how is natural indigo made

preparing indigo

• step 1 - indigo powder. Empty the contents of the indigo packet into the bucket. Natural indigo powder is so dark, it is...
• step 2 - wet the indigo. Add a tiny bit of water just enough to wet the indigo and create a paste. Indigo, unlike many...
• step 3 - add water. Next add about 3 quarts of water to the paste, slowly, and make sure to keep mixing as you...

Full Answer

Does Indigo cost a lot to make?

with a break-even price for indigo compost of approximately $7/lb . Modeling production at a scale of 2 .5 acres and sales at a price of $12/lb, we find net profits of about $32,000 per year at 41% profit margin, translating to earnings of $54,000 per year when including wages from direct and indirect labor .

What is indigo and how is it produced?

Indigo is a type of blue dye that is generally used for coloring of cotton yarn that is used for production of denim cloth for blue jeans. Indigo is also used for dyeing wool and silk. Indigo was a natural dye which was extracted from plants but now it is synthetic. Indigo was produced from many plants throughout the history but the most famous ...

Is indigo still a cash crop?

Since indigo is a cash crop and provides an important source of supplementary in-come, farmers like 24-year-old Sushila Devi, from Simalta village in Pithoragarh, are happy to experiment with it. Sushila says that the biggest benefit for her is the ability to use land between June-October to grow a crop that is not at risk from attacks by monkeys and fetches her some additional savings of over Rs 2,000-3,000 a year.

How much does Indigo pay?

Indigo Hourly Pay

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How is the color indigo made?

Indigo dye is a greenish dark blue color, obtained from either the leaves of the tropical Indigo plant (Indigofera), or from woad (Isatis tinctoria), or the Chinese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria). Many societies make use of the Indigofera plant for producing different shades of blue.

What is indigo natural?

Indigo is a natural dye that is obtained from the plant Indigofera tinctoria. It's rich, dark blue in color and is mainly used for dyeing clothes, especially denim. In fact, it is known to be one of the oldest dyes to be used for textile dyeing and printing.

How is indigo grown?

1:468:08Growing and Processing Indigo - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThese plants thrive in hot humid climates. Growing best in fertile soil and folds. They require aMoreThese plants thrive in hot humid climates. Growing best in fertile soil and folds. They require a long hot growing season indigo ferrous have a hard seed coat.

Is indigo natural or synthetic?

Indigo, perhaps the most famous natural dye, was first derived from plants such as Indigofera tinctoria (Asia) and Isatis tinctoria (Europe), before discovering the chemical synthesis routes (Fantacci et al., 2010; Maugard et al., 2001).

What is real indigo made of?

Natural indigo is obtained from a variety of plants, the most widely used one being indigofera tinctoria. This shrub grows wild and is cultivated in tropical areas throughout the world. Indigo powder - the famous blue dye - is extracted from the leaves of the indigo plant.

What color is pure indigo?

dark blueIndigo is a natural dye that is obtained from the plant Indigofera tinctoria. It's rich, dark blue in color and is mainly used for dyeing clothes, especially denim. In fact, it is known to be one of the oldest dyes to be used for textile dyeing and printing.

Can I grow indigo?

True indigo is Indigofera tinctoria and it can be grown successfully by seed for a pretty flowering shrub or to provide you with leaves to make a natural blue dye.

Is indigo still grown today?

The plant itself is still grown in smaller amounts as an ornamental plant, for historical interpretation and as a niche business.

How is indigo grown and harvested?

To harvest, the Indigo is cut a few inches from the ground leaving the roots and some foliage on the plant. In a month the plants will grow back, and be ready for another harvest. The harvested Indigo plants are spread out on a tarp in the sun. The plants are left to dry in the sun for about a day or two.

What is the difference between natural and chemical indigo?

Technically, their color is exactly the same as well, though natural indigo can contain impurities like indirubin, tannins and yellow flavonoids, which some believe make its color richer and interesting. “Natural indigo has less yield than synthetic indigo because it is less pure,” Sanchez says.

Is indigo powder same as henna?

Henna dye comes from the crushed leaves of the henna plant and its botanical name is lawsonia inermis. Indigo dye comes from the crushed leaves of the indigo plant and its botanical name is indigofera tinctoria. For centuries, these two plants have been used to colour hair and to heal the body.

