Emodin and Dermocybin Natural Anthraquinones as High-Temperature Disperse Dyes for Polyester and Polyamide

Pure natural anthraquinones, emodin and dermocybin, isolated from the fungus Dermocybe sanguinea, are for the first time used as disperse dyes for polyester and polyamide fabrics using a high-temperature dyeing method, accompanied with a reference dyeing with CI Disperse Red 60. The color of each dyed material is investigated in terms of the CIELAB L *, a *, and b * values, and color fastness to light, washing, and rubbing are tested according to the ISO standards. Emodin dyes polyester bright yellow and dermocybin bright reddish-orange, and the fabrics show excellent color-fastness results. Emodin and dermocybin successfully dye polyamide brownish-orange and wine-red, respectively, but the fastness results are only moderate. This study shows that pure natural anthraquinone compounds can produce bright hues and color-fastness properties equivalent to those of synthetic disperse dyes, and thus providing useful alternatives to the synthetics.