Comparison of biomordant and chemical mordant on the color, fastness, and antimicrobial properties of wool fabrics dyed with Juglans regia waste product

Abstract

Natural dyes are regarded as innovative and sustainable resources in the textile industry, offering not only coloration but also functional properties such as antibacterial activity. In this study, the leaves, dry hard shells (inner shell), and green shells (outer shell) of the walnut species Şebinkarahisar were used as natural resources for dyeing wool fabrics. Aluminum potassium sulfate (KAl(SO<inf>4</inf>)<inf>2</inf>) was used as a mordant in the pre-mordanting process, whereas pomegranate peel powder and acorn powder were used as biomordants. This study investigated whether acorn and pomegranate peel powders are alternatives to KAl(SO<inf>4</inf>)<inf>2</inf> as a biomordant. The dyeing process was carried out with a concentration of 50% on mordanting and non-mordanting fabrics. The mordanting materials were used at 4 different concentrations: 1%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. Fastness, color, and antibacterial analyses were performed on the treated samples. The analyses revealed that the use of acorn and pomegranate peel powder can be an alternative to aluminum potassium sulfate, apart from the antibacterial properties.