Is natural indigo sustainable?

For the natural indigo, the dye is taken from local materials and can be planted and produced sustainably [28]. The extracted plant residue can be composted, and the wastewater generated during the indigo dye collection process can also be used as irrigation for recycling [29]. As a result, it is sustainable.

What is indigo good for?

Indigo was a popular dye during the middle ages. Simon 1984 It has been used medicinally as an emetic; the Chinese used the plant to purify the liver, reduce inflammation and fever and to alleviate pain.

Is indigo good for skin?

Wild Indigo Soothes Irritated Skin Its ability to reduce inflammation makes it phenomenal for sensitive skin or even for acne-prone skin with blemishes. It's also great at reducing redness and irritation along with soothing dry, itchy skin.

Is indigo dye harmful?

Synthesizing indigo dye requires a number of toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, as does the dying process itself. This creates an enormous amount of pollution; in some parts of the world, rivers near denim mills run blue, contaminating and killing fish and affecting the health of workers and residents.

Does natural indigo fade?

Here we showcase their very beautiful texture in the form of "grains", which possess fast-fading qualities and the amazing color of natural indigo. Over time, when the jeans are worn, it will show unique and beautiful fading.

How to make dye with indigo?

Step 1: Harvesting the indigo. The indigiferna tinctoria was planted during Thailand’s rainy season in June. By September or October, the plants are ready to be pruned and used for making dye. Step 2: Bundling . We bundle the small leaf Indiofera tinctoria leaves together using stems as ties.

Where does indigo dye come from?

Most natural dye colors are derived from bark, berries, or leaves that can be boiled down and dyed with—but the process of making blue dye is much more difficult. Every community—places like Mexico, Nigeria, and Japan—has its own spiritual rituals, recipes, and techniques for creating natural indigo dye. In India, the birthplace of indigo, dye ...

What is the color of indigo?

Dyeing takes place in the green form of indigo which is known, confusingly, as white indigo. The paste is mixed with ash water, fruit sugars or rice whiskey, and left to ferment. After a few days of stirring and adding sugars, it’s ready to dye with.

How is Shibori made?

Tie dye and Japanese Shibori are created by tying, rolling, stitching, and folding white cloth before dyeing. The tied-up portions of cloth remain white while the exposed areas turn blue in the indigo vat.

How to bundle Indiofera tinctoria leaves?

We bundle the small leaf Indiofera tinctoria leaves together using stems as ties. The larger leaf varieties of indigo like Strobilanthes flaccidifolius can go straight into the bins.

How to collect indigo paste?

The paste is then collected by pouring it over mesh (collecting debris) then though a fine cotton cloth.

Where did indigo originate?

In India, the birthplace of indigo, dye paste is dried into cakes for easy transportation and trade. The synthetic dyes which enable today’s plentiful supply of commercial denim and tie-dyed products replicate the look of natural dye almost exactly. Since Levi Strauss created his first pair of workwear blue jeans with indigo in 1873, though, ...

How is indigo prepared?

Given its economic importance, indigo has been prepared by many methods. The Baeyer-Drewson indigo synthesis dates back to 1882. It involves an aldol condensation of o-nitrobenzaldehyde with acetone, followed by cyclization and oxidative dimerization to indigo. This route is highly useful for obtaining indigo and many of its derivatives on the laboratory scale, but proved impractical for industrial-scale synthesis. Johannes Pfleger and Karl Heumann ( de) eventually came up with industrial mass production synthesis.

Where does indigo come from?

A variety of plants have provided indigo throughout history, but most natural indigo was obtained from those in the genus Indigofera, which are native to the tropics, notably the Indian Subcontinent. The primary commercial indigo species in Asia was true indigo ( Indigofera tinctoria, also known as I. sumatrana ). A common alternative used in the relatively colder subtropical locations such as Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan is Strobilanthes cusia.

What is indigo dye?

Indigo dye is an organic compound with a distinctive blue color. Historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from the leaves of some plants of the Indigofera genus, in particular Indigofera tinctoria; dye-bearing Indigofera plants were commonly grown and used throughout the world, in Asia in particular, as an important crop, with the production of indigo dyestuff economically important due to the previous rarity of some blue dyestuffs historically.

What is the precursor to indigo?

