Potential of natural dyes from non-traditional flowers for textile application– A comprehensive review

Environmental degradation caused by textile industry effluents drastically damages aquatic ecosystems and groundwater tables by increasing biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The synthetic dyes used in textiles are carcinogenic and mutagenic in nature and pose several risks to human health. This review discusses the use of natural dyes from non-traditional flowers as alternatives to synthetic textiles dyes. Non-traditional flowers are underutilized species that are not widely cultivated and their use has not been fully explored. Since flowers are diverse in color, they can be utilized for dye extraction to produce various shades. The literature review provides a list of non-traditional flowers that can be used as textile dyes along with advanced extraction methods. Proper characterization and toxicity analysis are essential for natural dyes after extraction, prior to their application in textiles to confirm the absence of heavy metals. The application part addresses advanced substrate pretreatment and the use of mordants to fix the natural colours to the fabric. The use of bio-mordants is an emerging technique in terms of the environment, which is related to floral dyes. Advanced dyeing methods and characterization of dyed fabrics are essential for commercial use. Challenges involved in various processes associated with natural dyes in textiles are listed and need to be addressed by further research in the future.