Natural Liquid Dyestuff from Wastewater of Gambier Processing (Uncaria gambir Roxb) as Textile Dye

Abstract

Wastewater of Gambier (Uncaria gambier Roxb) is a byproduct of pressing gambier leaves used for textile dyes. This wastewater cannot be stored for a long time to ease the moldy and rot process. The use of textile dye directly requires several long process steps. The study's purpose was to make a natural liquid dyestuff from gambier wastewater using varying mordant concentrations and test the quality of the dyestuff on cotton fabrics. The gambier wastewater was reacted with the FeSO4 mordant to form a concentrated liquid used directly to dye textiles in a rapid and straightforward process. The study investigated varying the concentration of the FeSO4 mordant from 1 to 5% (by weight). The reaction between wastewater and mordant was conducted while being stirred at 300 rpm and 70oC for 30 minutes. It was generated a dark green liquid dyestuff. The concentration of FeSO4 influenced the color strength (K/S) of the dyestuff and resulted in K/S values from 2.49-3.70. This dyestuff-colored cotton cloth a greenish-grey color. The resulting color depth depended on diluting the dyestuff with K/S values ranging from 6.34 to 12.64. The color fastness against washing, sunlight, and rubbing varied from reasonably good (2-3), good (4), and very good (4-5). It was observed that after a year of storage, the dyestuff retained its color, was stable and showed no visible sign of mold contamination, and was still able to dye the fabric effectively.