Functionalized Biocelsol - Regenerated Cellulosic Fibres with Improved Dyeability with Anionic Reactive Dyes

Majority of current textile fibres are produced from oil-based raw materials and thus have a role in global warming and micro plastic issue. This has created an opportunity to increase the production of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs), and consequently boosted the development of novel technologies in the field of cellulose dissolution and regeneration. Special properties of MMCFs will reassert the fibres as replacement for the existing oil-based fibres and thus fill the gap in demand.

The functionalized Biocelsol fibres used in this work were produced by wet spinning technique from the cellulose dope containing low amounts of 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl substituents. These substituents provided reactive double bonds in the structure of regenerated fibres. The functionalization was done by attaching amine groups in the fibres. The formed functionality is permanent and proofed to enhance the dyeability of fibres significantly.

The efficient dyeability was seen as darker shade of textile made from functionalized fibres compared to the textile made of reference fibres when using the same amount of dye. This property enables to decrease the dye and electrolyte concentrations in the dye liquor or use totally salt-free dyeing approach. All the options will reduce the environmental impact of textile dyeing by decreasing the formation of toxic filtrates and spent liquors.

In this work the improved dyeability was used as a design effect (tone-on-tone) in knitted textile by altering the yarns made of reference and functionalized Biocelsol fibres according to designed pattern. The textile was dyed after knitting in one dyeing bath providing different shades for parts prepared from reference and functionalized yarns.