Recovery of Sodium Sulfate from Farm Drainage Salt and Using It in Direct Dyeing of Cotton - Analysis of Color Difference -

Agricultural drainage salt generated during irrigation of crops in San Joaquin Valley, California, exceeds 600,000 tons annually and cumulates in the field in a rapid rate. As a result, the waste is taking out more farmlands for salt storage and disposal, imposing serious concerns to environment and local agricultural industry. In searching for a potential solution to reduce or eliminate the waste, this research explored feasibility of producing a value -added product, sodium sulfate, from the waste and utilizing the product in textile dyeing. The results indicated that sodium sulfate could be produced from the salt and could be purified by a recrystalization method in a temperature range within the highest and lowest daily temperatures in summer in the alley. The recovered sodium sulfate samples, with purities ranging from 67% to 99.91, were compared with commercially available sodium sulfate in direct dyeing of cotton fabrics. The salt samples recovered from Mendata, California (〉98.8% sodium sulfate) cause little color difference in the dyeing with selected direct dyes, and the purified salt (Ⅲ) (99.91% sodium sulfate) is more applicable for direct dyeing of cotton fabrics if it has no other toxic effects. The recovered sodium sulfate from certain areas in the valley could not be employed in direct dyeing due to the high level of impurities in it.