doi: 10.1111/cote.

12230

Modelling the properties of one-step

pigment-dyed and finished polyester/cotton Coloration
fabrics using response surface methodology Technology
Muhammad Awais Imrana,* and Tanveer Hussainb
a
Department of Textile Science, Faculty of Engineering, Science, and Technology, Indus
University, Karachi, 75300, Pakistan
Email: awais.imran89@gmail.com
b
Dean Faculty of Engineering and Technology, National Textile University, Faisalabad,
Society of Dyers and Colourists
37610, Pakistan
Received: 25 December 2014; Accepted: 23 May 2016

Dyeing of polyester/cotton blended fabrics with two different classes of dyes for polyester and cotton is a
lengthy and expensive procedure owing to different fibre contents that need different auxiliaries, pH, and
temperature conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate and model the properties of a combined
pigment dyeing and hand-building finishing system for polyester/cotton blended fabrics. The one-step
process was investigated using response surface methodology, taking concentrations of pigment, softener,
and hand-building finish as experimental variables. It was found that increase in hand-building finish helps to
improve colour fastness at higher pigment concentrations but results in deterioration in fabric tear strength.
However, the decrease in tear strength can be minimised by increasing the softener concentration. For a
15 g l
1 pigment concentration, optimum fabric tear strength, crease recovery angle, bending length, and
dry and wet rubbing fastness properties were obtained using 60 g l
1 of softener and 65 g l
1 of hand-
building finish. The prediction equations developed in this study can be used to determine the required
amounts of softener and hand-building finish to achieve commercially acceptable results at different pigment
concentrations.

[14]. In many textile processing industries, it is more

Introduction
Polyester/cotton (P/C) blended fabrics are very popular in
apparel and home textiles, with a worldwide share of
around 58.45% [1,2]. The blending of cotton with polyester
is governed by economy, durability, physical properties,
colour, and physical appearance factors. A P/C blend has
the advantage of polyester’s tensile strength, abrasion
resistance, and dimensional stability and cotton’s ability
to absorb water, and provides wearing comfort [3]. The
processing of P/C fabric is a lengthy and expensive proce-
dure owing to the combination of the two different fibre
chemistries. Polyester is commonly based on polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), whereas cotton is primarily composed
of cellulose. Generally, P/C fabrics are dyed using a two-
bath two-step method, where chemical cost and process
time are major concerns [4]. Several developments have
been reported by researchers to shorten the dyeing process
[5–11]. These developments have not been fully commer-
cialised owing to the high cost of the suitable dyes and
critical technical factors in the appropriate application
methods.
In contrast to dyeing with dyes, pigment dyeing is an
alternative approach of one-step dyeing of P/C fabrics
because of ease in application and no washing-off require-
ment after the dyeing process [12]. The fastness properties
of pigment-dyed fabrics are comparable with those of fabric
dyed with disperse/reactive dyes [13]. The control of
migration, good rubbing fastness, and stable dispersion
are some of the major problems faced by the textile industry
in pigment dyeing. Pigment dyeing with an exhaust system
is unpopular because of the nagging unevenness problem
popular for pastel and dye-for-print fabrics, because very
light shades are possible by the pad-dry-cure method on a
stenter machine without using an infrared (IR) predryer.
However, some industries use IR predryers for medium
shades to avoid migration problems.
Hand-building finishing involves the application of stiff-
ening agents (mainly starch, polyvinyl acetate, or acrylic
copolymers) on fabrics to get the desired stiff handle and to
increase the weight of the fabrics [15]. The combination of
dyeing and finishing processes in one step is a more
economical and ecological approach that has been explored
by many researchers [16–23].
In the present work, the one-step pigment dyeing and
hand-building finishing process on P/C fabric was investi-
gated using the pad-dry-cure method. The aim of this study
was to model the properties of the one-step pigment dyeing
and hand-building finishing process using response surface
methodology (RSM), which has not been reported earlier to
the best of our knowledge. RSM comprises a collection of
mathematical and statistical techniques for modelling the
relationship between different factors/parameters of a pro-
cess and its response variables. Quadratic models of the
form
Y ¼ b0 þ b1 x1 þ b2 x2 þ b11 x12 þ b22 x22 þ b12 x1 x2 þ e
represent the relationship between response variable and
process parameters, where Y is the response variable, x1 and
x2 are the process parameters, b is the regression coefficient,
and e is the estimated error. The central composition design
of experiment (CCD) is not only efficient and economical
because of the smaller number of experiments (e.g. 20