The precursor to indigo is indican, a colorless, water-soluble derivative of the amino acid tryptophan. Indican readily hydrolyzes to release β-D- glucose and indoxyl. Oxidation by exposure to air converts indoxyl to indigotin, the insoluble blue chemical that is the endpoint of indigo dye. Indican was obtained from the processing of the plant's leaves, which contain as much as 0.2–0.8% of this compound. The leaves were soaked in water and fermented to convert the glycoside indican present in the plant to the blue dye indigotin. They precipitate from the fermented leaf solution when mixed with a strong base such as lye, pressed into cakes, dried, and powdered. The powder was then mixed with various other substances to produce different shades of blue and purple.

What is the most important dye in Asia?

Until the introduction of Indigofera species from the south, Polygonum tinctorum ( Dyer's knotweed) was the most important blue dyestuff in East Asia; however, the crop produced less dyestuff than the average crop of indigo, and was quickly surpassed in terms of favour for the more economical Indigofera tinctoria plant. In Central and South America, the species grown is Indigofera suffruticosa, also known as anil, and in India, an important species was Indigofera arrecta, Natal indigo. In Europe, Isatis tinctoria, commonly known as woad, was used for dyeing fabrics blue, containing the same dyeing compounds as indigo, also referred to as indigo.

How many barrels of indigo were on the Reprisal?

When Benjamin Franklin sailed to France in November 1776 to enlist France's support for the American Revolutionary War, 35 barrels of indigo were on board the Reprisal, the sale of which would help fund the war effort.

Why is indigo dye so difficult to dye?

Indigo is a challenging dye because it is not soluble in water. To be dissolved, it must undergo a chemical change ( reduction ). Reduction converts indigo into "white indigo" ( leuco -indigo). When a submerged fabric is removed from the dyebath, the white indigo quickly combines with oxygen in the air and reverts to the insoluble, intensely colored indigo. When it first became widely available in Europe in the 16th century, European dyers and printers struggled with indigo because of this distinctive property. It also required several chemical manipulations, some involving toxic materials, and had many opportunities to injure workers. In the 19th century, English poet William Wordsworth referred to the plight of indigo dye workers of his hometown of Cockermouth in his autobiographical poem The Prelude. Speaking of their dire working conditions and the empathy that he felt for them, he wrote:

Where does indigo come from?

There are several different types of plants that bear indigo and they grow all over the world, from subtropical to temperate climates in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Indican, the chemical source of the indigo dye, is the same no matter which of these plants it comes from, whether indigofera from India, Africa or Central America; woad from Europe; or polygonum tinctorium from Japan. But of course, it was more profitable to grow it in the colonies, where labor was cheap, or even free, due to slavery.

What chemicals are used to make indigo?

The chemicals involved include aniline, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and sodium amide (which can explode if it comes in contact with oxygen in the air or water). “This can happen in all chemical industries, but in the case of indigo, because of the type of chemicals that they are using, I mean, if there is any problem, it’s going to be bad,” Sanchez says.

What is indigo layering?

This layering, also called “ring dyeing,” is why with heavy use (or distressing done at the factory), indigo rubs off of denim and exposes the white of the underlying cotton.

How much indigo is needed to make an acre?

The other huge roadblock is the land use required. About 25 to 85 pounds of pure pigment can be produced per acre. To satisfy the appetite of the global fashion industry—70,000 metric tons of pure indigo a year—many believe it would require way too much land. Estimates range from 2 to 10 million acres. For comparison, a little over 12 million acres of cotton, fashion’s most in-demand crop, were planted in the U.S. in 2020.

How long does it take to make indigo dye?

Compared to other dyes, indigo is exceedingly complex in chemistry and application. It can take up to two weeks to prepare and ferment a finicky vat of natural indigo dye. “It’s a long process and is very tough and requires a lot of hard work to take the indigo out of the plants,” says Miguel Sanchez, a textile chemistry expert and Technology Leader at Kingpins. Despite being viewed as a rare skill and art, akin to magic, making natural indigo was dirty, difficult and exceedingly smelly—urine was often added for the required fermenting process.

What are the drawbacks of natural indigo?

The other drawback to natural plant indigo is the natural variation in the color. “The only way to obtain a consistent quality of natural indigo is by producing a lot of batches and combining them,” Sanchez says. “This is what Stoney Creek is doing.”

How many times can you dip a textile in indigo?

