Effect of cationization on inkjet printing properties of cotton fabrics

Abstract

The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of cationization on inkjet printing quality. A cotton woven fabric was cationized by pretreatment with 2,3-epoxypropyl-trimethylammonium chloride (EPTAC) using a cold pad-batch method. For the prints, four reactive primary colors (CMYK) were used on both untreated and cationized cotton. The effects of thickener concentration, alkali concentration, and print resolution were investigated. Color yields, outline sharpness, colorimetric properties, fastness properties, staining of the white grounds, and penetration behavior were evaluated. It was found that inkjet printing with reactive dyes on cationized cotton has good potential for providing a cost effective and more environmentally friendly printing method using less dye, less thickener, and less alkali while maintaining high outline sharpness.