414 © 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420

experiments for three factors with five levels) compared
with full factorial designs (comprising 27 experiments for
three factors with three levels), it can also effectively model
any non-linear effects as well as interactive effects of
the experimental factors in addition to the linear effects
[24–26].
Experimental
Fabric
In this work, P/C blended sheeting fabric (50:50) with both
warp and weft yarns, a linear density Ne of 30/1, 193 ends
per cm, 167 picks per cm, and an areal density of 118 g m
2
was used.
Pretreatment
For fabric pretreatment, desizing agent Auxidesize GLAX
(alkylated carbonyl butyrate anhydride triglyceride fluid)
was obtained from Rakuto Kasei Industrial Co. (Japan). A
nonionic wetting agent, Auxipal RGN, based on fatty
alcohol ethoxylate (active content 85%), and an
organophosphorus-based bleaching stabiliser, Biostab
AFK, were provided by Auxicolors (Pakistan). Industrial-
grade sodium hydroxide (99.5% purity) was provided by
Sitara Chemicals (Pakistan) and hydrogen peroxide bleach-
ing agent (50% w/w) was provided by Descon Chemicals
(Pakistan). A nonionic emulsifier, Imerol X, based on
polyglycol ether, was obtained from Archroma (Pakistan).
All the chemicals were of industrial/commercial grade.
The one-step desizing-scouring-bleaching process was
performed at the boiling temperature for 60 min on an
industrial-scale jigger machine [33]. The recipe for this
process was desizer 3.6 g l
1, sodium hydroxide 3.75 g l
1,
hydrogen peroxide 5 g l
1, emulsifier 2 g l
1, stabiliser
2 g l
1, and wetting agent 1 g l
1. After the one-step
pretreatment process, the fabric was thoroughly hot washed,
cold washed, rinsed, and neutralised with 1.0 g l
1 of acetic
acid.
One-step pigment dyeing and finishing
Pigment dyeing and hand-building finishing of the pre-
treated fabric samples was completed in a one-step opera-
tion. Firstly, all finishing chemicals were prepared in
deionised water. Maize starch was separately cooked at
the boil and left for 30 min for cooling down. After that, all
chemicals were gently mixed with maize starch. Each
dyeing-finishing liquor comprised 20 g l
1 of maize starch
(supplied by RafhanMaiz Products Co. Ltd, Pakistan),
5 g l
1 of PVA (obtained from Chang Chun Petrochemical
Co. Ltd, Taiwan), and 5 g l
1 of Auxistiff WP (a modified
vinyl acetate copolymer dispersion, supplied by Auxicol-
ors). Three experimental factors were selected: the concen-
tration of the pigment, the concentration of Auxipad OS
(acrylic copolymer derivative, kindly supplied by Auxicol-
ors), and the concentration of Auxilube PE (a polyethylene
softener dispersion, provided by Auxicolors). The acrylic
copolymer derivative and the polyethylene dispersion were
selected as experimental variables because these are two of
the most commonly used stiffening and softening agents,
respectively, used in textile finishing. Formoton C.I.74160
(a type) Blue FFG pigment was obtained from Toyo Ink Co.,
Ltd (Taiwan). Combined pigment dyeing and finishing
experiments were conducted according to CCD in RSM.
© 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420
Imran and Hussain One-Step Pigment Dyeing and Finishing
Response surface methodology is a collection of mathe-
matical and statistical techniques for the modelling and
analysis of problems in which multiple response variables
of interest, influenced by several input variables, can be
modelled and optimised. Two important types of experi-
mental design in RSM are CCD and Box–Behnken design. In
this study, CCD was preferred because it has a greater
number of design points and greater comprehensiveness
than Box–Behnken design.
The design and analysis of experiments were performed
using Design-Expert-7 statistical software package by Stat-
Ease (USA). The coded and actual values of the experimental
design factors are given in Table 1. There are three experi-
mental variables, or factors, each with five levels: the
concentration of the blue pigment (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 g l
1),
the concentration of Auxipad OS (15, 30, 45, 60, and
75 g l
1), and the concentration of Auxilube PE (0, 15, 10,
45, and 60 g l
1). The middle level or centre point is coded as
0, and the other four levels are coded as -2, -1, +1, and +2.
The total number of one-step pigment dyeing and
finishing experiments was 20: eight at factorial points, six
at centre points, and six at axial points. The combinations of
different levels of experiments are given in Table 2. The
coded values of the experimental variables, or factors, are
given under columns A (pigment concentration), B (Auxi-
pad OS concentration), and C (Auxilube PE concentration).
Experiments 1 to 8 are full factorial experiments with
different combinations of +1 and
1 levels of the variables.
Experiments 9 to 14 are designed at axial points incorpo-
rating +2 and
2 levels of the variables. Experiments 15 to
20 comprise six replicates of the middle levels or centre
points of each variable. All one-step pigment dyeing and
finishing experiments were carried out on laboratory-scale
pad-dry-cure equipment. Predrying and curing tempera-
tures were maintained at 100 and 150 °C respectively. The
times for predrying and curing were maintained at 1 and
4 min respectively.
Testing
All fabric sample tests were conducted in the laboratory of
Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jam-
shoro, Pakistan. The ISO 105-X12:2001 test method [27]
was used to evaluate the dry and wet rubbing fastness of
pigment-dyed and finished fabric samples. Warp and weft
crease recovery angles (CRAs) of the test specimens were
determined according to ISO 2313:1972 [28] . Tear strength
was tested according to ASTM D1424 [29] using an
Elmendorf tear strength tester. Fabric stiffness was tested
using a cantilever fabric stiffness tester (MUET laboratory,
Pakistan) according to ASTM D1388 [30] , and the results
were presented in terms of fabric bending length in cm.
Table 1 RSM experimental factors and their levels
Factor level
No. Factors Code Units
2
1 0 +1 +2
1 Pigment A g l
1 5 10 15 20 25
2 Auxipad OS B g l
1 15 30 45 60 75
3 Auxilube PE C g l
1 0 15 30 45 60
415
Imran and Hussain One-Step Pigment Dyeing and Finishing

