Description
ONE OF THE BEST NATURAL INDIGOS! EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY
A natural Indigo prepared from fresh leaves of American indigo tree (Indigofera suffruticosa L.) by natural fermentation process.
This indigo is manufactured in Central America from fair and sustainable productions. Product in powder form.
The main dye component is indigotin – min 44%.
Use :
Textile dyeing : the indigo dye provides ranges of blue shades, from very clear to dark, with a very good lightfastness and washfastness. Its use in textile needs to turn it from an oxidized state (blue pigment, insoluble) to a reduced state (greenish yellow pigment, soluble) which will allow to fix on fibers before being again oxidized (by the oxygen of air – a magic step that develops the blue color). These reactions can be processed in natural vats by using our fructose syrup and hydrated lime for instance (1-2-3 vat type) or by using a chemical reducing agent (sodium hydrosulphite or thiourea). The indigo can be easily combined with other dye extracts (yellow, red for example) to widen the pallet of shades (green, purple…).
Paintings, decoration, fine arts : the indigo is then directly used as a natural pigment, after homogenizing into the selected binder or medium. It may be necessary to grind the pigment into the medium in order to develop the colour and avoid big particles.
Other uses : cabinetmaking, ink.
The plant :
Indigofera suffruticosa Mill. is a shrub of 60-120 cm high.
It distinguishes itself from Indigofera tinctoria L. by a foliage of a softer green, by its pods in the shape of growing, by an adaptation to zones of average height and, often, by a rate of indigotine superior.
This species originating from central America was the main indigo used by old mexican and peruvian civilizations. It was intensively grown and distributed into several tropical regions.
