Colour fixation process and colour fastness improvement strategies for natural plant dyes in functional clothing fabrics
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The application of natural plant dyes in functional textiles is limited by poor colour fastness and difficulty in colour fixation.Functional additives can reduce fibre surface polarity, shield active sites, and hinder dye uptake.Traditional metal mordant dyeing methods also carry the risk of chemical interference with functional components, compromising performance stability.This study proposes an optimised colour fixation method.First, plant dyes compatible with functional fabrics are selected, and dyeing parameters are adjusted to ensure uniform dye penetration into the fibres.Then, a customised fixing agent is used to enhance dye-fibre bonding through high-temperature steam and mild chemical crosslinking.Dyeing conditions (such as pH, time, and temperature) are further optimised to improve colour fixation.Results show that after 25 washes, the antibacterial fabric achieves a wash fastness of 2.7, with a dye residue rate of 70.1%.The light fastness remains at 3.9 (initial value: 5) after 120 hours of exposure, and the antibacterial rate remains at 91.6% after washing.This method effectively improves colour durability while preserving the fabric's functional properties.
Authors: Jiaheng Han, Zicheng Zhang, Jiang Chang
Institutions: University of Leeds, University of the Arts London
Language: English
Subfield: Polymers and Plastics
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7160959414