Authors E.M.R. El-Zairy.
The technical feasibility of using Aloe vera gel as a new thickener for printing polyester with disperse dyes, the properties of the printed fabric samples (colour strength, K/S, overall fastness properties, handling and sharpness) were dependent on gel concentration, the type and concentration of additive (i.e. urea or citric acid), as well as the fixation conditions using the super-heated steam technique. The optimum conditions for printing polyester fibre with disperse dyes using Aloe vera gel as a thickener were as follows: 30 g/kg disperse dye, 50 g/kg urea, 15 g/kg citric acid, 500 g/kg Aloe vera thickener and 50% drying at 100″C for 3 min followed by steam fixation for 6 min at 180″C, The central parenchyma tissue of aloe vera contains a bitter yellow exudate which contains 1, 8 dihydroxy anthraquinones derivatives and their glycosides. The aloe parenchyma tissue or pulp contains proteins, lipids, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, inorganic compounds, and small organic compounds in addition to a variety carbohydrate. Disperse dyes are mainly used in the dyeing and printing of polyester and its blended fabrics and can be used with all techniques. Disperse prints have excellent printing properties, excellent wet fastness and excellent colour strength, Thickening Agents, Aloe vera gel extracted from the plant as an eco-friendly thickening agent as well as Indrez(r) HTA series (a natural polymer based on guar gum produced by Encore Natural Polymers, a private limited company in India) were used as thickening agents, disperse dyes, Auxiliaries and chemicals, performance of a new thickening agent for disperse printing of polyester fabrics, as well as to search for the ideal printing paste components and fixation conditions for attaining darker prints with better overall fastness properties, increasing the thickening agent concentration from 100 g/kg up to 500 g/kg resulted in an improvement in the K/S values of the disperse prints, which could be discussed in terms of higher paste viscosity and minimum undue penetration or flashing of the dye; ii) a further increase in the concentration of the thickening agent had practically no effect on the depth of the obtained prints and was accompanied with a negative impact on softness), the overall fastness properties of the printed polyester fabric samples showed that using Aloe vera at 500 g/kg as a thickening agent yielded the best improvement in the handling, sharpness and fastness properties of the printed samples. The application of a new thickening, agent based on Aloe vera gel for disperse printing of polyester. Increasing the concentration of the thickening agent, aloe vera gel, up to 500 g/kg, along with the addition of urea up to 75 g/kg paste and citric acid up to 10 g/kg paste with a disperse dye concentration up to 30 g/kg paste results in an enhancement in the depth of the obtained prints, Super-heated steam fixation at 180oC for 6 min was found to be effective for attaining improved depth of disperse prints, The K/S values as well as the fastness properties of the obtained prints depend on the type of the dyestuff and the thickening
