Extraction of Dyes from Natural Sources: An Implication for Exploring Millet (Bajra Pennisetum Americanum

Abstract

Dyeing of fabrics has been known to man since prehistory. It was a trade dominated by women who did everything possible to provide "life” to fabrics. Dyeing is done with chemical substances known as dyes. Dyes come in different forms depending on their source of procurement. Some are obtained from synthetic origin and others are obtained from natural sources. Over the past years, there has been over-concentration on synthetic dyes probably because of their so-called bright colours and fastness properties. Meanwhile the natural dyes which are more accessible and easy to procure have been downgraded. This study therefore sought to explore millet (a cereal crop) produced mostly in the tropics for dyes which could be used to colour fabrics.  Cotton fabric was chosen because of its affinity for the dye. The descriptive (qualitative) research method and experimentation were utilised to describe and synthesize data and variables of the study. The survey and participant observation approach were the main instruments used for data collection. The data revealed that fifty-five percent (55%) of the respondents who participated in the study were male while forty-five percent (45%) were female. This was considered to be a fair gender distribution of the respondents. The main findings of the study are that, the millet dye fades easily without the assistance of sodium chloride. Also, the dye has affinity for only cotton fabrics. It must also be noted that without straining, the dye is impure. Apart from these, the dyeing period is also longer as compared to most of the synthetic dyes. It is therefore recommended that efforts should be made by future researchers on this topic to modify the dye to have all the qualities of a good dye