Table 2 Central composite design for the one-step pigment dyeing and hand-building finishing process

Factors Responses

A, Pigment, B, Auxipad, C, Softener, Dry rubbing Wet rubbing CRA Tear strength, Bending length,
No. g l
1 g l
1 g l
1 K/S fastness fastness (warp + weft) gm (warp + weft) cm (warp + weft)

1 10 30 15 3.8 3.5 3.0 210 3172 4.9

2 20 30 15 5.1 3.0 2.5 202 3002 5.2
3 10 60 15 3.3 4.0 3.5 226 2945 5.5
4 20 60 15 5.2 3.5 3.0 221 2947 5.3
5 10 30 45 3.9 3.5 3.0 229 3284 3.7
6 20 30 45 6.2 2.5 2.0 244 3284 4.5
7 10 60 45 3.5 3.5 3.0 236 3616 5.1
8 20 60 45 5.5 3.0 3.0 241 3001 4.7
9 5 45 30 2.0 4.5 4.0 236 3509 4.8
10 25 45 30 6.1 2.5 2.0 244 3002 4.3
11 15 15 30 5.3 2.5 2.0 241 3396 4.9
12 15 75 30 5.2 3.5 3.0 234 3285 4.7
13 15 45 0 5.7 3.0 3.0 238 2776 4.9
14 15 45 60 4.4 3.5 3.0 244 3397 4.2
15 15 45 30 5.2 3.0 3.0 242 3396 5.1
16 15 45 30 5.1 3.0 3.0 245 3171 5.9
17 15 45 30 5.4 3.0 3.0 252 3127 4.5
18 15 45 30 5.6 3.0 3.0 256 3395 4.9
19 15 45 30 5.0 3.0 3.0 254 3002 4.8
20 15 45 30 4.9 3.0 3.0 260 3003 4.5

Table 3 P-values from the ANOVA results

P-valuesa

Factor K/S Dry rubbing Wet rubbing CRA Bending length Tear strength

A, Pigment <0.0001a <0.0001a <0.0001a 0.6826 0.8061 0.0185a

B, Auxipad OS 0.3780 0.0063a 0.0007a 0.6423 0.3755 0.4913
C, PE softener 0.6562 0.6336 0.2596 0.0945 0.0427a 0.0042a
AB 0.8356 0.5027 0.1218 0.8590 0.2613 0.3507
AC 0.3914 0.5027 1.0000 0.4277 0.7290 0.3466
BC 0.6300 0.5027 1.0000 0.4738 0.4789 0.4817
A2 0.0073a 0.0227a 1.0000 0.1522 0.4046 0.6944
B2 0.8131 0.8272 0.0134a 0.1046 0.7962 0.3106
C2 0.4540 0.1758 1.0000 0.1667 0.4046 0.3783
Model error 0.0628

a A factor has a statistically significant effect on a response if P < 0.05.