You dip a textile in the yellow indigo vat, expose it to the air so it turns from yellow to blue, and then dip and fix it again, up to 12 times depending on the depth of blue you want. This deposits microscopic particles directly on the surface of textiles and threads, whereas normal dyes soak completely through the threads.

What is natural indigo dye?

Since natural indigo originates from natural resources, it is treble the cost of synthetic indigo dye. Clear evidence of dyeing fabrics with natural indigo is needed to prevent adulteration and protect the interests of consumers. Natural indigo is easily oxidized to indirubin during the extraction process, so the presence of indirubin and other unknown impurities is a key feature of natural indigo dye. In this regard, an in-depth understanding of similarities and differences in the molecular structures features and various vibrational spectra of indigo and indirubin molecules is critical for establishing the authenticity of natural indigo dye.

How to make indigo blue?

Although the indigo powder is blue, the indigo molecule does not produce its blue colour until it is oxidised. The indigo blue powder must be dissolved in an alkali bath with the combined oxygen removed. This is done by adding spectrolite (thiourea dioxide) to the indigo vat during its preparation.

What Is Indigo blue dye?

Indigo is a type of blue dye that originate from India and is generally used for colouring cotton yarn which is used for the production of denim clo th for blue jeans.

What is the name of the most popular dye plant?

Indigofera is a genus of over 70 species of plants, many of which go by the common name “indigo.”. Indigofera tinctoria often called true indigo or simply just indigo is probably the most famous and widespread dye plant in the world.

What is the difference between indigo and indirubin?

Indirubin, an isomer of indigo, which is an effective component of an anti-leukaemia agent, also has pharmacological effects such as sterilization. The difference in molecular structures of indigo and indirubin gives rise to different physical and chemical properties as well as their applications. Indigo and indirubin with the molecular formula of C 16 H 10 N 2 O 2 have a molecular weight of 262.6 Daltons, both of which have a double indole structure. Indigo is a planar molecule with an asymmetrical trans structure and a strong conjugation effect, in which two intramolecular hydrogen bonds are formed between the adjacent carbonyl groups and the amino groups. Indirubin is an asymmetric structural isomer of indigo by condensing two indole rings. In their production processes, the conditions of reaction should be strictly controlled in order to avoid the interconversion of indigo and indirubin.

How many varieties of indigo are there in India?

There are 62 varieties in India and he collected 58 of them. (The main species name is Indigofera Tinctoria). What is True Indigo? Indigofera is a genus of over 70 species of plants, many of which go by the common name “indigo.” Indigofera tinctoria often called true indigo or simply just indigo is probably the most famous and widespread dye plant in the world.

How much indigo is needed for blue jeans?

The primary use for indigo is as a dye for cotton yarn, mainly used in the production of denim cloth suitable for blue jeans; on average, a pair of blue jeans requires just 3 grams (0.11 oz) – 12 grams (0.42 oz) of dy e to produce. Smaller quantities are used in the dyeing of wool and silk.

How is indigo dye extracted?

Instead, it has to be extracted from the leaves through a detailed process.

What is the difference between natural indigo and synthetic indigo?

While natural indigo is derived from plants, the synthetic variety is chemically created. The main difference between the two is that the natural dye is sustainable, whereas synthetic indigo is derived from petrochemicals, and the manufacturing process yields toxic waste products. The by-products of natural indigo are bio-degradable and non-toxic. The natural process by which you obtain real indigo leaves impurities in it, called indirubins. These are responsible for the interesting colour variations that you get when you use them. Synthetic indigo, on the other hand, yields a uniform blue colour throughout.

What is Indigo dye?

Indigo is a dye that doesn't need a mordant to adhere to cloth, and it works best on natural fibres like cotton, silk and wool. There are plenty of recipes and ingredients to use for the process, if you want to attempt it. Although time-consuming, it is relatively straightforward and easy.

What is the dye used in the Japanese?

Some African tribes, like the Hausa of Kano, continue to work at communal indigo dye pits even today. The Japanese continue to use this dye to colour their traditional Kimono Yukata for summer. History also tells us that this dye was a valuable trading commodity in the old world, often referred to as “blue-gold”.

How to dye yarn indigo?

