Printing of P/C Blended Fabric Using Disperse-Reactive System
Rushikesh Digambar Patil
Department of Textiles (Textile Chemistry)
DKTE’S Textile & Engineering Institute, Ichalkaranji, India
Intern at Textile Learner
Email: rushikeshpatil23052002@gmail.com
Introduction:
Using a disperse-reactive system (method), printing a polyester cotton blended (P/C) fabric, it is the most popular system widely used in Printing on a polyester-cotton (P/C) blended fabric with a direct style of printing.
The phrase “textile printing” refers to the localized application of dyes, pigments, and chemicals on fabric using any method that may produce a specific color effect on the cloth based on the design.
For general use, polyester fiber and cellulose fiber can be blended in the following ratios: 85/15, 67/33, 60/40, 70/30, 52/48, and 50/50. In printing, the composition of the blend and the structure of the cloth are crucial. Heat setting, scouring, bleaching, and mercerization treatments are all important steps in the fabric preparation process.
Disperse/reactive, disperse/vat, and disperse/vat can be used for polyester/cotton blends, with the disperse-reactive system being the most popular because it creates even prints with good overall fastness. Shades in a wide spectrum of hues can be printed. Chemically, reactive dyes are more versatile than vat dyes, and they require less technical supervision in the ageing process. When it comes to fastness qualities, reactive dyes outperform pigments. Because of cross staining and cross-linking of disperse and reactive dyes in alkaline circumstances, the brightness of the disperse/ reactive mixture is not as good as that of individual disperse and reactive dyes. As a result, selecting and formulating disperse/reactive dyes necessitates a high level of skill and innovation. To get uniform colors with little staining of white grounds, careful control should be used during the development of color and soaping.
Single-phase or two-phase processes were used to create the prints. Disperse and reactive dye pastes are produced separately and combined shortly prior to printing in the single-phase process. The disperse dyes chosen for these processes should be alkali sensitive and have good sublimation fastness, especially when using the thermo-fixation method of fixation. Because the print paste in the two-phase process is alkali-free, there is a large range of disperse dyes to choose from. The dyes are fixed in a specific order. Fixation of disperse dye in alkaline medium by cold silicate pad batch or alkali shock methods is followed by fixation of reactive dye in alkaline medium by steaming or thermofixation.
Style of printing:
Direct style.
Method of Printing:
- Single-phase method
- Two-phase method
Process sequence:
(Single-phase method)
Prepare disperse dye & Reactive dye paste Separately
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Mix both pastes as per blend composition.
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Print the fabric using Disperse-reactive paste.
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Drying the fabric at 80°C.
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Fixation by pressure steaming method at 125-130°C at 1-2 bar Pressure for 25-30 min.
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Washing
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Soaping with non-ionic detergent
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Rinse with cold water
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Drying the sample
(Two-phase method)
Prepare disperse dye & reactive dye paste combine
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Print the fabric with the combined paste of Disperse-reactive dye
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Drying the fabric at 80°C
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Fixation by pressure Steaming method at 125-130°C at 1-2 bar pressure for 25-30 min
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Padding by alkali solution consists of Sodium silicate & Sodium carbonate
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Rinse with cold water by batching process
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Soaping with non-ionic Detergent
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Rinse with cold water and dry the sample
Preparation of thickener [Thickener( 6 %)- sodium alginate]
We have to prepare a 6 % sodium alginate (natural) thickener
Recipe- Sodium alginate Thickener (1000 gm)
Sodium alginate Powder ——- 60 gm
Water —————————- 940 ml
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Total —————————- 1000 gm
Procedure –
- Take 94 ml of water in the container
- Clean the stirrer before use
- Add a small quantity of sodium alginate powder into the water
- Stir the solution using a stirrer
- With continuous stirring add a remaining quantity of the sodium alginate powder into the water
- Continuous stirring will provide us with appropriate viscosity to the thickener
Procedure:
A. Single-phase method:
1. Prepare the print paste by using the following recipes-
Disperse dye paste (100 gm)
| Sr.no | Ingredients | Quality |
| 1 | Disperse dye | 3 gm |
| 2 | Water | 5-10 ml |
| 3 | Resist salt | 1 gm |
| 4 | Carrier (optional) | 0.5 gm |
| 5 | Sodium alginate thickener (6%) | 85 to 90 gm |
| Total | – | 100 gm |
Reactive dye paste (100 gm)
| Sr.no | Ingredients | Quantity |
| 1 | Reactive dye | 3 gm |
| 2 | Water | 5-10 ml |
| 3 | Urea | 3 gm |
| 4 | Resist salt | 1 gm |
| 5 | Sodium bicarbonate | 2 gm |
| 6 | Sodium alginate thickener (6%) | 80-85 gm |
| Total | – | 100 gm |
2. Mix the above two pastes just before printing as per blend composition. Ex. If we take polyester cotton blend of 80/20 then disperse paste will be 80 % of the total mixed paste The reactive paste will be 20 % of the total mixed paste
3. Print the fabric.
4. Dry the fabric at 80°C.
5. Carry out steaming by atmospheric method (102-105°C for 30 min) or pressure steaming method (125-130°C at 25-30 psi for 30 min).
6. After steaming, rinse the fabric with cold water several times to remove the hydrolyzed dye as much as possible.
7. Give hot wash to remove residual hydrolyzed reactive dye as well to remove alkali completely from the fabric.
8. Carry out soaping at a boil with 2-3 GPL nonionic detergent.
9. Rinse with cold water.
B. Two-phase method:
1. Prepare the print paste by using the following recipe-
Combined paste of Disperse-reactive dye
For a polyester cotton blend of 70/30, we have to prepare 100 gm of paste. If we want 3% color that is 3 gm dye in 100 gm paste then –
P/C=70/30 (blend) = 70% of 3 gm Disperse dye and 30% of 3 gm reactive dye
Disperse dye = 2.1 gm
Reactive dye = 0.9 gm
| Sr.no | Ingredients | Quantity |
| 1 | Disperse dye | 2.1 gm |
| 2 | Reactive dye | 0.9 gm |
| 3 | Water | 5-10 ml |
| 4 | Urea | 2 gm |
| 5 | Resist salt | 1 gm |
| 6 | Sodium alginate thickener (6%) | 85 to 90 gm |
| Total | – | 100 gm |
2. Print the fabric.
3. Dry the fabric at 80°C.
4. Carry out pressure steaming at 125-130°C at 25-30 psi for 30 min.
5. After steaming, pad the fabric through pad liquor containing-
Sodium silicate -10 GPL ( 10 gm in 1000 ml water)
Sodium carbonate -50 GPL. (50 gm in 1000 ml water)
6. After padding, rinse the fabric with cold water.
7. Give hot was followed by soaping at a boil with 2-3 GPL nonionic detergent.
8. Rinse with cold water.
Resultant samples of single and two phases will be –
Disperse dye – Navilene dark red 2B
Reactive dye – Reactive red HE8B
Conclusion:
Disperse reactive system is widely used because it will produce even prints with overall good fastness properties also a wide range of shades can be produced. Both single-phase and two-phase methods will produce brilliant shades.
You may also like:
- Printing of Polyester Fabric with Disperse Dyes
- Polyester/Cotton (P/C) Blends Fabric Dyeing: Recipe, Parameters, Flowchart and Dyeing Curve
- Disperse Dyes: Properties, Classification, Dyeing and Printing Method
- Reactive Dyes: Classification, Dyeing Mechanism, Application & Stripping
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. He is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
