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This is to certify that the investigatory project entitled

“Which of the Plant material used would make the best
red color on fabric” submitted by Shaifali Sharma of
XII – C of ‘St. Patrick’s Vidya Bhawan, Jodhpur’, during
the year 2009-10 has been carried out and completed under
my supervision and guidance and is thereby recommended for
submission.

Signature
Dr. (Mrs.) Sabahat Siddiqui
Lecturer (Chemistry)
Date-
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I take this opportunity to extend my heart felt gratitude to

‘Ma’am Sabahat Siddiqui’, without whose guidance,
support and encouragement, this project would not have been
in its present form.

I extend my gratitude to the ‘School and Staff of Chemistry

Department’ for laboratory facilities and support.

My thanks are also due to ‘My Family’ for their constant

encouragement.
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A DYE can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to

the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an
aqueous solution and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye
on the fiber.
A mordant is an element which aids the chemical reaction that takes place
between the dye and the fiber so that the dye is absorbed. Mordants (e.g.
metallic salts) act on the dye molecules by breaking apart existing links and
forming new ones that will bind with the fabric. Not all dyes need mordants to
help them adhere to fabric. If they need no mordants, such as lichens and walnut
hulls, they are called substantive dyes. If they do need a mordant, they are
called adjective dyes.

Common mordants are:

• alum, usually used with cream of tartar, which helps evenness and brightens
slightly;
• iron (or copperas) which saddens or darken colors, bringing out green
shades;
• tin, usually used with cream of tartar, which blooms or brightens colors,
especially reds, oranges and yellows;
• blue vitriol which saddens colors and brings out greens;
• Tannic acid used for tans and browns.

Based on the source of the dye, it can be broadly classified into two:
• Synthetic dyes
• Natural dyes

Historically, natural dyes were used to color clothing or other textiles, and by
the mid-1800’s chemists began producing synthetic substitutes for them.
Nowadays, most of the colors used in commercial textile dyeing are synthetic.
But the focus here is on the importance of natural dyes.
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Natural dyes are a class of colorants extracted from vegetative matter and
animal residues.
GENERAL FEATURES OF NATURAL DYES

• They are obtained from natural sources.

• Natural dyes generally require a mordant, which are metallic salts of
aluminum, iron, chromium, copper and others, for ensuring the reasonable
fastness of the color to sunlight and washing.
• They are environment friendly as they significantly cut down the amount of
toxic effluent resulting from the dyeing process.
• They are generally not irritating and allergic to skin.

TYPES OF NATURAL DYES

Natural dyes can be sorted into three categories:

• Natural dyes obtained from minerals
• Natural dyes obtained from animals
• Natural dyes obtained from plants

Natural dyes obtained from minerals

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Ocher is a dye obtained from an impure earthy ore of iron or ferruginous clay,
usually red (hematite) or yellow (limonite). In addition to being the principal
ore of iron, hematite is a constituent of a number of abrasives and pigments.

Natural dyes obtained from animals

A good example is cochineal, which is a brilliant red dye produced from

insects living on cactus plants. Purple was extracted from a small gastropod
mollusk found in all seas or from a crustacean called a Trumpet Shell or Purple
Fish. Estimates are that it took 8,500 shellfish to produce one gram of the dye,
hence the fact this dye was worth more than its weight in gold. So only the
royal family could afford it.

Natural dyes from plants

Nature has gifted us more than 500 dye-yielding plant species. Earliest
evidence for the use of natural dyes from plants dates back to more than 5000
years, with Madder (Rubia cordifolia) dyed cloth found in the Indus river
valley at Mohenjo-Daro. There is a whole variety of plants which can be used
to make plant dyes. Different parts of the plants can be a source for different
type of dyes in case of different types of dyes and plants.

