Fabrics dying with Hibiscus sabdariffa and Curcuma longa extracts using different mordants and mordanting methods

Extraction of plant secondary metabolites were prepared and subjected as non-toxic, biodegradable and eco-friendly natural dyes. Two groups of cotton textiles were dyed with crude extracts of Curcuma longa and Hibiscus sabdariffa separately to examine and compare the staining ability of these extracts. Fabrics where treated with three different mordanting techniques using three different mordants which were copper, ferrous sulfates and potassium dichromate. Dyed fabrics were exposed to different conditions including washing with water and detergent as well as exposing to sun light in order to test the stability of the color. As a result Curcuma longa extract had higher potentially dying ability than Hibiscus sabdariffa extract, otherwise using of Potassium dichromate as a mordant gave best color stability compared with other used mordants, while dying of fabrics by pre-mordanting method as exposing fabric samples to the mordants before dying with plant extracts showed the darker shade.