Dyeing cellulose acetate fibres in a water-liquid paraffin (LP) dyebath can eliminate the need for dispersants and significantly reduce pollution, according to new research.

Published in the Journal of Biological Macromolecules, researchers from Wuhan Textile University in China have been investigating the use of liquid paraffin as an alternative to aqueous mediums for dyeing cellulose diacetate (CDA) fabric with disperse dyes to eliminate the need for dispersants.

The conventional method of dyeing CDA fabric with disperse dyes consumers large amounts of fresh water and dispersants, contributing to environmental pollution and health risks.

The researchers explored waterless dyeing of CDA fabric using Disperse Blue 56 in an LP medium. Optimal dyeing conditions were determined using the Taguchi method, which has not been explored in previous research. Key factors considered in the Taguchi method included dyeing temperature, dye concentration, dyeing duration, and water concentration in the LP medium.

The fabric properties were evaluated through several techniques. These include tensile strength, colourfastness to washing and rubbing,