Combined use of cationization and mercerization as pretreatment for the deep dyeing of ramie fibre

In order to produce deep shades of colour, ramie fibre was subjected to pretreatment by cationization, caustic mercerization (slack and tension condition), and liquid ammonia mercerization. The untreated and pretreated samples were dyed with 0.5 to 7 % concentrations (on mass of fiber (o.m.f)) of Liyuansol Red FL-2BL reactive dye. The dyeing properties of dye exhaustion, fixation, colour uniformity, wash fastness, and rubbing fastness were investigated. The results indicated that these pretreatments improved dye exhaustion and fixation on ramie fibre, with no loss of fastness. For the untreated and treated substance, the amount of dye mass absorption increased linearly with increased dye o.m.f. Cationic treatment improved performance, with 89 % and 98 % for exhaustion and fixation, respectively, and the maximum K/S values of all fibers receiving pretreatment. The colour uniformity was acceptable and similar for the untreated and treated ramie fibers, with the exception of cationic-treated fabric dyed at 7 % dye o.m.f that showed a high standard deviation value of colour uniformity. The Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherm models were also used to study the adsorption of dye on ramie fibre; all of the adsorption processes fit the Freundlich model.