Union Shade Prints on Wool/linen/viscose Blended Fabrics using Levafix ^®Reactive Dyes

The feasibility of obtaining a union (solid) shade with reasonable color strength and no staining on the white ground of 50/25/25 wool/linen/viscose blended fabric printed with Levafix^® reactive dyes under different conditions was investigated. Optimum printing conditions were found to use a printing paste containing: sodium alginate (3%), 700g/kg; sodium acetate, 40g/kg; urea, 50g/kg; glycerol, 20g/kg; dye, 20 g/kg; and water, 170g/kg, followed by batching the wet prints for 24 h, before steaming at 105°C/25 minutes Batching in presence of sodium acetate brings about some physical and chemical changes in the three components of the blended fabric and the dye is distributed evenly among them to produce a solid shade with higher color strength if compared with prints in presence of sodium acetate without batching. No staining on white ground of prints was observed. Fastness properties of prints at optimum conditions are generally good to very good regarding wash, good/very good regarding rubbing (wet/dry), good regarding light, and very good regarding acidic and alkaline perspiration.