DYEING BEHAVIOR OF WHEAT-STRAW - A NONCONVENTIONAL LIGNOCELLULOSIC FIBER

Straws from wheat and other grains grown in the U.S. are underutilized agricultural residues that can be used in a variety of consumer items ranging from floral ribbons, hats, and mats to substitutes for wood p article board. As for all textile fibers, whether soft (e.g., cotton, wool, silk, polyester, and other synthetic fibers) or hard (e.g., stra ws and grasses), value is added by introducing color. This study demon strated that wheat straw had a high substantivity for basic dyes becau se of the lignin and hemicellulose present, whereas acid and direct dy es had poorer exhaustion. If properly rinsed, the basic-dyed straw had good colorfastness to water, but the lightfastness was poorer than th at obtained on acrylic.