Mordants and modifiers in work
A mordant is a chemical binding agent that adheres well to both the textiles and to the natural dyes. The bright and colorfast dyeing results may be achieved only with the help of mordants. The exception is dyeing with indigo pigments – for this process, the different recipes of vat is used. Mordanting should be done only on clean textiles (cellulose textiles should be scoured, but with wool and silk sometimes it is enough to wash them).Mordants are with different origins – for example, from parts of plants rich with tannins, usually barks, galls, acorns, etc. For easer application from plants are produced concentrated extracts, for example, tannin, tara, sumac, etc. They are perfect as assistants for mordanting cellulose fibers with alum.
Some mordants are pure chemicals (metallic salts from chemistry shop), not hazardous – potassium alum, aluminum acetate, aluminum sulfate, aluminum lactate, titanium oxalate, cream of tartar, iron salts (sulfate or lactate, can be substituted with iron water). Sometimes are used heavy metals (chrome, copper, tin) mordants – but they are toxic and challenging for both safe usage and disposal.
Usually, we use alum and cream of tartar for silk and wool, but aluminum acetate or aluminum lactate with cellulose fibers, but iron salts are used to modify colors. It is possible to make aluminum acetate or aluminum lactate from cheaper sources - aluminum hydroxide and acetic acid.
We got beautiful super soft stonewashed linen fabric and pre-mordanted it in 3 different variants:
(1) With tannin (8% WOF) and alum (8% WOF);
(2) With aluminum acetate (8% WOF);
(3) With titanium oxalate (10% WOF).
As post-mordant were used iron sulfate (2% WOF) and titanium oxalate (5% WOF).
We are impressed with the results! From one dye – changing mordants, dye procedure and using post-mordanting – could be reached so wide palette of tones.
Indigo blues are not mordanted, just added for a wider spectrum.
How about you? Which mordants are your favorites?
NatureColorsEU
Or directly here
Have a nice time with creative projects! We would love it if you share your results on our Facebook page here.
