Effects of alkali proteases on dyeing properties of various proteinous materials with natural dyes

In this research, four different protein based textile materials (sheep, goat and Angora rabbit wools and silk) were dyed with sumac and the effects of proteases on their dyeing properties were investigated. According to the experimental results, it was observed that these protein based fibers could be dyed evenly with high light and washing fastnesses by using sumac as a natural dye. Furthermore, it was found that the enzymatic treatment before dyeing did not have an important effect on the dyeing results of sheep wool, goat wool and silk, but for angora wool the color yield of dyed samples increased approximately 20—30 % according to the enzyme type. Moreover in this study angora fibers, treated and untreated with enzymes, were dyed with tannin based plants like myrobalan fruit, oak bark and gall nut, and it was found that the enzymatic treatment increased the dye uptake significantly.