Analysis and Study of Effect of Natural Dye From Bombax malabarica on Silk Fabric

The current study deals with the extraction of natural dye from Bombax malabarica flowers, readily available by-product. Dye was extracted under different operating conditions such as time (60–90 min), temperature (90–95 °C), and pH 9. The dyed samples were subjected to CIELAB system using Gretag Macbeth Color Eye 7000A Spectrophotometer for the evaluation of color strength and L*a*b* C and H values. To improve the dye uptake and color fastness, pre and postmordanting was carried out using alum, tannic, and tartaric acid mordants. Dyed silk fabrics were tested for its color fastness when subjected to light, washing, and rubbing. Fastness properties of dyed silk fabric samples were found considerably good. Mordanted silk fabric samples showed increase in dye uptake resulting in high color strength and better fastness properties. The dyed silk samples displayed good antimicrobial activity (reduction rate: 48%) against the bacteria Escherichia coli and (reduction rate: 55%) against Staphylococcus aureus.