For Mordant Monday, we answer your Mordant Questions and dive into everyone’s favorite topic: MORDANTS. Are you Mordant Curious?
I received a great question about the mordants we carry. Like, you have so many. What is the difference? Does it really matter? Having a variety of mordant choices allows you as an artist to consider your materials before you start creating.
For example: if you are dyeing a cellulose fabric, you can use aluminum acetate, or you can use a tannin pre-mordant and then apply aluminum sulfate as the mordant. They will give you different results. We’ve created a table that summarizes some of the pros and cons of each aluminum mordant that we carry. As your practice deepens, you may choose to explore other methods for putting color on fabric, or you may settle on one mordant. It’s all for you to discover and decide.
Hello,
Thanks for the interesting Q&A e-mails. Now it’s my turn to have a question.
What is the difference between different types of aluminum? Like aluminum acetate, aluminum sulfate, aluminum potassium sulfate and aluminum triformate?
Will the result of dyeing differ?
ANSWER: This table is adapted from the one that is in our Mordant instructions section of the website. What it shows is which mordant is generally used with which fiber, and which ones are simple to use, and others that may need multiple steps. Use it as a guide to choose a mordant for your project.
| Mordant | Fiber types | Features | Detailed Instruction Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum Acetate with wheat bran or with calcium carbonate afterbath | Cellulose (Plant) fibers | PROS: Produces bright colors on plant fibers (cotton, linen, hemp, etc.) Does not require heat or energy. CONS: Expensive and more time-consuming. This mordant uses a multi-step process. Aluminum acetate is a very fine powder and we recommend a high-quality dust mask when measuring. | See more. | |
| Aluminum Potassium Sulfate | Protein (Animal) fibers, and also used in Cellulose Alum-Tannin process | PROS: Easy to use. Produces bright, clear colors on animal fibers (wool, silk, etc.) CONS: Can require heating, or you can let it soak at room temperature for longer periods. Too much alum can cause roughness or stickiness in wool fibers. Many wool dyers also combine aluminum potassium sulfate with cream of tartar to avoid stickiness. | See more. | |
| Aluminum Sulfate | Protein (Animal) fibers, and also used in Cellulose Alum-Tannin process | PROS: Less expensive. Easy to use. Produces bright, clear colors CONS: Can require heating, or you can let it soak at room temperature for longer periods. Check iron content as it is not as purified as Aluminum Potassium Sulfate. Too much alum can cause roughness or stickiness in wool fibers. Can also be combined with cream of tartar to reduce stickiness in wool fibers. | See more. | |
| Aluminum Triformate | Cellulose and protein fibers | PROS: Less expensive. Easy to use. We use a mordant bucket and recharge it when needed. Produces clear colors on wool, softer colors on silk and plant fibers. Wool dyers like it as it keeps fibers soft without cream of tartar. CONS: Longer process – this mordant delivers the best results with an overnight soak and we recommend rinsing all fibers before dyeing. You can reuse this mordant multiple times before recharging the mordant bucket. The recharge concept is not easy to quantify for production dyers. Cellulose fibers dye lighter than when using aluminum acetate. | See more. | |
| Symplocos | Works with cellulose and protein fibers, but most commonly used for cellulose fibers | PROS: Bio-based from aluminum hyperaccumulator dried leaves rather than mineral-based. Has a tannin component and creates a soft yellow on fiber. Great option for those who want to avoid mineral salts but still want to use alum. CONS: Longer process and works best with heat – this mordant delivers the best results with an overnight soak. Requires multiple steps for cellulose fibers. Expensive as it is gathered from the forest floor. | See more. | |
| Tannin and Aluminum Sulfate | Cellulose fibers | PROS: Most lightfast mordant for cellulose fibers and also helps many color bloom on cotton, producing deeper and richer shades. You can also tannin with aluminum potassium sulfate as well. CONS: Longer process. this mordant delivers the best results with a one hour to overnight soak. Requires multiple steps for cellulose fibers. Tannin can alter dye colors slightly as it has a color of its own. | See more. |
What are my favorite mordants?
I like to use aluminum potassium sulfate for silk, aluminum triformate for wool, and I like tannin + alum for cellulose fibers when I want to achieve an interesting color gradation. Otherwise, aluminum acetate and calcium carbonate is my standard cellulose mordant.
Have a mordant question? Email [email protected]. We will publish the questions that we feel will benefit our customers and community as time permits.