Table of Contents
How do you make aluminum mordant?
20% WOF alum (=potassium aluminium sulfate) (you can purchase it in rock form or powder, or even granules) is dissolved in hot water together with 6% cream of tartar. Add cold water. Add pre-wetted fabric. Heat mordant and fibers together slowly, making sure the solution covers the material completely.
What kind of alum is used for dyeing?
Alum – Potassium aluminum sulfate is the mordant most frequently used by dyers for protein (animal) and cellulose (plant) fibres and fabrics. It improves light and washfastness of all natural dyes and keeps colours clear. It is inexpensive and safe to use (see our safety notes).
Is alum mordant safe?
Alum is generally considered the least toxic, or even a non-toxic mordant because it has long been used an additive to both foods and drinking water.
How long does alum mordant last?
Mordanted fabric may be stored for up to 6 months before use.
What is the best mordant?
Alum is one of the most popular mordants used in natural dyeing, as you can dye and mordant all at the same time. Just add your alum to the dye bath, mix well, then add yarn or fibre.
Is vinegar a mordant?
Vinegar is a Mordant Certain dyes and fibers work best in an acidic environment. Vinegar, like acetic acid, is a pH modifier that’s used to help open up certain fibers to prepare them for mordanting and dyeing. Additionally, natural dyers will also use vinegar and ammonia to change the color of pH reactive dyes.
How much alum do you use to dye?
For every 250g of the dry wool or silk, use 25g of alum mordant in 5 litres of water. Add 10g of Cream of Tartar to help soften the fibre and brighten the colours. Gradually heat the mordant bath to around 80°C for 30 minutes and allow to cool slowly.
Is white vinegar a mordant?
Vinegar is not a mordant. Mordants act as connectors between a dye and a textile fiber; if they wash out, they can have no further effect. Vinegar and acetic acid are used to lower the pH of a dyebath, and are easily removed by washing.
Is baking soda a mordant?
Fixing requires a mordant or fixer; alum, lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda are common mordants. Different mordants create different effects. Start with white fabric, and wash it well. (Note: Always add the mordant to the water, not vice versa.).
Is alum the same as soda ash?
Alum is a hydrated double salt having the composition K2Al(SO4)2.12H2O. It usually exists in crystalline form. Soda ash is anhydrous sodium carbonate, Na2CO3, and so it is amorphous like other anhydrous salts. The two can also be distinguished by chemical tests.
Can you mordant after dyeing?
POST- or AFTER-MORDANT: After dyeing the fiber, a mordant can give color surprises or perk up uninteresting colors. This is especially good for copper and iron mordanting. Alum tends to slightly remove some of the dye if carelessly used as a post-mordant.
What is the best mordant for linen?
Which mordant to use? Fiber content Recommended Mordant Silk Aluminum Potassium Sulfate Aluminum Sulfate Cotton, linen, Tencel, bamboo and other plant fibers Aluminum Acetate with wheat bran or with calcium carbonate afterbath.
Is there a natural mordant?
“I have stuck with the least toxic and most affordable/accessible [mordants] so far, which are salt, vinegar, tannin from rhubarb/blackberry/oak leaves, alum (bought as a powder) soda ash/washing soda, and iron. Some dyes don’t need mordants: lichens, turmeric and oak.
How do you make alum acetate?
Aluminum acetate can be made from sodium acetate and potassium aluminum sulfate. Depending on the availability of these materials in your area, this can be cost effective. To make enough aluminum acetate to mordant 1 kilo of fabric, combine in 3 litres of hot tap water: 150 g sodium acetate or calcium acetate.
What is the best mordant for cotton?
a) Mordanting cotton with aluminium lactate or aluminium acetate: basic method (1 step) This method seems to yield deeper and clearer colours, as it uses no tannin which can slightly yellow the fibres. It also has the advantage of using only one ingredient and one mordant bath, being therefore both quicker and cheaper.
Do you rinse after mordant?
Rinse well. Remember always thoroughly scrub a pot that has been used to iron mordant or it will sadden the next dye bath.
Can you mordant twice?
Cellulose fibres can be fully dried and stored before dyeing. Fibres do not need to be re-mordanted between dyes. Once a fibre has been mordanted it can be dyed and then overdyed without any further mordanting.
What is the best mordant for wool?
Cream of tartar: the amount of cream of tarter should be 6% WOF, or 1 1/4 teaspoons for 100 grams of fiber. You can use aluminum sulfate and cream of tartar together; the cream of tartar brightens many colors and helps keep wool fibers soft.
Can I use cream of tartar as a mordant?
In natural dyeing, we use cream of tartar to acidify the dye bath to as a color changer. It’s also used in mordanting to soften wool fibers. Depending on the dye, it will shift cochineal, madder and lac to brighter, redder colors.
How many types of alum are there?
Alum exists in different forms: Potash Alum, Soda Alum, ammonium Alum, and chrome Alum. The general chemical formula for Alum is XAl(SO4)2·12H2O.
