Ink from Dye Waste Workshop

April 19th, 2023 1 - 2PM in C804 - Fashion Institute of Technology

Workshop Goals:


A) Distinguish the composition of inks, paints, pigments and dyes


B) Formulate pigments from dye waste into inks 


C) Evaluate optical and material properties of different inks

Lab 12 - Pigments, Inks, and Paints from Dye Waste.docx

Background:

From the window of Kremer Pigments (247 W. 29th St.):

“Pigments are the source of color. Pigments are dry powders made of very fine particles. Natural pigments are earths and minerals from all over the world. Synthetic organic pigments are industrially produced. A pigment on its own is not enough to paint with, it needs a binder, medium, or glue to hold it in place on a surface. It’s the binder that determines what the paint is called: oil paint, acrylic paint, casein paint, etc. Pigments do not dissolve in their binders, they are dispersed [suspended] in them. 

When the binder dries, cures, or sets, the pigment stays in place. This layer is called a paint film. When you make your own paint you choose exactly how you want your paint to look and behave.” To contrast pigments, dyes are typically soluble in water, and inks are often solutions of a dye or pigment with a binder.

The purpose of this workshop is to highlight how everyday materials can be made from waste resources. Here we collect waste resources from around the FIT Campus and New York City to create inks that can help share our 

Materials:

The ink we make will be a play on 'Stark's Ink, made with indigo and iron tannates.

Ingredients:

Iron Tannate pigment from SC 391

Indigo salt pigment from Sustainability Fair Dye Pot + TDM

Cloves for fragrance from the supermarket

Gum arabic as the binder from Kremer Pigments

Water solvent ~35 mL from the tap

Indigo salts come from five different sources including calcium from egg shells, aluminum from recycled cans, and iron from rusted scrap metal.

Dyeing With Acorns and Rust

The iron tannate pigment was generated by students as part of a SC 391 Crime Scene Chemistry laboratory.

Methods:

Step 1: Choose and collect your ingredients. Measure out the materials and select an iron salt for your formulation. 

Step 2: Make sure your mortar and pestle is clean.

Step 3: Combine and mix the ingredients. Begin by adding a one teaspoon of both pigments and one half teaspoon of the gum arabic. Add small amounts of water and grind these until the mixture is homogenous. 

Step 4: Test the ink. Dip the end of a stirring rod or brush into the mixture and draw it along a piece of white paper. Evaluate the material consistency of the ink and its optical properties. 

A) Add water to make the ink thinner and lighter

B) Add pigments to darken or shift the ink's color

C) Add binder to increase the viscosity and elasticity of the ink

Step 5: Reformulate your sample, and when you are satisfied with the consistency sign your name using your ink. 

Step 6: If you would like to take your ink home and you promise not to ingest it: store the ink in a small vial and label it with your intials and the date.

Using a mortar and pestle to grind ingredients into a coarse, medium or fine consistency: 

Use the pestle  with the rounded end to scrape everything off the sides and into the middle, then gently but firmly press and rotate the pestle, twisting around the base of the mortar. A circular, rocking motion can also be helpful. Use the pestle to gently press and mix the liquid and any solid ingredients in the mortar. Be careful not to spill the liquid over the edge of the mortar. Remember to clean your mortar and pestle after each use by washing it with warm, soapy water and rinsing it thoroughly.

Workshop Rules:

For Further Reading

Iron Gall Ink Website

Rebecca Desnos - Making Lake pigments

Carvalho, David N. Forty centuries of ink. 1904.

Machado, C.; Oliynyk, A. O.; Silverman, J. R. Tie-Dyeing with Foraged Acorns and Rust: A Workshop Connecting Green Chemistry and Environmental Science. J. Chem. Educ. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00086.