Bio-mordants: a review

Area of Science:

• Textile Chemistry
• Sustainable Materials Science
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable textile production processes.
• Conventional metal salts used as mordants in natural dyeing pose ecological risks due to wastewater contamination.
• Bio-mordants offer a sustainable alternative to traditional metal salts for natural textile dyeing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the use of natural mordants as alternatives to conventional metal salts in textile dyeing.
• To explore various natural mordant sources and their application techniques.
• To provide an overview of recent advancements in green mordants for the textile industry.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of research on natural mordants in textile dyeing.
• Categorization of non-conventional mordants into natural/bio-mordants, oil mordants, and new-generation non-vegetable-based mordants.
• Analysis of studies investigating the effectiveness of these mordants in expanding color spectrum and improving fastness properties.

Main Results:

• Numerous natural substances, particularly herbal materials, are effectively used as mordants.
• Natural mordants successfully enhance color diversity and fastness properties in textiles dyed with natural colorants.
• The review identifies three main categories of eco-friendly mordants: bio-mordants, oil mordants, and novel non-vegetable-based mordants.

Conclusions:

• Natural mordants are viable and environmentally sound alternatives to traditional metal salts in textile dyeing.
• The adoption of bio-mordants and other natural alternatives supports sustainable practices in the textile industry.
• Further research into novel green mordants and application techniques can advance eco-friendly textile coloration.