Natural or biomordants from aluminum accumulating plants and high tannin content plants are being explored as substitutes for the manufactured metallic mordants along with other alternative materials and methods (Cunningham et al. The more toxic metallic mordants of copper, tin, and chrome are not typically used by today’s craft and artisan dyer, yet these chemicals are still being included in some natural dye research. Potassium aluminum sulfate is the commonly used metallic mordant for protein fibers with aluminum acetate seeing increased use for cellulose fibers (Brown et al. 2014).Ī mordant is a substance that can form complexes between dye and fiber to increase affinity, substantivity, and fastness properties (Dean 2014 Haar et al. In addition, there is concern over the metallic mordant agent remaining in the effluent water as well as amounts of water and energy needed for the mordant and dye processes (Fletcher et al. Residual biomass on a small scale can be composted but can be a challenge for larger scale production (Saxena and Raja 2014). Beyond fiber dyeing, natural dyestuffs have market potential in the food, beverage, and cosmetic industries (Saxena and Raja 2014 Shahid and Mohammad 2013). Socially responsible dyeing practices maintain local and indigenous dye traditions, support the local economy, and create educational opportunities (Bebali Foundation 2013 Fletcher et al. When not sustainably managed, communities can be economically exploited and natural environments devastated. Sustainably managed harvesting of dyestuffs provide a renewable, carbon reducing , biodegradable alternative agriculture product that employ local and rural communities (Saxena and Raja 2014). Sustainability is defined as ‘the principle ensuring that our actions today do not limit the range of economic, social, and environmental options open to future generations’ (Elkington 1998, p. The triple bottom line is a framework to measure environmental, social, and economic impacts on sustainability (Elkington 1998). Natural plant dyes and dyeing processes have the potential to impact the triple bottom line of niche markets in both positive and negative ways. Colorfastness to laundering improved only for Osage orange with a PAS mordant. A PAS mordant slightly improved colorfastness to light for black walnut and eastern redcedar, but did not influence Osage orange which had a color change from bright yellow to warm brown after exposure to light.

For yarns premordanted with PAS the dyewood colors became warmer. Findings indicated that dye absorption was improved with the use of a PAS mordant. Two-sample t test was performed to investigate the effect of a PAS mordant versus no mordant on overall color difference between specimens exposed to light and laundering.

Resulting colors for exposed and unexposed specimens were rated using CIE L*a*b* values and descriptive statistics were used to examine directional relationship within independent variables mordant and exposure (light and laundering). Tests for colorfastness to light and laundering were performed according to AATCC methods.

Dye concentrations were pre-tested to find a standard depth of shade between mordanted and nonmordanted yarns. This research analyzed the impact of potassium aluminum sulfate (PAS) on dye concentration, hue, and colorfastness to light and laundering for three regional dyewoods (black walnut, Osage orange, and eastern redcedar) on wool yarn. Dyeing with mill waste provides an economic option for an existing timber manufacturing byproduct. Trees contain a biomordant in the form of tannin which may eliminate the need for metallic mordants, thus reducing water, thermal energy, residual waste, and exposure to a mordant chemical. The triple bottom line can be impacted in both positive and negative ways by the use of tree sawmill waste as a natural dye.

Colorcast dyes