A sustainable innovative approach for disperse printing of polyester fabrics: Utilisation of essential oils extracted from plants as carrier

Abstract It is known that polyester fibres constitute the most important fibre group in the world. The absence of functional groups in the structure of these fibres, the fact that they are very hydrophobic and that their structures are very tight, makes it difficult to colour them. To facilitate the penetration of the dye into the fibre, the fibre structure must first be loosened. This is achieved by fixing at high temperatures and by special auxiliaries added to the printing paste. Thanks to the auxiliaries expressed as carriers, the dye uptake of polyester fibres increases. However, carriers cause various environmental problems as synthetic substances. In this study, the use of ecological plant‐based essential oils as carrier in the printing of polyester fabrics with disperse dyes was tried. The effects of adding different essential oils to the printing paste instead of carrier in disperse printing processes of polyester fabrics on fabric strength and colour yield, degree of transition to the back, levelness and fastness properties in printing, were investigated. Furthermore, the effects of adding various essential oils into the printing paste on obtaining various functionalities (ie, ultraviolet protection and anti‐bacterial activity) were also tested.