values represent the percentage of change in the response

Results and discussion
Statistical analysis
Table 3 gives the P-values from analysis of variance
(ANOVA) of the results. A P-value of <0.05 indicates that
the effect of the corresponding factor is statistically signif-
icant on a response variable. It is clear from the ANOVA
results that the effect of factor A (pigment concentration) is
statistically significant on colour strength K/S, dry and wet
rubbing fastness, and fabric tear strength. The effect of
factor B (Auxipad OS stiffening agent concentration) is
significant on dry and wet rubbing fastness. The effect of
factor C (polyethylene softener concentration) is significant
on fabric bending length and tear strength. The effect of all
significant factors on each response variable is further
explained in the following sections.
The quadratic models for each response/output variable
using only the statistically significant individual factors,
interactions, or square terms are given in Table 4. The R2
variable that can be explained by the terms included in the
model (equation). A higher R2 value indicates greater
goodness of fit of the corresponding model. A comparison
of the predicted and actual values of the response variables
is given in Table 5.
Colour strength (K/S)
The effect of different process variables on K/S of the one-
step dyed and finished fabric is given in Figure 1. It is clear
from the figure that the K/S value increases sharply with
increase in the pigment concentration at the beginning and
then tends to attain equilibrium as the concentration
approaches the saturation point. ANOVA revealed a statis-
tically significant curvature in the effect of pigment
concentration on K/S. Some auxiliaries with a quite differ-
ent refractive index compared with the fabric also tend to
affect the K/S value of the dyed fabrics. Auxiliaries with a
higher refractive index tend to lighten the colour

416 © 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420
 Imran and Hussain One-Step Pigment Dyeing and Finishing

Table 4 Quadratic models for predicting the response variables

Response Equation R2, %

K/S =
0.60480 + 0.55897A
0.01206A2 84.54

Dry rubbing fastness = 4.75735
0.22684A + 0.014583B + 0.0048594A2 77.43
Wet rubbing fastness = 3.375
0.15A + 0.041667B + 0.00167AB
0.00056B2 85.27
CRA = 224.947 + 0.43887C 11.94
Bending length = 5.35525
0.018042C 23.40
Tear strength = 3227.229
22.46A + 9.838C 52.92

Table 5 Comparison of the actual and predicted values of the response variables

Dry rubbing Wet rubbing Tear strength, gm Bending length,

K/S fastness fastness CRA (warp +weft) (warp +weft) cm (warp +weft)

No. Pred. Act.a Pred. Act. Pred. Act. Pred. Act. Pred. Act. Pred. Act.

