Study on the Improvement of Dyeability of Commercial Indigo Leaf Powder for the Purpose of Utilizing It in Indigo Dyeing

Abstract

This research investigated the effective conditions to dye cotton with commercial indigo leaf powder. We tested dyeing conditions of: pH of dyebath (6.5, 9-12), heating (20 It is proposed that the K/S value is primarily influenced by the dyebath pH and dyeing temperature, followed by the presence or absence of ageing time and reduction time. The color of cotton with high K/S values was B type by Munsell hue value, which was similar to the color obtained in previous studies by freshly made indigo leaf powder and indigo leaf juice. The results indicate that the dyeing conditions established in this research are suitable to maximize the dyeability of commercial indigo leaf powder and that the indigo leaf powder can be used as a substitute for fresh indigo leaf juice.