Coloration of polycaprolactone nanofibers by continuous and semicontinuous methods

Abstract

The research presents a study on the coloration of PCL nanofibers by two different dyeing techniques namely continuous (pad-dry-cure) and semicontinuous (pad-batch) dyeing methods using disperse dyes. The PCL nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning technique. The dyeing process parameters such as curing temperature, curing time and batching time were optimized. Subsequent to optimization, the nanofibers were dyed at different dye concentrations. The PCL nanofiber samples were characterized by FTIR and SEM analysis. The dye uptakes were measured by K/S values. The optimized curing temperature and time were 40 °C and 70 s, whereas higher K/S values were obtained at 24 h batching time. The colorfastness test for washing revealed nanofibers possessed good color fastness. The dyeability of the PCL nanofibers suggested its potential for varying colored nanofiber applications.

Keywords:

• Biodegradable polymers
• polycaprolactone
• electrospun nanofibers
• coloration
• biomedical applications

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.