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Inkjet Printing and In-Situ Crystallization of Biopigments for Eco-Friendly and Energy-Efficient Fabric Coloration

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Abstract

Current methods of fabric dyeing have a significant negative effect on the environment via toxic effluent emissions, high water usage, and high energy consumption. We demonstrate, for the first time, low-energy inkjet printing of an ecofriendly and biodegradable pigment derived from widely available spalting fungi with synthesis by-products that are fully biodegradable. Vivid and stable coloration is achieved on polyester and cotton using benign acetone-based and ethanol-based biopigment inks, with no liquid effluent or runoff, and without any synthetic dyes or mordants. We investigate the influence of fabric type, solvent type, and the number of printing passes on the color type, intensity, and uniformity, pigment crystallization, and environmental stability. Greater spatial definition of the printed pigment in inkjet printing effects greater crystallization and more vivid and uniform coloration as compared to drop-casting, the primary method used till date to color fabrics with such fungal biopigments. pH-driven interactions between the fabric, solvent, and biopigment cause solvent-driven changes in color type (from bluish to reddish) and fabric-governed changes in color intensity. The impact of our findings on minimizing the environmental impact of fabric dyeing is discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support provided by the Walmart Manufacturing Innovation Fund, the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program # 1040588, and the VF corporation.

Funding

This work was supported by the Walmart Manufacturing Innovation Fund and the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program # 1040588.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Yujuan He, Yu Cao, Shujie Li & Chih-hung Chang

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA

    Hyun-jun Hwang & Rajiv Malhotra

  3. Department of Wood Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Sarath M. Vega Gutierrez & Seri C. Robinson

  4. College of Business, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Hsiou-Lien Chen

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  1. Yujuan He
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Contributions

RM, C-HC, SCR and H-LC originated the idea and planned the work. SMVG performed the biopigment exraction. YH and YC performed the inkjet printing, SEM, colorimetry, and TEM. H-JH and HD performed the humidity and temperature testing. SL performed the wash testing. All authors contributed towards the writing of the manuscript. The authors acknowledge Alvin Chang for his assistance in writing the paper and VF Corporation for providing the cotton fabrics.

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Correspondence to Chih-hung Chang or Rajiv Malhotra.

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He, Y., Cao, Y., Hwang, Hj. et al. Inkjet Printing and In-Situ Crystallization of Biopigments for Eco-Friendly and Energy-Efficient Fabric Coloration. Int. J. of Precis. Eng. and Manuf.-Green Tech. 9, 941–953 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40684-021-00360-5

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