ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF WASTEWATER: REDUCING THE POLLUTION WHILE PROVIDING MULTIFUNCTIONAL WOOL FABRICS

Abstract

The reduction of water pollution represents one of the priority topics of the EU’s goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Considering this, the concept of reusing the same dyebath for multiple dyeing cycles is proposed. For this purpose, two pyridinium-based azo pyridone dyes with improved solubility and affinity towards different fibers, are used for dyeing wool fabric. It is demonstrated that the dye concentration in wastewater could be reduced up to four times by recirculation of the same dyebath 5 times. The dyed fabrics obtained in each cycle are further characterized regarding color strength (K/S) and ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), while their antioxidant potential is evaluated by ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) test. The results revealed that the proposed concept could be used for obtaining multifunctional wool fabrics by following the principles of sustainable development of reducing the effluent load in wastewater.