Dye Testing - Soda Ash
Anyone who dyes knows that soda ash is critical to the dye process. The dye can stain the fabric alone but the color is not brilliant, nor is the resulting fabric very color or light fast. Adding soda ash, either with the dye or after the dye is applied, is what makes the color bond permanently to the fiber.
Anyone who knows me will know that I will test just about anything I am told. I know that testing is boring dyeing, but I like to know why I am doing what I am doing. This week I was thinking about soda ash. The dye instructions that I have from various sources recommend a soda ash solution ranging between 1/3 and 1 cup or soda ash per gallon of water. Most prescribe 1/2 cup (or 9 tablespoons, for some strange reason) per gallon of water.
Soda ash isn't expensive so using a cup vs 1/2 cup really isn't a big deal but why waste product if you don't need to.
In my test I used black (Dharma 250 Jet Black) and 2 color blends that I created. One is a green using Yellow and Cerulean and the other is a blend of Fuchsia and Grape.
I blended 1 large container of each dye and then measured from the blend for each dye container. This was to make sure that I had exactly the same blend in each container. I dyed 3 fat quarters in each color. Within a color, soda ash was applied in 3 different strengths: 1 cup/gallon, 1/2 cup/gallon and 1/4 cup/gallon.
Anyone who knows me will know that I will test just about anything I am told. I know that testing is boring dyeing, but I like to know why I am doing what I am doing. This week I was thinking about soda ash. The dye instructions that I have from various sources recommend a soda ash solution ranging between 1/3 and 1 cup or soda ash per gallon of water. Most prescribe 1/2 cup (or 9 tablespoons, for some strange reason) per gallon of water.
Soda ash isn't expensive so using a cup vs 1/2 cup really isn't a big deal but why waste product if you don't need to.
In my test I used black (Dharma 250 Jet Black) and 2 color blends that I created. One is a green using Yellow and Cerulean and the other is a blend of Fuchsia and Grape.
I blended 1 large container of each dye and then measured from the blend for each dye container. This was to make sure that I had exactly the same blend in each container. I dyed 3 fat quarters in each color. Within a color, soda ash was applied in 3 different strengths: 1 cup/gallon, 1/2 cup/gallon and 1/4 cup/gallon.
Interesting, huh? It doesn't show in the photo but there really is a very tiny bit if difference in the green between the 1/2 and 1/4 cup strength samples. Otherwise, the samples are all identical.
You might think that the middle black is a little more blue but that is just a factor of the fabric sample. If you saw the fat quarters next to each other you would not be able to tell the difference between the 3 of them.
Is there a dye chemist out there that would like to comment? Do you think I did this test accurately?
So, what will I do? I'm not sure I have the guts to reduce my soda ash concentration to 1/4 cup but I sure wouldn't use more than 1/2 cup.
You might think that the middle black is a little more blue but that is just a factor of the fabric sample. If you saw the fat quarters next to each other you would not be able to tell the difference between the 3 of them.
Is there a dye chemist out there that would like to comment? Do you think I did this test accurately?
So, what will I do? I'm not sure I have the guts to reduce my soda ash concentration to 1/4 cup but I sure wouldn't use more than 1/2 cup.