS is 7∶3, and under this condition, a stable reduction potential and a high dyeing ability are obtained.

Keywords

indigo dyeing / thiourea dioxide(TD) / glucose(GS) / sodium dithionite(SD) / reduction potential / K/S value

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Funding

Project of Henan Provincial Science and Technology, China(182102210514)