Investigation of the effect of pre-padding processes on the print quality of ink jet printing of polyester fabrics

In this thesis, in ink jet printing technology made with disperse dyestuffs on polyester fabric, the effect of pretreatments applied to the fabric and ink jet printing to polyester fabric without pretreatment on printing quality, color yield, rubbing and washing fastness, touch and contour sharpness were comparative researched. For this purpose, the effects of parameters such as citric acid concentration (pH effect), weak oxidation agent concentration and type and thickener concentration (viscosity effect) and type used on pH adjustment in prepress processes on dispersed ink jet printings. In studies, sodium m-nitrobenzene sulfonate and sodium chlorate as weak oxidation agents; 5 types of thickeners, medium and low viscous alginates, guar, tamarinda and synthetic, were used as thickeners. In addition, the effect of fixing temperature and time on color yield for disperse ink jet printing was also researched. As a result of the tests carried out, it was observed that the color yield and print quality of polyester fabrics that are not pretreated in ink jet printing are generally lower than the pretreated fabrics. It has been determined that in fabrics absorbed with pretreatment pastes prepared with different types of thickeners, color yield and print quality are increased, but there are no obvious differences between them. According to the results obtained, a (optimum) polyester pretreatment recipe which has been found to be most suitable in terms of print quality, contour sharpness, fastness and touch has been presented.