The Prairie Fibers Company™

Beyond the Ordinary in Surface Design

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Glossary of Terms

Albegal SET: Used with Lanaset /Sabraset dyes as a leveling agent

Alum Sulfate: (Potassium Aluminum Sulfate) common mordant for protein and cellulosic fibers. Used frequently in natural dyeing.

Alum Acetate: Mordant used for dyeing cellulosic fibers, used in natural dyeing.

Ammonium Sulfate: Used with wash fast acid dyes.

Anaerobic Fermentation Dyeing: Fermentation dyeing in the absence of oxygen.

Anti-chlor Concentrate: For neutralizing chlorine after discharge dyeing with bleach.

Baking Soda: (Sodium Bicarbonate) Used as a leveling agent in natural dyes, specifically for cellulosic fibers.

Black Iron Oxide:  Iron oxide powder with a red to black to charcoal colors, used in rust dyeing.

Blue Vitriol: (Copper sulfate) Commonly known as copper mordant, used as a mordant in natural dyeing. This mordant may also be used on its own to copper dye/paint fibers.

Chestnut: Used as a natural dye and as a discharge agent for natural dyes.

Citric Acid Crystals: Used in natural dyeing to increase acidity of dye baths. Also used in place of Acetic Acid.

Compost Dyeing: Process where fibers are placed into a compost pile to be dyed. This process may be aerobic or anaerobic.

Copper Dyeing: Dyeing fibers that have been wetted with copper objects or with Blue Vitriol. Typically the fibers are left in contact with the copper for several weeks.

Copperas: (Ferrous Sulfate) Commonly known as iron mordant, used as a mordant in natural dyeing. This mordant may also be used on its own to iron/rust dye fibers.

Cream of Tartar: Used as a leveling agent for natural dyes, specifically with cochineal and madder root.

Discharge Dyeing: Process by which you strip layers of color from fabrics and fibers.

Dye Concentrate: Process where natural dyes have been reduced to a thick liquid, crystals or a powdered form. These can then be rehydrated to create immersion dye baths, or have thickeners added to them for dye painting or screen-printing.

Fermentation Dyeing: A process where the dye materials are allowed to break down, forming gases. Oxygen is required for this procedure.

Formusol: (Sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate) Used for discharge dyeing silk and other protein fibers. Requires steaming for reaction to occur. Use respirator with acid gas cartridges.

Glauber Salts: (Sodium Sulfate) Used as a leveling agent.

Guar Gum: Thickener for natural dye concentrates. Also used as a thickener for burnout and devoré.

Gum Tragacanth: Thickener used with natural dyes for screen-printing and dye painting.

Iron Oxide: Naturally occurring mineral that is purified and ground into a powder, comes in a range of colors from white to red to blue.

Keltex: (Sodium Alginate) Used as a thickener with chemical dyes such as Procion. This product typically used for screen-printing and dye painting.

Metaphos: (Sodium hexametaphosphate) Water softener, and to improve print paste consistency.

Potato Dextrin: Used as a resist in dyeing.

Red Iron Oxide: Iron oxide powder with a red to reddish brown colors, used in rust dyeing.

Rust Dyeing: Process where fibers have been wetted with some solution and left in contact with a rusty object, or with iron oxide powder. Typically the fibers are left in contact with the rust for a minimum of 24 hours.

Sodium Acetate: leveling agent for Lanaset/Sabraset dyes.

Soda Ash: (Sodium Carbonate) Used with natural dyes as a pH modifier, scouring agent. Used as a fixative for reactive dyes.

Sodium Bisulfite: Used for devoré processes on synthetic/cellulose blend fabrics.

Tannic Acid: Mordant used in natural dyeing. Used as a discharge agent for natural dyes. Primarily derived from tree tannins.

Thiox: (Thiourea dioxide) Used in indigo dye baths. Also used in stripping color from cellulosic and protein fibers.

Washing Soda: (Sodium Carbonate – hydrous) Used as a fixative for reactive dyes.

Urea: Increases solubility of dyes is sometimes used in natural dyeing.