CATEGORIES OF PLANT DYES

N COLOR CHEMICAL CLASSIFICATION CHEMICAL
o STRUCTURE
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1 Yellow and Flavone Dyes

Brown

2 Yellow Iso-quinoline Dyes

3 Orange- Chromene Dyes(Benzopyran)

Yellow

4 Brown and Naphthoquinone Dyes

Purple-
Grey

5 Red Anthraquinone Dyes

6 Purple and Benzophyrone Dyes (Benzopyrone may refer to

Black either of two ketone derivatives of benzopyran which
constitute the core skeleton of many flavonoid
compounds:
Chromone (1-benzopyran-4-one) CHROMONE
Coumarin (1-benzopyran-2-one))

COUMARIN
7 Blue Indigoid Dyes

8 Neutrals Vegetable Tannins: gallotannins, ellagitannins

and catechol tannins

Gallic Acid
PLANT SOURCES OF DIFFERENT SHADES OF
NATURAL DYES
No COLOR PLANT SOURCE PLANT PART
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1 Orange - Bloodroot
- Sassafras Leaves
- Onion skin
- Carrot Roots
- Lilac Twigs
- Turmeric
- Pomegranate (with alum anywhere from
orange to khaki green.)
- Butternut Seed husks
2 Brown Wild plum (give a reddish or rusty brown) Root
- Oak (tan or oak color) Bark
- Sumac Leaves
- Dandelion Roots
- Broom (yellow/brown) Bark
- Walnut Hulls
- Tea Bags (light brown)
- Juniper Berries Inner bark
- Fennel (yellow/brown) Flowers, leaves
- Coffee Grinds Petals
3 Pink - Strawberries
- Cherries
- Roses and Lavender
- Lichens(pink, brown, or wine colored) A lichen known as
British soldiers.
- Camilla
- Grand Fir Bark
4 Red - Sumac (light red)
- Dandelion Fruit
- Beets Root
- Crab Apple (red/yellow) Bark
- Rose
- Chokecherries
- Madder
- Hibiscus (dried) Flowers
- Canadian Hemlock (reddish brown) Bark
- Wild ripe Blackberries
5 Blue-purple Red cabbage
- Mulberries (royal purple)
- Elderberries (lavender)
- Saffron - ( blue/green) Petals
- Grapes (purple)
- Blueberries
- Cherry
- Blackberry Roots
- Hyacinth Fruit
- Japanese indigo Flowers
6 Grey-black - Iris Roots
- Sumac Leaves
- Oak galls
- Sawthorn Oak Seed cups
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7 Red-purple -Pokeweed Berries

- Daylilies Old blooms
- Logwood
- Huckleberry
8 Green Tea Tree (green/black) Flowers
- Spinach
- Sorreldark green Leaves
- Foxglove Roots
- Lilac Flowers
- Snapdragon Flowers
- Pigsweed Flowers
- Larkspur Entire plant
- Peach (yellow/green) Leaves
9 Peach/salmon - Virginia Creeper All parts
- Plum tree Roots
- Weeping Willow (makes a peachy brown Wood & bark
(the tannin acts as a mordant))

10 Yellow/wheat Saffron Stigmas

- Safflower Flowers, soaked in
water
- Alfalfa Seeds
- Marigold Blossoms
- Sumac (The inner pith of branches can Bark
produce a super bright yellow color.)
- Mimosa Flowers
- Daffodil Flower heads (after
they have died);
Spice
- Turmeric Flower
- Sunflowers Flowers
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Anthraquinones are the largest group of quinones, best known for their use as
mordant dyes. However, their importance, as with most other natural dyes,
diminished with the development of the synthetic dye industry. They occur in
many different plants and are generally present as the glycosides in young
plants. The biosynthetic pathway for anthraquinones is ambiguous. They may
be derived from shikimic acid, mevalonic acid or polyketides; it is thought
that plant anthraquinones lacking hydroxy groups in one of the rings, e.g.
alizarin, are from mixed pathways. Anthraquinone dyes require mordants
(metal ions complexed to the fabric to be dyed), which makes the dyeing
process more complicated. This is because, generally, a two-stage process is
required.The first stage is to mordant and the second to dye the cloth.

Plant sources of red dyes

Although madder was considered the most important
producer of red dye, several other species were employed
by various populations.
I have extracted red dyes from the following:
• Cherry
• Beet Root
• Tomatoes

AIM OF THE PROJECT

The aim of my experiment is to determine which of the
material used (cherry, tomato & beet) would make the
best red color on fabric. It also attempts to find out would
fabric type, afterbath, washing and sun have an effect on
the color.
The procedures for my experiment began by collecting the required plant
materials. Then dye had to be prepared from them. After this four sets of three
 P a g e | 11

types of fabric was to be dyed with it. After allowing them to dry, they were to
be tested for the effect of fabric type, afterbath, washing and sun on their color.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
01. Fabric-Cotton, Wool and Polyester (four sets of
fabric, each with 1 piece of each type of fabric)
02. Cherries
03. Tomatoes
04. Beet
05. Beakers
06. Watch glass
07. Detergent
08. Vinegar
09. Stirring rod
10. Distilled water

