Rheological properties of carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl cellulose and its application in high quality reactive dye inkjet printing on wool fabrics.

Abstract In this paper, the effect of rheological properties of pretreatment solutions, using carboxymethyl hydroxypropyl cellulose (CMHPC), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and sodium alginate (SA) as thickeners, on inkjet printing performance of wool with reactive dye inks was examined. Rheological, FESEM, and thickness results showed that fabrics treated with CMHPC solution, which exhibited superior fluidity, dominant elasticity property, and the largest zero-shear viscosity, produced the most continuous films and the lowest fabric thickness. Optical microscopy and XPS analyses confirmed that when compared with SA and CMC treated fabrics, CMHPC treated fabric controlled the excessive spread and penetration of ink droplets at higher effectiveness and produced the highest color strength (K/S value) and sharpest edge. In contrast to this, SA solution exhibited the worst fluidity, the most obvious viscous behavior, and lowest zero-shear viscosity. This resulted in the most discontinuous film, highest fabric thickness, and worst printing performance. Furthermore, wettability analysis demonstrated that the film structure dependent on the rheological property was the main factor that affected the inkjet printing performance of wool fabrics. CMHPC treatment of wool fabric provides an environment-friendly method with lower CMHPC concentration, less urea consumption, and shorter steaming time for higher K/S value.