Investigating the potential of waste oyster shell as a sustainable bio-mordant in natural dyeing

The use of natural bioresources in textile dyeing has attracted significant research interest due to their environmentally friendly and low-toxic nature. This study investigated the utilization of waste oyster shell (WOS) as a bio-mordant combined with sappan wood extract to dye silk fabrics using pre-, meta-, and post-mordanting method. The crystal structure of CaCO₃ derived from WOS and their impact on color properties, color strength and color fastness were analyzed. The dyed fabrics displayed a range of shades from light pink to deep red and brown. FTIR analysis confirmed chemical interactions among dye, silk, and WOS mordants. Notably, silk treated with WOS at 800 °C as a pre-mordant showed color strength approximately 2.6 times higher than that of un-mordanted samples. Additionally, bio-mordanted samples exhibited improved color fastness compared to untreated ones (rating 2), with pre-mordanting offering the highest resistance to washing (rating 4–5). These findings shed light on the potential of waste oyster shell as an effective, sustainable alternative to conventional metal mordants in textile dyeing. This study not only support the utilization of waste but also enhances environmental and resource efficiency of the dyeing process.