Quebracho
lat. Schinopsis balansae
€4.75
Out of stock
Organic and certified Quebracho colorado ( lat. Schinopsis balansae ) is very rich in tannins, therefore it can be used as an organic mordant and as a dye for cellulose and protein fabrics. Its colors may vary from orange, reddish-brown, red to black. When using quebracho as a dye you can use both mordanted and unmordanted fibers. Additionally, this quebracho works very well for ebonizing wood - it produces dark brown, and black colors on wood. Quebracho tree is a natural dye with cultural and historical significance in South America, especially in Argentina, where it is often used for tanning leather due to its high tannin content.
Name: Quebracho colorado
Latin name: lat. Schinopsis balansae
Other names: quebracho chaqueño, quebracho moro, quebracho santiagueño, quebracho hembra, quebracho rubio
Type: mordant dye, no-mordant dye, organic mordant
Part of plant used: heartwood
Colorants: various tannins
Main colors: reddish-brown
Other colors: orange, red, brown, black
Purpose: natural dye for textiles, leather, wood, candles, and other natural materials. Can be used as an organic mordant for other natural dyes. Can be used for making botanical inks, pastels, watercolors, printing paste, etc. Especially popular for ebonizing wood.
Dyeing with quebracho:
Use 20-40% WOF (weight of fiber)
Add quebracho powder to the dyeing pot filled with water, and stir well.
Raise temperature to 70-80°C and simmer for 1 hour. Let it cool. You may simmer longer for darker colors.
Strain through a fine cloth to keep small particles out of the dye bath.
Add pre-mordanted fibers or unmordanted fibers to the dye solution and simmer for 30-60 minutes, depending on the depth of shade desired. Allow to cool.
To deepen or modify colors you may add a pinch of soda ash.
For dark shades you can place quebracho-dyed fibers into ~ 2% WOF iron sulfate solution or add a pinch of iron directly into the dye. Also, you may use iron-mordanted fibers.
Using quebracho as a tannin mordant:
Use quebracho at 10-15% WOF and follow the instructions above.