Eco-Friendly Dyeing of Cotton and Wool Fabrics with Avocado Seed and Peel Extracts

In this study, agricultural waste of avocado (Persea americana) was proposed as a natural dye source for eco-friendly and sustainable dyeing of textiles. Woven fabrics made of cotton and wool were pre-mordanted with nontoxic metallic salts; alum and ferrous sulfate and dyed with the pigments extracted from avocado seeds and peels. All samples exhibited very good washing and rubbing fastness grades. Pre-mordanting fabrics with ferrous sulfate provided a different color, a noticeable increase in dyeability and a significant improvement in fastness to light. On the other hand, in case of using alum, only a slight change in chroma and hue was recorded. Based on findings of the study, it was concluded that the extracted pigments have strong affinity for protein fibers and a relatively lower affinity for cellulosic fibers. It was also observed that the samples dyed with peel extract have darker and more saturated colors, a more persistent hue and higher light fastness grades when compared to the corresponding samples dyed with seed extract.