Study on the effect of natural rubber latex as a binder in pigment printing in combination with synthetic binder

Abstract In pigment printing, binders are essential for fixing insoluble pigments onto textile fibres by forming a continuous film, ensuring durability, wash fastness and colour retention. However, most commercially used synthetic binders are derived from petrochemicals, which pose environmental and health concerns due to their energy‐intensive production and hazardous waste generation. In this study, an eco‐friendly alternative was investigated by combining natural rubber latex with a synthetic binder for pigment printing on cotton fabric. A broad range of mechanical, optical and fastness properties of the printed fabric was assessed. A favourable result was achieved when the effect was compared with a conventional printing recipe containing a synthetic binder. The results show that the performance of the printed fabric depends on the percentage of natural rubber in binder combination, the curing conditions and the concentration of printing auxiliaries. Optimal printing properties were achieved by using a printing paste containing 80% natural rubber latex/20% synthetic binder (117.5 g/kg), pigment (25 g/kg), thickener (100 g/kg), fixer (80 g/kg) and ammonium sulphate (10 g/kg), followed by curing at 150°C for 3 min. This combination demonstrated comparable print quality to conventional synthetic binders while requiring less oxygen during biodegradation tests (BOD), highlighting its potential as an eco‐friendly and cost‐effective alternative.