Vol. 9, Issue 4, Part N (2025)

The use of dyes has been imperative to mankind from the time immemorial but the development of synthetic dyes has become a major concern due to its toxicity and poor biodegradability these environmental concerns have fuelled interest in natural dyes as sustainable alternatives. Existing evidences show the use of natural and chemical mordants blending it with the natural dyes. The results of these studies have been impeccable but there has been research gap in the use of stages of leaves to produce varied colour and strength of the dyes. This study investigates the use of teak leaves (Tectona grandis), a by-product of the timber industry, as a natural dye source and the objectives of the study were to quantify the dye yield from young, mature and old leaves with ethanol solvent by Soxhlet extraction method, extraction of dye from high dye yielding teak leaves to dye the natural fabric using different mordants and to observe the extent of dye absorption by the fabric during pre, simultaneous and post mordanting treatments. Dye quantification was performed on young, mature and old leaves using Soxhlet extraction, with young leaves yielding the highest dye. Cotton fabrics were dyed using natural (areca nut, betel leaves, amla) and chemical mordants (copper sulphate, vinegar) by all the three mordanting techniques. Pre-mordanting resulted in the darkest shades for natural mordants, while chemical mordants demonstrated superior colour fixation. The study highlights teak leaves as a viable and eco-friendly dye source for sustainable textile applications.