1) Choose cherries, beets, and tomatoes with the

darkest red color and make dyes from each of them.
To make the dye solution:
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Chop plant material into small pieces and place in a pot. Add double the
amount of water to plant material. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for
about an hour. Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a
stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.
Getting the fabric ready for the dye bath:
You will have to soak the fabric in a color fixative before the dye process.
This will make the color set in the fabric.
2) Choose three types of fabric (cotton, wool, polyester) and make four sets of
fabric, each set with one piece of each type of fabric. One set is the control.
3) Dye one set of fabric with each of the three dye baths. Put the control in
distilled water only. Observe color and intensity.
4) Soak each set (including control) in a vinegar afterbath. Observe color and
intensity.
5) Wash each set (including control). Observe color and intensity.
6) Dry each piece of fabric in the sun. Observe color and intensity.
7) Compile the data and then draw conclusions.
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Materials treated with

BEET ROOT
Treated Cotton Wool Polyester
with
Control

Deterge
nt

Vinegar

Sunlight
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Materials treated with

CHERRY
Treated Cotton Wool Polyester
with
Control

Deterge
nt

Vinegar

Sunlight
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Materials treated with

TOMATOES
Treated Cotton Wool Polyester
with
Control

Deterge
nt

Vinegar

Sunlight
 P a g e | 16

• The cherry dye solution was close to red in color, but the fabrics were dyed
pink.
• The beet dye was very dark red, but the dyed fabric turned magenta.
• The tomatoes made a light gold dye and dyed the fabric a gold color.
• Out of the three fabrics, the wool picked up the color the best, then the
cotton.
• The polyester had only very pale coloring, with the most color on the
polyester dyed with beets.
• The afterbath affected the color a lot. It took the color out of the fabric
instead of helping the color attach.
• Washing and sun had little or no effect on color or intensity.
 P a g e | 17

• Research has shown that synthetic dyes are suspected to release harmful
chemicals that are allergic, carcinogenic and detrimental to human health.
Ironically, Germany, that discovered azo dyes, became the first country to ban
certain azo dyes in 1996.
• Lately there has been increasing interest in natural dyes, as the public
becomes aware of ecological and environmental problems related to the use of
synthetic dyes. Use of natural dyes cuts down significantly on the amount of
toxic effluent resulting from the synthetic dye process.
• Natural dyes are environment friendly; for example,
turmeric, the brightest of naturally occurring yellow dyes is a
powerful antiseptic and revitalizes the skin, while indigo
yields a cooling sensation.
• Organic dyeing not only helps preserve the traditional art
of weaving and design, but also provides employment and
yields economic and ecological benefits.
• Commercialization of natural dyes can be successful in the state with
systematic and scientific approach for identification of resources, extraction,
purification, chemical structure elucidation and promotion of use of natural
dyes, thereby enhancing the economy of the local people.
• Recent work, to discover whether it is possible to use plants as commercially
viable sources of dyes has highlighted a significant resource, which would
benefit both industrial production and consumer choice.
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Natural dye-yielding plants and indigenous knowledge

on dye preparation in Arunachal Pradesh,
northeast India
Debajit Mahanta1 and S. C. Tiwari2,*
1Arunachal Pradesh State Council for Science and Technology, Vivek-Vihar, Itanagar, India
2Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology,
Nirjuli, India

Pure Appl. Chem., Vol. 78, No. 8, pp. 1477–1491, 2006.

doi:10.1351/pac200678081477
© 2006 IUPAC
Carotenoids and other pigments as natural colorants*
Alan Mortensen
Chr. Hansen A/S, Color Research, Development and Application, Bøge Allé , DK-2970
Hørsholm, Denmark

Plant Growth Regulation 34: 57–69, 2001.

© 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
Dyes from plants: Past usage, present understanding
and potential
Kerry G. Gilbert (nee Stoker) & David T. Cooke
University of Bristol, Department of Biological Sciences, Bristol, BS8 1UG (∗Corresponding
author: IACR – Long Ashton Research Station, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41 9AF, UK)

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http://en.wikipedia.org

http://sciencedirect.com

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