1 3.8 3.8  0.17 3.4 3.5  0.18 3.1 3.0  0.10 231 210  5.13 3150 3172  12.70 5.1 4.9  0.42
2 5.7 5.1  0.25 2.6 3.0  0.10 2.1 2.5  0.16 231 202  4.73 2925 3002  15.45 5.1 5.2  0.26
3 3.8 3.3  0.15 3.8 4.0  0.23 3.3 3.5  0.23 231 226  4.56 3150 2945  13.23 5.1 5.5  0.15
4 5.7 5.2  0.17 3.0 3.5  0.26 2.9 3.0  0.20 231 221  6.81 2925 2947  11.55 5.1 5.3  0.31
5 3.7 3.9  0.06 3.4 3.5  0.06 3.1 3.0  0.25 244 229  5.51 3445 3284  9.29 4.6 3.7  0.31
6 5.7 6.2  0.25 2.6 2.5  0.12 2.1 2.0  0.26 244 244  5.86 3220 3284  13.67 4.6 4.5  0.25
7 3.7 3.5  0.26 3.8 3.5  0.29 3.3 3.0  0.30 244 236  5.00 3445 3616  14.87 4.6 5.1  0.25
8 5.7 5.5  0.31 3.0 3.0  0.30 2.9 3.0  0.14 244 241  5.69 3223 3001  21.44 4.6 4.7  0.35
9 1.9 2.0  0.45 4.4 4.5  0.17 3.8 4.0  0.12 237 236  8.96 3410 3509  16.01 4.8 4.8  0.21
10 5.8 6.1  0.21 2.8 2.5  0.11 2.2 2.0  0.08 237 244  4.04 2960 3002  7.55 4.8 4.3  0.17
11 5.1 5.3  0.35 2.7 2.5  0.13 2.0 2.0  0.06 237 241  8.12 3185 3396  35.67 4.8 4.9  0.29
12 5.1 5.2  0.20 3.5 3.5  0.24 3.0 3.0  0.30 237 234  2.31 3185 3285  20.01 4.8 4.7  0.30
13 5.1 5.7  0.29 3.1 3.0  0.26 3.0 3.0  0.26 224 238  3.56 2890 2776  13.55 5.3 4.9  0.21
14 5.1 4.4  0.25 3.1 3.5  0.40 3.0 3.0  0.09 250 244  6.12 3480 3397  8.29 4.3 4.2  0.15
15 5.1 5.2  0.49 3.1 3.0  0.19 3.0 3.0  0.18 238 242  4.67 3185 3396  14.66 4.8 5.1  0.09
16 5.1 5.1  0.06 3.1 3.0  0.30 3.0 3.0  0.15 238 245  7.21 3185 3171  18.75 4.8 5.9  0.25
17 5.1 5.4  0.25 3.1 3.0  0.27 3.0 3.0  0.20 238 252  4.65 3185 3127  15.66 4.8 4.5  0.11
18 5.1 5.6  0.35 3.1 3.0  0.29 3.0 3.0  0.22 238 256  5.66 3185 3395  17.95 4.8 4.9  0.23
19 5.1 5.0  0.15 3.1 3.0  0.21 3.0 3.0  0.11 238 254  4.01 3185 3002  16.66 4.8 4.8  0.29
20 5.1 4.9  0.23 3.1 3.0  0.25 3.0 3.0  0.25 238 260  3.65 3185 3003  23.55 4.8 4.5  0.14

a Mean  standard deviation.

appearance, and vice versa. However, in this study, neither
the polyethylene dispersion nor the Auxipad OS acrylic
copolymer had any statistically significant effect on the
fabric K/S.
The quadratic equation for colour strength is as follows:
K=S ¼
0:60480 þ 0:55897A
0:01206A2
There is only one statistically significant factor (i.e.
A = pigment concentration) affecting the K/S value. The
positive coefficient 0.5589 for A indicates an increase in
the K/S value with increase in pigment concentration. The
square term A2 indicates that the effect of pigment concen-
tration on K/S is not linear. As the pigment concentration
approaches the saturation point, the increasing trend of K/S
begins to decline.
Rubbing fastness
It can be seen from Figure 2 that an increase in the
concentration of Auxipad has a positive impact on the dry
rubbing fastness. As the concentration of pigment increases,
increase in the Auxipad concentration significantly
improves the dry rubbing fastness. It can be seen that the
effect of softener concentration on dry rubbing fastness is
not significant. By creating a three-dimensional network,
Auxipad holds the pigments firmly so that they cannot come
out upon rub friction. When the concentration of softener is
increased, there is a slight improvement in dry rubbing. The
reason for the slight improvement in dry rubbing may be
attributed to the fact that it creates a plastic film and
ð1Þ
improves the roughness of the fabric surface, and hence less
friction occurs when rubbing action is applied.
Equation (2) gives the quantitative relationship between
dry rubbing fastness and the statistically significant factors
A (pigment concentration) and B (Auxipad concentration)
(the positive coefficient 0.014583 for B indicates the
increasing trend in dry rubbing fastness with increase in
Auxipad concentration, and the positive coefficient
0.0048594 for A2 indicates the increasing slope of the
curved/non-linear effect of pigment concentration, as is also
evident in Figure 2):
Dry rubbing fastness ¼ 4:75735
0:22684A
þ 0:014583B þ 0:0048594A2 ð2Þ
Figure 3 shows that wet rubbing fastness improves with
increasing Auxipad concentration. It can be seen that the
effect of Auxipad on wet rubbing is slightly lower than its

© 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420 417
Imran and Hussain One-Step Pigment Dyeing and Finishing

5.9 5.9
5.35 5.35
4.8 4.8

K/S

K/S
4.25 4.25
3.7 3.7

60 20 15 20
53 18 23 18
Au 45 15 –1 Sof 30 15 –1
xip 38 13 gl ten 38 13 gl
ad, nt, er, nt,
g l –1 30 10
i g me g l –1 45 10 m e
P Pig

Figure 1 Effect of process variables on fabric colour strength [Colour figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at
wileyonlinelibrary.com.]

