How do I revive my indigo dye vat?

To sharpen a 5 gallon vat, add 50g iron and 75g slaked lime into a quart of boiling water, immersion blend (ideally), or mix thoroughly. Once the ingredients are fully incorporated (and will appear as a grey/green slurry) add that to the inactive vat and stir to fully mix it in.

How do I neutralize indigo vat?

To dispose of the vat, add ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar and stir well to neutralize the indigo liquid. Let the vat settle, then carefully pour the liquid down the drain. The sediment that will be at the bottom of your vat can go in the trash.

How do I know if a dye is vat?

Vat dyes are to be tested after the sulphur dye test has come negative. A 100-300 mg dyed sample is placed in a 35 ml test tube to which are added 2 to 3 ml of water and 0.5 to 1 ml of 10% caustic soda solution (The mixture is boiled till all the fiber is dissolved).

What is the pH of indigo vat?

between 9-11
An indigo vat likes a pH of between 9-11, if the ph is too low add 1tbsp of lime, dissolve it fully, stir and let it sit.

Does indigo need a mordant?

You don’t need a mordant when dyeing with Indigo as it fixes to the fibres. Indigo is one of the oldest dyes, with a rich and vibrant past and it has been used as a dye for thousands of years.

What is indigo vat?

A common modern indigo vat is known as a “1-2-3” vat, the recipe developed by French botanist and chemist Michel Garcia. Each vat includes three ingredients: indigo pigment as the source of color, a component to elevate the pH, and a reducing agent.

What is vat dye example?

In general, vat dyes are very resistant to washing and sunlight. They are used on Cotton, Linen, Rayon, and Cellulose acetate. Other examples of vat dyes include several anthraquinone derivatives such as synthetic alizarin and Alizarin yellow.

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.

What pH should an indigo vat be?

between 10 and 11.5
The indigo vat is dependent upon a moderately high pH level between 10 and 11.5 for cellulose fibers. This pH level is moderated by calcium hydroxide. If your pH is too low, the chemical reaction in your vat will not be efficient and may affect the color.

What is the common mordant used on indigo dye?

Indigo dye, as long as it requires reduction to adhere to the fabric, does not need a mordant. The molecular structure of indigo is such, that instead of forming a chemical bond (as the other natural dyes do with the metal salts and fibers) it forms a physical bond.

Why are vat dyes used?

Vat dyes are extensively used for dyeing natural and manmade cellulosics because of their high fastness to light, washing, rubbing, perspiration and even to hypochlorite bleaches. Vat dyes are fastest dyes for cotton, linen and rayon.