Effect of Natural Dyes on Jute and Jute-Cotton Blended Fabrics: An Approach of Screen Printing

Mir Akmam Noor Rashid, Shuranjan Sarkar, M. M. Alamgir Sayeed, Moslem Uddin, Ayesha Khatton

Jute fabric, Screen printing, Thickener, Natural dyes, GSM.

The increasing demand for sustainable and non-toxic textile production has revived interest in natural dyes and biodegradable thickeners as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic chemicals. This study presents the screen printing on jute-cotton blended fabric using three natural dyes such as turmeric (Curcuma longa), catechu (Acacia catechu), and manjistha (Rubia cordifolia) combined with natural thickener starch. The preliminary results reveal that catechu color performed well based on light fastness (grading 4 out of 5) properties compared to turmeric and manjistha. The rubbing fastness properties were found good in the manjistha and catechu color applied printed fabric (grading 2-3) compared to turmeric. The GSM study of the catechu printed fabric shows the 35% dye uptake compared to raw jute-cotton blended fabric; 12.7 gm/m2 was found in the unprinted fabric, whereas in the printed fabric it was 19.0 gm/m2. The bursting strength of the raw jute-cotton blended fabric showed an average time frame of 19.1 sec and an average pressure of 400 Kpa, which is good enough according to the international standard value of bursting strength. The FTIR results showed that the reaction of color with the raw fabric was at an extreme level. The most intense and complex spectrum was observed for the DP2 catechu sample (e), indicating the highest level of dye-fiber interaction. This is evident from the significant absorbance in the fingerprint region (900-600 cm-1), where bending vibrations of aromatic and heterocyclic rings in the dye are usually recorded. The use of natural thickener starch maintained favorable properties, ensuring smooth screen printability and acceptable print definition.

Received: 18 Mar 2026, Received in revised form: 18 Apr 2026, Accepted: 22 Apr 2026, Available online: 27 Apr 2026

10.22161/ijaers.134.10