Once you've got your indigo dye, you need to dye your yarn! The following are the steps in the indigo dyeing process: The first step is preparing the fibre. After washing the fibre well, you should soak it for few hours to improve dye penetration. Next, prepare the indigo stock solution.

How to make indigo dye green?

A solution of soda ash and water provides the desired pH for the dye to work . Then dissolve the indigo into this solution and mix it in thoroughly. At the right pH, the colour of the liquid in the vat will be green. Now, the cloth can be dipped into the fabric.

How to keep an indigo vat warm?

Weigh the spectralite or dithionite and sprinkle it onto the surface of the indigo vat. Put the lid on the pot to keep it warm. The temperature must be kept at a constant 45°C temperature for 30 minutes. You can put it by a radiator or wrap it in blankets - whatever it takes.

How long does it take to make indigo?

a 1 quart measuring cup for water. There are two parts to preparing the indigo, and each part takes about 3 days, the first is preparing the stock, the second is preparing the vat.

What is indigo mud?

As the fructose is added to the solution it may become thicker, this is called indigo mud. If indigo mud starts to form, just add more water. For this batch, I needed to add about another quart of water.

How many times can you dip indigo?

The best indigo is a slow process of multiple dips with oxidations in between each dip. Some professional dye ranges dip anywhere from 5, to as many as 12 times. Tip: the longer you let your prepared vat sit the stronger the dye will become.

How long to let botanical dye sit?

Cover the bucket and let it sit for the next 3 days. Remember to stir the mixture once a day. This batch I made needed a little extra fructose to finish the reduction process. If you are having problems with your stock Botanical Colors is a great resource to reach out to for help! You will know your dye is ready when it separates and the top is a clear amber green like this. I spooned out a little from the top because it is hard to see in the bucket.

How long to let indigo stock sit?

Let the stock sit for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. You will know the reaction is happening and you are on your way to an amazing indigo vat when a thin, mirrory, reddish film starts to form on the surface and the sides of the vat start to look a yellowish green or teal.

Is indigo water soluble?

Indigo, unlike many other types of dye, is not water soluble but, it can absorb water. You can see in the photo how the indigo and water don't naturally combine, but with a little mixing, the indigo will start to absorb the water and a paste will form. When the paste is ready it will look like the second photo.

What are the two methods of producing indigo dye?

n this section we compare the two predominant methods for the production of indigo dye from plants: the water extraction process and the compost process .

How long does it take to compost indigo?

In the Japanese tradition, plants are first harvested and dried . The leaves are then separated and composted for approximately 100 days, with frequent turning of the pile . After composting is complete, the remaining material (“sukumo”) is dried and bagged, ready for use in traditional dyeing vats . Indigo compost can also be produced using modern equipment and methods, and we explore this possibility in more detail later on . The compost process is very attractive

How many lbs of dried leaves are in a sukumo compost pile?

The minimum size for one type of sukumo compost pile to retain heat and successfully decompose contains approximately 440 lbs of dried leaves .3. As artisan and indigo dyer Kori .

What is the process of dye production?

dye production—compost and water extraction—and the choice between these methods greatly affects the rest of the production cycle . The compost method stems from Japanese traditions . It is a solid-state concentration process utilizing composting and resulting in a dyestuff that can be used in traditional vats employing chemical reduction . The water extraction process draws mainly from sub-tropical traditions . It is a liquid-state process utilizing heat and/or fermentation and resulting in a concentrated powder of indigo pigment that can also be used in both fermented dye vats and chemically reduced vats . The first section of this paper

Why did Ricketts choose the Sukumo process?

He chose the process for its history, and precisely because it is more difficult, unpredictable, and labor-intensive as a process than water extraction, and would be “almost impossible to commercialize,” suiting it to his work and message as an artist . However, as concluded in the

Is indigo composting a chemical process?

from cultural and environmental standpoints . One can see from the process flow diagram (Appendix B), that the process is much simpler than water extraction . It requires very little in the way of water, and no chemical inputs are necessary . From growth to dye production to dyeing, the indigo compost method is a living process . Artist and professional indigo dyer

Can indigo be substituted for synthetic indigo?

The Production of Indigo Dye from Plants 5 Natural indigo likely cannot serve as a one-to-one replacement for synthetic indigo

Overview

Uses

Sources

History of indigo

Dyeing technology

Chemical properties

Indigo as an organic semiconductor

Safety and the environment