Colour properties of Tagetes erecta dyed fabrics using different extraction and dyeing techniques / Nur Amirah Fadzlena Md Fadzli

Malaysia has a remarkably broad range of plants, making it a veritable treasure trove of many natural goods. The dye is one such natural product. In this study, natural colourants from the marigold flower (Tagetes erecta), namely flavonoid and carotenoid, were extracted under various operating conditions. Through the course of the extraction process on orange petals of Tagetes erecta, dark and light yellow-brown dye extracts were produced. UV-Visible spectroscopy was used to perform chemical characterisation analysis on the dyes, demonstrating that the colour pigment was existing in aqueous (distilled water) and solvent (methanol) extracts, also yielding crude yields of 7.9% and 8.5%, respectively. Infrared and exhaustion dyeing with simultaneous mordanting using iron and lemon was carried out on 100% plain silk and cotton fabrics. Both dyeing processes were conducted for 60 minutes at 90℃. The dyed fabrics were then evaluated for colour shades, colour properties such colour coordinates, 2D colour plot, colour reflectance, and colour strength, as well as fastness qualities to washing, perspiration, rubbing and light. The findings were assessed and compared. When fabrics were dyed with mordants, dye absorption increased. Consequently, their dyeability and colour strength improve, as do their fastness properties. Despite the fact that silk and cotton fabrics dyed with infrared and exhaustion dyeing showed slightly similar shades of dark or light yellow-brown, cotton-dyed fabrics have better colour strength than silk-dyed fabrics. However, most IR-dyed fabrics received good to excellent ratings because there is no staining, less wash off colourant on dyed fabrics, and dye molecules penetrate deeply into the fibres. The colour properties of fabrics dyed with methanol extracts also yielded good results without staining. Natural fibres have a high dye adsorption rate, which results in a more vibrant colour on dyed fabrics. Thus, natural dyes derived from Tagetes erecta petal extracts, as well as the use of infrared dyeing methods on natural fabrics such as silk and cotton, appear to be ideal for textile dyeing colouration.