Direct Printing of Disperse Dye Inks to Polyester Fabrics without Chemical Pretreatment

Area of Science:

• Textile Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Manufacturing

Background:

• Direct inkjet digital printing is an eco-friendly textile printing method.
• Fabric pretreatment for digital printing generates energy consumption and wastewater.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop a digital direct inkjet printing method for poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics without pretreatment.
• Improve printing accuracy and reduce environmental impact.

Main Methods:

• Prepared a direct inkjet printing ink with temperature-dependent viscosity.
• Incorporated cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and 3-methylsalicylic acid (3MS) into the ink.
• Evaluated ink particle size, shear viscosity, and temperature viscosity.

Main Results:

• The thermosensitive ink exhibited excellent average particle size and unique viscosity changes with temperature.
• Eliminated the need for fabric pretreatment, improving printing clarity.
• Achieved satisfactory color fastness to friction and washing on printed PET fabrics.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermosensitive ink enables direct inkjet printing on PET fabrics without pretreatment.
• This method enhances printing accuracy and maintains good color fastness.
• Offers a greener and more efficient approach to textile printing.