Colour Properties of Infrared Bandicoot Berry (Leea Indica) Dyed Silk

Global interest in dyeing fabrics using natural dyes has increased due to recent trends toward sustainable textiles. As opposed to synthetic dyes, colourants from natural dyes contribute to environmental preservation and reduce human dependency on hazardous resources. This study extracted colourants from Bandicoot berry (Leea Indica) or Memali (Malay), using the aqueous water extraction methods. Infrared (IR) and exhaustion (EX) dyeing were performed on 100% plain silk fabrics at 90℃ for 60 minutes with a simultaneous mordanting technique. The dyed fabrics were then measured using a spectrophotometer to analyse the L*a*b* values and K/S values of the shades obtained. The ability to withstand washing, perspiration, rubbing/crocking, and light of the dyed fabrics were compared. All fastness testing was done in accordance with MS ISO Standard and AATCC. The K/S values of the dyed fabrics were enhanced using mordants. The fastness properties of the IR-dyed silk fabrics gave ratings from good to excellent compared to EX-dyed fabrics which received mostly fair to good ratings. To conclude, this study provides empirical evidence that the colour properties of dyed silk fabrics with natural colourants extracted from Bandicoot berry (Leea Indica) can be optimized by using IR dyeing.