Dyeing and Functional Finishing of Cotton Fabric Using Ficus carica and Eucalyptus Leaf Extracts with Aloe barbadensis Miller as a Bio-Mordant

Imran Ahmad Khan, Hafsa Khalid, Kashif Javed, Ahmad Fraz, Khalid Pasha and Asfandyar Khan ()
Additional contact information
Imran Ahmad Khan: Department of Textile and Apparel Sciences, School of Design and Textile, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore 54770, Pakistan
Hafsa Khalid: Department of Textile and Apparel Sciences, School of Design and Textile, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore 54770, Pakistan
Kashif Javed: Department of Textile and Apparel Sciences, School of Design and Textile, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore 54770, Pakistan
Ahmad Fraz: Department of Textile and Apparel Sciences, School of Design and Textile, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore 54770, Pakistan
Khalid Pasha: Department of Textile and Clothing, National Textile University, Karachi 74900, Pakistan
Asfandyar Khan: Department of Textile and Apparel Sciences, School of Design and Textile, University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore 54770, Pakistan

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: This study explores the sustainable extraction and application of natural dyes from figs ( Ficus carica ) and Eucalyptus leaves using an aqueous alkaline medium. The dyeing process was optimized for cotton fabric using the exhaust-dyeing method. Fabrics dyed with Ficus carica extract and its blend with Eucalyptus exhibited enhanced color strength, excellent crocking fastness (rated 4–5), and good washing fastness (rated 3–4 on the gray scale). The use of Aloe barbadensis Miller as a bio-mordant significantly improved dye fixation, resulting in deeper, earthy shades, such as green, yellow–green, and yellowish brown. The highest K/S value (5.85) was recorded in samples treated with a mordant, sodium chloride (NaCl), and the combined dye extracts, indicating a synergistic effect among the components. Mosquito repellency tests revealed that treated fabrics exhibited up to 70% repellency, compared to just 20% in undyed samples. Antibacterial testing against E. coli showed that dyed fabrics achieved over 80% bacterial reduction after 24 h, indicating promising antimicrobial functionality. Air permeability slightly decreased post-dyeing due to the potential shrinkage in cotton fabrics. Furthermore, adsorption studies showed a removal efficiency of 57% for Ficus carica dye on graphene oxide (GO) under ultrasonication. These findings confirm the potential of GO as an effective adsorbent material for treating wastewater from natural textile dyes. Overall, the study highlights the environmental safety, functional performance, and multifunctional advantages of plant-based dyeing systems in sustainable textile applications.

Keywords: natural dyes; Ficus carica; eucalyptus-leaf extract; Aloe barbadensis Miller mordant; mosquito repellency; GO adsorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/8/127/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/14/8/127/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jresou:v:14:y:2025:i:8:p:127-:d:1722248

Access Statistics for this article

Resources is currently edited by Ms. Donchian Ma

More articles in Resources from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().