Effect of various mordants in Kum dyed cotton, silk and woollen yarns

Abstract

The colour fastness properties, tensile strength and elongation percentage of various yarns such as cotton, wool and silk, naturally dyed with fermented Kum leaves [Strobilanthes cusia (Nees) Kuntze] using traditional technique of cold and heating process and chemical technique with metallic salts have been studied. The colour fastness in both traditional and chemical technique shows fair to excellent results. Except for some cases in silk and woollen yarns, the tensile strength and elongation percentage of all the dyed yarns are found to be higher as compared to that of the grey yarn. In cotton yarn, both traditional and chemical pre-mordanting techniques show improvement in colourfastness and high tensile strength and elongation percentage as compared to grey yarn.