A Comparative Study on Sustainable Dyeing of Silk and Wool with Acid Red 138 Dye

Environment-friendly textile processing is now-a-days worldwide demand. The current study has been concerned with the utilization of suitable tool i.e. microwave radiation for the improvement of dyeing behavior of natural fabrics using Acid Red 138 dye. Microwave treatment up to 6 min has been given to both dye solution and fabrics. Microwave-treated and un-treated fabrics were used to dye under-treated and un-treated solutions. Different dyeing parameters were employed and shade made at optimized conditions were as per ISO fastness standards and it was found that un-heated silk has given excellent results when dyed at 65◦C for 65 min under irradiated dye solution of 4 pH containing 4 g/100 mL of salt. But irradiated wool has given good results when the solution of 1 pH contaminating 4 g/100 mL salt was irradiated to dye fabrics at 65 ◦C for 65 min. However, silk fabric has shown more promising behavior toward treated dye solution as compared to wool fabric under optimum conditions. It is concluded that microwave treatment has a good potential not only to make acid dyeing process more sustainable for the coloring behavior of silk more than wool under mild condition.