Microwave Induced Sustainable Isolation of Laccaic Acid from Lac Insect for Nylon Dyeing

Green technologies in isolation and extraction of natural products have always been welcomed due to awareness about environmental standards for global health. The current research was performed to use microwave energy to extract natural dyes from lac insects and their application onto nylon fabric. For isolation of natural dye from lac insect in acidic and acidified methanolic media Mw irradiation for 3, 5, and 7 min. has been given and used to dye nylon fabric. Bio-mordants from herbal-based sources such as Acacia and Turmeric were also employed to develop new shades and to improve fastness properties in comparison with metallic salts of Al (Alum) and Fe (ferrous sulfate). The evidence from this study suggests an increase in color yield (K/S) with the use of 5 min. of microwave energy when acid solubilized extract of lac insect was used to dye onto nylon fabric. It has been demonstrated also that in the case of the pre-mordanting method, 5% of Acacia and 1% of Turmeric give the best fastness properties and the highest color yields.  It is concluded that Microwave energy has an excellent efficacy to isolate the colorant, whereas the addition of bio-mordants has made the process more sustainable and greener.