Monday, June 30, 2008
Emerald Grand Ballroom (Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center)
221

Red Cabbage Indicator as a Viable Natural Fabric Dye

Daniel Henderson and Christine H. Jaworek-Lopes. Emmanuel College, Boston, MA

Natural colorants isolated from a variety of sources such as blueberries, marigolds, and tea leaves have been used to dye fabrics. We would like to report a laboratory experiment for the non-science major using red cabbage indicator as a vibrant and versatile dye. Multi-fiber ribbon has been used as the material to be dyed allowing for discussion of different fabric structures. Varying the pH of the stock indicator solution with either household vinegar or baking soda results in fabrics that range in color from purple to pink to green. Household chemicals such as alum or cream of tartar may be used as mordants to assist the binding of the dye molecule to the fabric. The waste generated from this lab is non-hazardous.