Ahmed El-Shafei, Ph.D.
This talk will provide a summary of dyeing results and fastness properties of cationized cotton using new cationizing chemistry knows as the Second Generation for Sustainable Dyeing and Finishing of Cellulosic Fabrics, developed in El-Shafei’s laboratory. Cotton pretreated using this new technology was dyed with reactive dyes and achieved a clear dye bath using no salt or alkali. Furthermore, the dyed fabrics exhibited significantly greater color yield, comparable fastness properties compared to conventional dyeing method, and conferred both antimicrobial and wrinkle-free functionalities. Antimicrobial properties were achieved against both gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and negative (Klebsiella pneumonia) bacteria with greater than 99% reduction in the number of bacteria colonies, based on AATCC TM 100, after five accelerated laundry washes, which is equivalent to 25 home laundry washes. This study demonstrated the potential for revolutionizing the landscape of textile industry by offering a new sustainable dyeing and finishing technology with zero waste using one single sustainable chemical pretreatment of cotton.
