Mordant

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Mordant red 19 is a typical mordant dye. Like many mordant dyes, it features the azo group (RN=NR) and various sites for chelating to metal cations. Mordant red 19.png
Mordant red 19 is a typical mordant dye. Like many mordant dyes, it features the azo group (RN=NR) and various sites for chelating to metal cations.
A French Indienne, a printed or painted textile in the manner of Indian productions, which used mordants to fix the dyes Indienne, Wesserling.JPG
A French Indienne , a printed or painted textile in the manner of Indian productions, which used mordants to fix the dyes

A mordant or dye fixative is a substance used to set (i.e., bind) dyes on fabrics. It does this by forming a coordination complex with the dye, which then attaches to the fabric (or tissue). [1] It may be used for dyeing fabrics or for intensifying stains in cell or tissue preparations. Although mordants are still used, especially by small batch dyers, they have been largely displaced in industry by directs. [2]

Contents

The term mordant comes from the Latin mordere, "to bite". In the past, it was thought that a mordant helped the dye "bite" onto the fiber so that it would hold fast during washing. A mordant is often a polyvalent metal ion, and one example is chromium (III). [3] The resulting coordination complex of dye and ion is colloidal and can be either acidic or alkaline.

Common dye mordants

Mordants include tannic acid, oxalic acid, [4] alum, chrome alum, sodium chloride, and certain salts of aluminium, chromium, copper, iron, iodine, potassium, sodium, tungsten, and tin.

Iodine is often referred to as a mordant in Gram stains, but is in fact a trapping agent. [3]

Dyeing methods

Dye rot from iron mordant Dye rot.jpg
Dye rot from iron mordant

The three methods used for mordanting are:

The type of mordant used affects the shade obtained after dyeing and also affects the fastness property of the dye. The application of mordant, either pre-mordant, meta-mordant or post-mordant methods, is influenced by:

Dye results can also rely on the mordant chosen as the introduction of the mordant into the dye will have a marked effect on the final color. Each dye can have different reactions to each mordant. For example, cochineal scarlet, or Dutch scarlet as it came to be known, used cochineal along with a tin mordant to create a brilliant orange-hued red. [5]

Residual iron mordant can damage or fade fabric, producing "dye rot". [6]

Dye lake

The dye lake is an insoluble complex formed upon combining the dye and mordant, which then attaches to the substrate. Mordants increase the fastness of the dye since the higher molecular weight dye is now bonded to the fibre. [3]

The type of mordant used can change the colour of both the dye-plus-mordant solution and influence the shade of the final product.

Wool

Unlike cotton, wool is highly receptive toward mordants. Due to its amphoteric nature wool can absorb acids and bases with equal efficiency. When wool is treated with a metallic salt it hydrolyses the salt into an acidic and basic component. The basic component is absorbed at –COOH group and the acidic component is removed during washing. Wool also has a tendency to absorb fine precipitates from solutions; these cling to the surface of fibres and dye particles attached to these contaminants result in poor rubbing fastness.

The discovery of Congo red in 1883, followed by many other synthetic azo dyes, heralded the demise of mordant dyes. Congo-red-2D-skeletal.png
The discovery of Congo red in 1883, followed by many other synthetic azo dyes, heralded the demise of mordant dyes.

Silk

Like wool, silk is also amphoteric and can absorb both acids and bases. However, wool has thio groups (-SH) from the cystine amino acid, which act as reducing agent and can reduce hexavalent chromium of potassium dichromate to trivalent form. The trivalent chromium forms the complex with the fibre and dye. Therefore, potassium dichromate cannot be used effectively as mordant.

Animal and plant tissues

In histology, mordants are indispensable in fixing dyes to tissues for microscopic examination.

Methods for mordant application depend on the desired stain and tissues under study; pre-, meta- and post-mordanting techniques are used as required.

