Polymer pretreatment to control the distribution of dye inks on bicomponent interwoven fabric with different weaves to improve inkjet printing

Pretreatment is an effective way to increase the dye utilization rate and improve quality of inkjet printing products. The hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose has been shown to be effective in pretreating for fabrics before inkjet printing. However, pretreatment of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) on fabrics with different weaves has not been systematically studied. Three kinds of cotton/polyamide interwoven fabrics with different weaves were investigated in this study. The results shown that hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose could form the polymer film on the fabric surface, whether the yarns were loose or tight. The fibers or yarns of the fabrics with different weaves could be connected by HPMC. The pores on the fabric surfaces were blocked, and the fabric surface became more hydrophobic. The ink which spread to the far end of the yarn was reduced, while the ink which was absorbed by HPMC and the ink which migrated to the adjacent fibers were increased. More inks were left in the initial position. After HPMC pretreatment, the shape formed by the ink drops on the fabric was more similar to that formed by natural diffusion and was not affected by the fabric weaves. Therefore, the inkjet printing patterns on fabrics pretreated with HPMC were clearer. HPMC pretreatment was effective for cotton/ polyamide fabrics with different weaves. The HPMC pretreatment could reduce the use of dyes, improve dye utilization, and is of great significance to environmental protection.