Determination of Dyeing Efficiency of Natural Dye from Teak (Tectona grandis) Leaves by Home Economics Students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.

Abstract

The study investigated the dyeing efficiency of dye extracted from teak (Tectona grandis) leaves. Specifically, the study determined the fastness of teak dye to repeated washing and the use of different detergents, it also ascertained the acceptability of the dyed fabric samples. The study adopted an experimental research design. It was conducted in five phases: treatment of teak leaves; mordanting cotton fabric with alum; extraction of dye from teak leaves, dyeing of the cotton fabric; testing for the fastness of the dyed cotton fabric to repeated washing and different detergents. Alum-mordanted cotton fabric was dyed with teak dye, which gave red shades to the fabrics. The dyed fabric was cut into three parts, each for the different treatments of determination of colour fastness as follows; part of the samples were exposed to washing with bar soap. The other part was subjected to washing with soapless detergent. The remaining part served as control. Each of the treatments was carried out twice. A 32-man panel assessed the samples (DB1, DB2, DS1, DS2) using a 4-point rating scale. Data were analyzed using mean. Major findings reveal, among others, colour of the fabric remained fast (dark red) after first treatments for sample DB1 (X̅=3.87) and sample DB2 (X̅=3.03), these are samples from first and second Bar soap washing. Samples DS1 and DS2, from soapless detergent washing, exhibited slight colour change, with acceptability mean of X̅=2.78 and X̅=1.96 respectively. It was recommended that further research be conducted on light and perspiration fastness of teak dye.