From logwood to lasers: Bio-digital textile dyeing and design

Morgan, Laura; Heywood, Rosy

Abstract

The textile industry is a global giant whose environmental consequences are severe. Textile processing accounts for 51% of a textile's overall carbon footprint (WRAP, 2022) and is estimated to contribute up to 20% of global industrial water pollution (Kant, 2012). The dyeing, printing, and finishing stages of textile production involve water and energy-intensive processes, leading to high water waste and chemical effluent. Synthetic petrochemical dyes are predominant in the industry. The very characteristics that make these dyes desirable for commercial applications, such as high stability to water, temperature, and light, also lead to their persistence in the environment, causing devastating consequences to aquatic ecosystems.

This paper presents a case-study of interdisciplinary design research that explored sustainable alternatives to conventional dyeing and finishing by innovatively integrating bio-dyeing with laser technology. Linen textiles were transformed by combining these processes, reimagining traditional textile coloration, and patterning. The developed processes addressed toxicity in textile coloration by replacing petrochemical dyes and metal salts. Experimental bio-mordants were used to enhance the dyeing process of natural and plant-based dyestuffs. Plant, fungi, and algae-based pre-treatments with advantageous properties as bio-accumulators, protein-binders, tannin-rich plant materials and natural nitrogen fixers were used in combination with natural dye extracts, using small scale commercial dye machines to show potential for industrial uptake of this process within the fashion system. Laser irradiation was creatively employed as a digital design process to introduce precision surface designs. Combining these approaches resulted in linen textiles that reimagined conventional coloration practices, aligning with sustainable, circular design principles.

The presented research acts as an exemplar for a bio-digital methodology to enhance the precision, flexibility, and sustainability of working with biocolours in textile coloration and design.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: BioColours 2024: Sustainable Value Chain for Colour
• Start Date: Jun 4, 2024
• End Date: Mar 7, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9789528407089
• Keywords: Textile Design, Coloration, Pattern, Natural Dyes, Biomordants, Laser Processing
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11837509
• Publisher URL: https://helda.helsinki.fi/items/b0733928-0327-4b13-a894-6c39d4605361