The use of poly(amido)amine dendrimer in modification of cotton for improving dyeing properties of acid dye

Purpose Cotton being an anionic fiber can be dyed with direct, reactive, vat and sulfur dyes but cannot be dyed with acid dyes due to their chemical differences. But there are certain advantages of acid dyes like acid dyeing is the simplest method than the other classes of dyes; and it offers various intense and bright shades. So, the purpose of this paper is to focus on acid dyeing of cotton fabric after its chemical modification. Design/methodology/approach Such modification of cotton fabric has been achieved using poly(amido)amine dendrimer (PAMAM) treatment. The current work is based on the synthesis of a full-generation PAMAM dendrimer (G0) and its application onto the cotton fabric for modifying the cotton substrate by the exhaust and padding method. Findings The treatment of the dendrimer on cotton fabric has been analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The dyeing results in terms of color strength of the treated cotton fabrics are compared with those of conventional acid dyed silk fabric. The fastness assessments such as wash, light and rubbing fastnesses after dyeing of treated cotton fabrics are also performed and found to be satisfactory. Originality/value This paper can be used in the application of synthesized poly(amido)amine dendrimer in acid dyeing of cotton.