The most commonly used stain used in diagnostic histology of animal tissues is Harris' haematoxylin as part of a haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromium</span> Chemical element, symbol Cr and atomic number 24

Chromium is a chemical element; it has symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dye</span> Soluble chemical substance or natural material which can impart color to other materials

A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haematoxylin</span> Natural stain derived from hearthwood and used in histology

Haematoxylin or hematoxylin, also called natural black 1 or C.I. 75290, is a compound extracted from heartwood of the logwood tree with a chemical formula of C
16
H
14
O
6
. This naturally derived dye has been used as a histologic stain, as an ink and as a dye in the textile and leather industry. As a dye, haematoxylin has been called palo de Campeche, logwood extract, bluewood and blackwood. In histology, haematoxylin staining is commonly followed by counterstaining with eosin. When paired, this staining procedure is known as H&E staining and is one of the most commonly used combinations in histology. In addition to its use in the H&E stain, haematoxylin is also a component of the Papanicolaou stain which is widely used in the study of cytology specimens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staining</span> Technique used to enhance visual contrast of specimens observed under a microscope

Staining is a technique used to enhance contrast in samples, generally at the microscopic level. Stains and dyes are frequently used in histology, in cytology, and in the medical fields of histopathology, hematology, and cytopathology that focus on the study and diagnoses of diseases at the microscopic level. Stains may be used to define biological tissues, cell populations, or organelles within individual cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromate and dichromate</span> Chromium(VI) anions

Chromate salts contain the chromate anion, CrO2−
4
. Dichromate salts contain the dichromate anion, Cr
2
O2−
7
. They are oxyanions of chromium in the +6 oxidation state and are moderately strong oxidizing agents. In an aqueous solution, chromate and dichromate ions can be interconvertible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dyeing</span> Process of adding color to textile products

Dyeing is the application of dyes or pigments on textile materials such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics with the goal of achieving color with desired color fastness. Dyeing is normally done in a special solution containing dyes and particular chemical material. Dye molecules are fixed to the fiber by absorption, diffusion, or bonding with temperature and time being key controlling factors. The bond between the dye molecule and fiber may be strong or weak, depending on the dye used. Dyeing and printing are different applications; in printing, color is applied to a localized area with desired patterns. In dyeing, it is applied to the entire textile.

Zenker's fixative is a rapid-acting fixative for animal tissues. It is employed to prepare specimens of animal or vegetable tissues for microscopic study. It provides excellent fixation of nuclear chromatin, connective tissue fibers and some cytoplasmic features, but does not preserve delicate cytoplasmic organelles such as mitochondria. Helly's fixative is preferable for traditional dye staining of mitochondria. Zenker's fixative permeabilises the plasma, but not the nuclear membrane. It can therefore be used to selectively stain mitotic cells with antibodies against chromatin

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium dichromate</span> Chemical compound

Potassium dichromate, K2Cr2O7, is a common inorganic chemical reagent, most commonly used as an oxidizing agent in various laboratory and industrial applications. As with all hexavalent chromium compounds, it is acutely and chronically harmful to health. It is a crystalline ionic solid with a very bright, red-orange color. The salt is popular in laboratories because it is not deliquescent, in contrast to the more industrially relevant salt sodium dichromate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acid dye</span> Dye applied to low pH textile

An acid dye is a dye that is typically applied to a textile at low pH. They are mainly used to dye wool, not cotton fabrics. Some acid dyes are used as food colorants, and some can also be used to stain organelles in the medical field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textile printing</span> Method for applying patterns to cloth using printing techniques

Textile printing is the process of applying color to fabric in definite patterns or designs. In properly printed fabrics the colour is bonded with the fibre, so as to resist washing and friction. Textile printing is related to dyeing but in dyeing properly the whole fabric is uniformly covered with one colour, whereas in printing one or more colours are applied to it in certain parts only, and in sharply defined patterns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hematein</span> Chemical compound

Hematein or haematein is an oxidized derivative of haematoxylin, used in staining. Haematein should not be confused with haematin, which is a brown to black iron-containing pigment formed by decomposition of haemoglobin. In the Colour Index, haematein is called haematine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H&E stain</span> Histological stain method