4.5 4.5

4.0 4.0
Dry rubbing

Dry rubbing
3.5 3.5

3.0 3.0

2.5 2.5

10 60 10
53 1 13 15
Pig13 15 45 – Pig 15 23 1
me gl me 30 –
l
nt, 18 38 a d, nt, 18 38 er,
g
g l –1 xi p
20 30
Au g l– 20 45
o ften
1 S

Figure 2 Effect of process variables on dry rubbing fastness [Colour figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at
wileyonlinelibrary.com.]

4 4
3.5 3.5
Wet rubbing

Wet rubbing

3 3
2.5 2.5
2 2

10 10 15
13 60
53 13 23
Pig 15 Pig 30 1
me 45 –1
l me 15 18 l–
nt, 18 20 38 ,g nt, 38 r, g
g l –1 30 x i pad g l –1 20 45 fte n e
Au So

Figure 3 Effect of process variables on wet rubbing fastness [Colour figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at
wileyonlinelibrary.com.]

effect on dry rubbing, because in the moist conditions
during wet rubbing the adhesiveness of the Auxipad film
becomes poor and pigment can easily come out from the
fabric surface. Therefore, it can be said that further
improvement in wet rubbing is only possible if the
concentration of Auxipad is increased to over 60 g l
1.
The effect of softener for improvement in wet rubbing is not
significant, which may be because the flexibility of the
Auxipad film increases as the concentration of softener
increases, as a result of which pigment easily comes out
under moist conditions.
Equation (3) gives the quantitative relationship between
wet rubbing fastness and the statistically significant factors
A (pigment concentration), B (Auxipad concentration), and
AB interaction (significant AB interaction indicates that the
effect of A and B are somewhat interdependent; it is clear
from Figure 3 that the effect of increasing B is more evident
at higher A than at lower A):
Wet rubbing fastness ¼ 3:375
0:15A þ 0:041667B
þ 0:00167AB
0:00056B2 ð3Þ
Crease recovery angle
It is evident from Figure 4 that an increase in Auxipad
concentration steadily increases the CRA of the combined
dyed/finished fabric. However, it is clear from the same
figure that the effect of softener concentration on CRA is
higher than the effect of Auxipad concentration. This is also

418 © 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420
 Imran and Hussain One-Step Pigment Dyeing and Finishing

evident from the P-values given in Table 3 (P = 0.09 for

Tear strength
softener and P = 0.64 for Auxipad). The higher impact of
ANOVA revealed that both the pigment concentration and
softener concentration on increase in CRA may be
the softener concentration have a statistically significant
attributed to an increase in the flexibility of the intercellu-
effect on fabric tear strength (Table 3, P < 0.05). The effect
losic chains of the cotton portion).
of Auxipad OS (acrylic copolymer) on fabric tear strength
Equation (4) for CRA comprises only one statistically
was not found to be statistically significant. It is evident
significant factor C, i.e. Auxilube PE softener (the positive
from Figure 6 that an increase in pigment concentration
coefficient 0.4388 for C indicates an increasing trend of
results in a decrease in fabric tear strength. This may be due
CRA with increase in C):
to increased interyarn friction of the fabric at higher
CRA ¼ 224:947 þ 0:43887C ð4Þ pigment concentrations, reducing interyarn slippage, which
leads to a decrease in fabric tear strength. On the other
hand, increase in the softener concentration markedly
Fabric stiffness
improves fabric tear strength. The polyethylene softener
According to the statistical analysis, the pigment and
dispersion makes a flexible, low-friction plastic film on the
Auxipad OS concentrations were not found to have a
fabric yarns, reducing the interyarn friction between warp
significant impact on fabric stiffness (Table 3, P > 0.05).
and weft and leading to an improvement in fabric tear
Only the concentration of polyethylene softener dispersion
strength.
had a significant effect on fabric stiffness, expressed in
Equation (6) for fabric tear strength comprises statistically
terms of bending length. It is clear from Figure 5 that, as the
significant factors A (pigment concentration) and C (softener
concentration of softener increases, the fabric stiffness
concentration) (the positive sign of coefficient 9.838 for C
decreases. This may be attributed to the increased flexibility
indicates a positive effect of softener concentration, and the
of yarns as a result of the application of softener. The
negative sign of coefficient 22.46 for A indicates a negative
negative value of coefficient 0.018042 for C (the softener) in
effect of pigment concentration on fabric tear strength; the
Eqn (5) also indicates the decreasing trend of fabric stiffness
higher numerical value of the coefficient for A compared with
with increase in softener concentration:
that for C indicates that the effect of A on tear strength is more
Fabric stiffness ¼ 5:35525
0:018042C ð5Þ significant than the effect of C):

