Suitability of silver birch bark as a natural source for cotton dyeing

Abstract

Suitability of silver birch bark as a natural source for dyeing cotton. The study was carried out on dyeing cotton fabric with silver birch bark extract without a mordant and with the use of mordants - oxalic acid and inorganic salts of aluminum, tin, iron and copper. The color of the fabric was determined in the CIE L*a*b* system. Pale orange to salmon shades were obtained. In the case of iron and copper, a significantly different color was obtained, dark grayish and rusty, respectively. Color fastness tests were carried out using hot water, mineral acid, mild and hot washing, dry cleaning and natural exposure to sunlight. Excellent resistance to dry cleaning and mild and hot washing was found, as well as good resistance to mineral acid. The dyed fabric had the weakest, although still quite good, resistance to sunlight.