Exploration of Bamboo Fabrics with Natural Dyes for Sustainability

The history of weaving and textile innovation follows the history of technological innovations and the evolution of socio-cultural issues in a stepwise manner. Currently, textiles and patterns are tools that characterize garments and define their unique aesthetics, becoming identity-making elements not only for a single product or a col-lection, but also for brands. By balancing a delicate equilibrium between brand heritage and zeitgeist, the Indian textile industry bases its success on the capability to reorganize creative processes to generate innovation, also thanks to new relationships among textile designers and their consumers. It is creating something new is the need of hour for the apparel industry and they are aware of it. By utilizing these new techniques for bamboo fabric, we can introduce some designs which will give unique look and increase the marketability of the product. Bamboo viscose, also known as regenerated bamboo, is a regenerated cellulosic fiber. In the last few years in the world market, more and more products from bamboo fibers have been appearing. It is marketed as having exceptional properties such as superior comfort and hand, as well as antimicrobial properties. Yarns of bamboo fibers provide the desirable properties of strength, high moisture absor-bency, antimicrobial and antifungal, sheen and smooth close to silk, cashmere and glass fiber high breathability and thermo-regulating properties in textiles and made ups. The articles are designed and developed by natural dyeing and printing with hand block.


Introduction
Bamboo viscose, also known as regenerated bamboo is a regenerated cellulosic fiber. In the last few years in the world market, many products from bamboo fibers have been appearing.
It is marketed as having exceptional properties such as superior comfort and hand yarns of bamboo fibers provide the desirable properties of strength, high moisture absorbency, antimicrobial and antifungal, sheen and smooth close to silk, cashmere, glass fiber high breathability and thermo-regulating properties in textiles and made ups [1]. Shaw [2] currently, regenerated bamboo fibers are used in apparel including undergarments, sportswear, t-shirts and socks, this fiber will not cause skin allergies and its application in sanitary materials such as baby diaper, absorbent pads and sanitary towels. Bamboo fiber has found its way into the fashion world. In their collection, designers often replace more expensive materials like cashmere, silk and glass fiber by their bamboo equivalent [3,4].
Bamboo has the fastest growth rate among the various types of renewable natural fibers, bamboo fabrics require less dyestuff than cotton fabrics in order to be dyed to the level desired, as they absorb the dyestuff better and faster and show the colour better [5]. The most important aspects of clothing is comfort properties like thermal resistance, air permeability, water vapor and liquid water permeability are critical for the thermal comfort of a clothed body. Comfort plays a vital role in the selection of apparel [12]. Bamboo fiber is more efficient than the cotton fiber as it needs less dying color and raw material to dye the fabric as per the required need. The natural dyeing solution was obtained by from rind of Vempadam Bark (Ventilago madraspatna) used for dyeing bamboo fabric. Fastness properties of the dyed sample were studied [6].
Zakrzewski [7] reported that cross-section of the bamboo fiber is covered with micro-holes giving the fabric better moisture absorption and ventilation. According to authoritative testing figures, apparels made from bamboo fibers are 1-2 degrees lower than normal apparels in hot summer. Apparel made from bamboo fiber is crowned as air conditioning dress [8].
Bamboo fibers are claimed to have some distinctive properties such as high moisture absorption, better drape and deep colour effect [9,10]. Bamboo fiber are claimed to have unique properties such as inherent antimicrobial, UV-shielding properties without aid from petrol-derivative chemicals. These unique properties and the sustainable nature of bamboo fiber have started to attract consumers in the textile market, particularly due to the high price [11].

Objectives
1. Comparative study of natural dyed, printed bamboo and cotton fabrics.
2. Developed garments of the natural dyed and printed bamboo fabric according to "Fashion Trend."

Material
Bamboo yarns were used count 1/64 Nm both side warp and weft direction.

Method
Bamboo fabric was developed on the handloom in 100 reed count, 2/dent of yarn with plain weave used bamboo yarns both side warp and weft. After manufacturing following process on bamboo fabric.  (Figures 1-3).     (Figures 4 and 5).

Preparation of dyeing processes
Dye solution was boiling for ½ h at 40°C and filter of the dye bath after that dyeing of the pre-mordanted samples was performed for 1 h at 30-40°C in an open bath beaker dyeing machine at 20:1 liquor to material ratio. The dyed samples were rinsed in cold water and dried in open air (Figures 6-9).

Mordanting of bamboo fabric
Mordanting of bamboo was carried out with mordant at concentrations on the weight of fabric alum (aluminum potassium sulfate): 25% at 60-90°C for 30-60 min with material to liquor ratio as 1:30. The mordanted fabric was squeezed and dried in open width form at 100°C for 5 min and then used for printing.    Fashion Industry -An Itinerary Between Feelings and Technology 6

Preparation of dye paste
All the dyes used were first converted to powder form. For natural dyes were first dried in an oven at controlled environment at 27 ± 2°C and RH 65 ± 2%, with at least 24 h at "equilibrium regain" and later grinded in mixer grinder. The powder so obtained was filtered through the 60 mesh nylon fabric. The fine powder of natural dye was used for printing (Figures 10 and 11).

Preparation of guar gum paste (print medium)
Guar gum being nonionic is best suited for textile printing was prepared using 5% of guar gum powder. The guar gum powder was sprinkled slowly in water with  Exploration of Bamboo Fabrics with Natural Dyes for Sustainability DOI: http://dx.doi.org /10.5772/intechopen.88688 continuous stirring in order to prevent lump formation. The paste was stirred continuously at 90°C for 1 h. For preparation of 1% of print paste, 1 g of dye powder was first pasted with small quantity of water followed by addition of 99 g of guar gum stock paste. The mordanted bamboo fabrics were then printed with two strokes of squeeze, steamed at 100°C for 10 min. The samples were washed with water and then dried in air (Figures 12-16).

Block printing: preparations of blocks include designing technique and motifs
See Figure 17.

Developed garments of the natural dyed and print bamboo fabric according to fashion trend
See Figures 18-20.

Comparative study of the bamboo fabric and cotton fabric
The results of the study are shown in Table 1.

Conclusion
The experimental research design was used keeping in view the objectives of the study. Pit handloom used by the weaver was employed for bamboo yarns were used to manufacture fabric; handloom bamboo fabric was selected for the study. Fourteen natural dyes used for dyeing and printing with alum mordent. A property such as washing fastness was determined by standard methods. Washing fastness was exhibited fair to excellent in Table 1 [13]. It can be concluded that creating something new is the need of hour for the apparel industry and they are aware of it. Handloom bamboo fabric was used for apparel in this study considering its dye exhaustion properties. The study is successful innovative bamboo apparel products with natural dyes. © 2019 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.