Biobased removable textile prints - Exploration of biobased binders for the purpose of screen printing

Abstract

The textile industry has a substantial environmental and climate impact. One approach to reducing this footprint is to increase the reuse and recyclability of post-consumer garments. Vividye addresses this challenge by enabling removable textile prints through a detachable priming layer beneath conventional inks. This thesis investigates the development of a biobased alternative to the currently used latex binder in the priming layer, with the goal of maintaining key performance properties such as removability, printability, and washability. Four biobased binders were explored: an emulsion of crosslinked castor oil, polylactic acid (PLA) powder, powdered ethyl cellulose, and an aqueous ethyl cellulose dispersion, commercially known as Surelease®. The most promising formulation used Surelease® as the main binder and PLA as a filler. To improve rheological behavior, a cellulose derivative was added as a thickener. Multiple formulations with varying ratios of these components were prepared and evaluated through film casting and visual inspection. Wettability was assessed using an optical goniometer. While the final formulation did not fully match the film forming and washability performance of the original latex-based system, it demonstrated comparable removability and superior printability. These results demonstrate the potential of biobased alternatives for more sustainable textile printing.