Abstract:
Natural dyes derived from plant materials
have the potential to replace synthetic dyes due to their
ecological compatibility and biodegradability. This
study focuses on extracting and characterizing the
natural dye from powder waste of Areca catechu and
developing a dye recipe for the cotton fabric dyeing
process. The ethanol extraction method was used to
extract the Areca catechu dye. Two different mordants
(Alum and Ferrous sulfate) and two mordanting
techniques (pre-mordanting and post-mordanting) at
3% and 5% concentrations were used to set the
extracted dye on the cotton fabrics. The dye exhibited a
pH value of 4.0, presenting a distinct red-brown hue,
and had absorption spectra in the UV-A and visible
light regions. The extraction was analyzed by FT-IR to
determine the presence of the functional groups in each
extract. Dyed cotton samples displayed good
colorfastness properties, particularly in washing and
light fastness. Color intensity values were measured in
terms of color strength and coordinate values. Premordanting the dyed cotton fabrics with 5% Ferrous
sulfate proved more effective, leading to optimal color
strength. Thus, the dye extracted from Areca catechu
powder waste can be successfully utilized with ferrous
sulfate to dye the cotton fabrics. The future study of
Areca catechu natural dye should focus on the
economic viability of producing the dyes
commercially.