260 260
250 250
CRA, deg
CRA, deg

240 240
230 230
220 220

60 20 20 45
53 18 1 18 38
1
Au 45 15 l– Pig 15 30 l–
xip
ad 38 13 t, g men 13 23 e r, g
n t, g – n
,g 30 10 m e 10 15 fte
l –1 Pig
l 1 So

Figure 4 Effect of process variables on fabric crease recovery angle [Colour figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at
wileyonlinelibrary.com.]

6.0 6.0
Bending length, cm
Bending length, cm

5.5 5.5
5.0 5.0
4.5 4.5
4.0 4.0

10 60 10 15
13 53 1 13 23
45 – 30 –1
Pig 15 gl
Pig 15 gl me 38 ,
me
nt, 18 20 30 38 a d, nt, 18
g l –1 ne
r
g l –1 xip 20 45 fte
Au So

Figure 5 Effect of process variables on fabric crease recovery angle [Colour figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at
wileyonlinelibrary.com.]

© 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420 419
Imran and Hussain One-Step Pigment Dyeing and Finishing

3500 3500

Tear strength, g
Tear strength, g
3350 3350
3200 3200
3050 3050
2900 2900

30 10 45 10
38 13 1 38 13
– 1
Au
xip
45 15 gl Sof 30 15 l–
ad 53 18 e nt, tene 23 18 n t, g
,g – 60 20 m r, g – e
l 1 Pig l 1 15 20 Pigm

Figure 6 Effect of process variables on fabric crease recovery anglenn [Colour figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at
wileyonlinelibrary.com.]

2. C R Meena, A Nathany, R V Adivarekar and N Sekar, Eur. Int.

Tear strength ¼ 3227:229
22:46A þ 9:838C
Response optimisation
The multiresponse optimisation approach as described by
Derringer and Suicher [31] was used in this study. The
optimum conditions for achieving maximum tear strength,
CRA, and rubbing fastness and minimum bending length at
15 g l
1 pigment concentration were found to be an
Auxipad OS concentration of 65 g l
1 and an Auxilube
concentration of 60 g l
1. At the optimum conditions, the
warp plus weft tear strength was 3480 g, the CRA was 250,
the wet rubbing fastness was 3, the dry rubbing fastness was
3–4, and the bending length was 4.28 cm. Tear strength
depends on many factors, including fibre properties, yarn
characteristics, and fabric structure. The common goal in
fabric processing is to retain the tear strength as much as
possible. For good crease recovery in a fabric, a CRA higher
than 230° is preferred. A rubbing fastness of dyed fabrics in
the range 3–4 is considered to be good, and a rubbing
fastness in the range 4–5 is considered to be excellent. A
fabric with a bending length of less than 4.5 cm is preferred
for general apparel use.
Conclusions
The concentration of pigment significantly affects colour
strength, dry and wet rubbing fastness, and fabric tear
strength. Dry and wet rubbing fastness properties deterio-
rate at higher pigment concentrations. However, hand-
building finish, based on acrylic copolymer, helps to
improve both dry and wet rubbing fastness properties
significantly without having any significant positive or
negative influence on any other response variables. Fabric
tear strength tends to decrease at higher pigment concen-
tration as well as at higher concentration of hand-building
finish. However, this effect may be offset by using a
polyethylene softener dispersion, which significantly
improves the fabric tear strength as well as reducing fabric
stiffness and slightly improving fabric CRA.
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420 © 2016 The Authors. Coloration Technology © 2016 Society of Dyers and Colourists, Color. Technol., 132, 414–420