Performance of Washing-Free Printing of Disperse Dye Inks: Influence of Water-Borne Polymers

Dye-containing wastewater discharge from the textile industry poses a serious pollution hazard that can be overcome by eliminating the washing step following the dyeing process. To study the washing-free printing of disperse dye ink, a number of water-borne polymers were selected and added to the ink, and the properties of the inks were discussed. By optimizing the ink formulation, printed fabrics with high color strength and color fastness were produced. The effects of the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the ink jetting performance and printing performance were intensively investigated. The migration–diffusion–fixation behavior of disperse dyes in inks on the polyester fiber was explored. The disperse dye ink with 0.075 wt.% PVA exhibited the strongest migration–diffusion effect. The PVA ink exhibited excellent jetting performance and printing color fastness, and the printing color strength was better than that of the PVP and PEG ink. The addition of PVA increased the difference between the solubility parameter of the disperse dyes and ink system, which improved the migration of disperse dyes from the ink system to the polyester fabric. Meanwhile, PVA could form a protective layer on printed fabrics because of its excellent film-forming properties at room temperature. The washing-free inkjet printing method developed in this study provides a theoretical basis for screening water-borne polymers and an environmentally friendly pathway for the printing of textiles.