Abstract
Polyacrylic acid-leucaena gum was prepared by the polymerisation of acrylic acid on leucaena gum using potassium persulphate as initiator. The rheological properties of the gums and their utilisation as thickening agents in printing cotton fabrics with reactive dyes were investigated.
It was found that polyacrylic acid-leucaena gum pastes are characterised by a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behaviour. The apparent viscosity depends on the amount of acrylic acid. Cotton fabric samples printed with cibacron blue 3R acquire soft handle and colour fastness properties nearly identical with those printed using sodium alginate paste; the highest colour strength was obtained using a mixture of polyacrylic acid/leucaena gum with sodium alginate at a ratio of 1:3 w/w.
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