Dunging was a process used intextile manufacturing tofinishprinted textiles, particularly those printed withaluminium orironmordants.[1] It was a process of exposing mordanted products into a solution of cow dung and hot water.[2] Dunging was used to fix mordants as well as remove unfixed mordants and thickening agents from the fabric.[1][3][4][5]
A mordant is a chemical that fixes a dye on a material by reacting with thedye to generate an insoluble compound.[6]
Dunging is followed by printing and the ageing process.[9] Dunging removes the thickening agents used in printing and also aids in the detachment of mordants that are only lightly adhered. Additionally, it completes the mordant's fixation on the material and makes it ready and compatible with the dye.[7]
^Nystrom, Paul Henry; Wisconsin. University. University extension division. [from old catalog] (1916).Textiles. The Library of Congress. New York, Chicago [etc.] D. Appleton and company. p. 260.
