Effect of Diethylene Glycol on the Inkjet Printability of Reactive Dye Solution for Cotton Fabrics

Digital inkjet printing technology plays an increasingly important role in textile printing. The printing printability of reactive dye inks is the key to improving the quality of printed fabrics. In this study, an eco-friendly and simple method to improve the inkjet printability of reactive dye solutions was proposed. The influence of diethylene glycol on the surface tension, rheology, and dye molecule aggregation properties for three reactive dye solutions was investigated. The jetting performance of dye solutions was explored by observing droplet formation. Moreover, the color performance of printed cotton fabrics, including reactive dye solution penetration, colorimetric values, and color strength, was evaluated. Addition of diethylene glycol could change the aggregation of dye molecules by hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonds. Diethylene glycol could inhibit formation of satellite droplets by changing the viscosity and surface tension of solutions, which made the pattern printed on cotton fabrics show regular edge sharpness. Furthermore, the dye solutions containing 10% DEG not only satisfied various properties of reactive dye inks but also had the highest color strength and the deepest and brightest colors.