Hematoxylin and eosin stain is one of the principal tissue stains used in histology. It is the most widely used stain in medical diagnosis and is often the gold standard. For example, when a pathologist looks at a biopsy of a suspected cancer, the histological section is likely to be stained with H&E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosphotungstic acid-haematoxylin stain</span> Biological stain used for staining of tissues

Phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin (PTAH) is a mix of haematoxylin with phosphotungstic acid, used in histology for staining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosphotungstic acid</span> Chemical compound

Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) or tungstophosphoric acid (TPA), is a heteropoly acid with the chemical formula H3PW12O40]. It forms hydrates H3[PW12O40nH2O. It is normally isolated as the n = 24 hydrate but can be desiccated to the hexahydrate (n = 6). EPTA is the name of ethanolic phosphotungstic acid, its alcohol solution used in biology. It has the appearance of small, colorless-grayish or slightly yellow-green crystals, with melting point 89 °C (24 H2O hydrate). It is odorless and soluble in water (200 g/100 ml). It is not especially toxic, but is a mild acidic irritant. The compound is known by a variety of names and acronyms (see 'other names' section of infobox).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of textiles</span> Processes by which textiles are cared for and maintained to be preserved from future damage

The conservation and restoration of textiles refers to the processes by which textiles are cared for and maintained to be preserved from future damage. The field falls under the category of art conservation, heritage conservation as well as library preservation, depending on the type of collection. The concept of textile preservation applies to a wide range of artifacts, including tapestries, carpets, quilts, clothing, flags and curtains, as well as objects which "contain" textiles, such as upholstered furniture, dolls, and accessories such as fans, parasols, gloves and hats or bonnets. Many of these artifacts require specialized care, often by a professional conservator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium chromate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium chromate is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CrO4. It exists as a yellow hygroscopic solid, which can form tetra-, hexa-, and decahydrates. It is an intermediate in the extraction of chromium from its ores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finishing (textiles)</span> Manufacturing process

In textile manufacturing, finishing refers to the processes that convert the woven or knitted cloth into a usable material and more specifically to any process performed after dyeing the yarn or fabric to improve the look, performance, or "hand" (feel) of the finish textile or clothing. The precise meaning depends on context.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natural dye</span> Dye extracted from plant or animal sources

Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources—roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other biological sources such as fungi.

Wet Processing Engineering is one of the major streams in Textile Engineering or Textile manufacturing which refers to the engineering of textile chemical processes and associated applied science. The other three streams in textile engineering are yarn engineering, fabric engineering, and apparel engineering. The processes of this stream are involved or carried out in an aqueous stage. Hence, it is called a wet process which usually covers pre-treatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing.

Aluminium triacetate, formally named aluminium acetate, is a chemical compound with composition Al(CH
3
CO
2
)
3
. Under standard conditions it appears as a white, water-soluble solid that decomposes on heating at around 200 °C. The triacetate hydrolyses to a mixture of basic hydroxide / acetate salts, and multiple species co-exist in chemical equilibrium, particularly in aqueous solutions of the acetate ion; the name aluminium acetate is commonly used for this mixed system.

References

  1. IUPAC , Compendium of Chemical Terminology , 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006) " mordant ". doi : 10.1351/goldbook.M04029
  2. Hunger, Klaus; Mischke, Peter; Rieper, Wolfgang; Zhang, Shufen} (March 8, 2019). Azo Dyes, 5. Developing Dyes. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. pp. 1–19. doi:10.1002/14356007.o03_o09.pub2. ISBN   9783527306732. OCLC   46878292.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. 1 2 3 Llewellyn, Bryan D. (May 2005). "Stain Theory – How mordants work". Archived from the original on May 20, 2016.
  4. Von Wagner, Rudolf (1897). Manual of chemical technology. New York: D. Appleton & Co. p. 499.
  5. Phipps, Elena (2010). Cochineal Red The Art History of a Color, p34. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. ISBN   978-0-300-15513-6.
  6. "Quilt History- informational site about antique quilts and vintage textiles including article and an interactive chat group". Archived from the original on 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2012-01-29.

Further reading