Development of Batik Painting Technique Silk Fabric via Natural Dyes

Abstract

The aim of this research is to paint silk fabric with batik technique using five natural dyes from margosa bark, lac, mango leaves, marigold and otaheite gooseberry bark. The pre-mordant and after-mordant techniques were used in this work. Ten mordants, Aluminum potassium sulphate, Copper (II) sulphate, Sodium dichromate, Tannic acid, Tartaric acid, Tin (II) chloride and Calcium acetate-monohydrate were applied. The batik fabrics were characterized in color strength, rubbing fastness, washing fastness, light fastness and stiffness. The result indicated that silk fabric painted with natural dye from margosa bark could use all 10 mordants to improve color strength and gave various shades of color. The silk fabric painted with natural dye from lac could not use all 10 mordants to improve color strength, but it gave various shade. The silk fabric painted with natural dye from mango leaves, marigold and otaheite gooseberry bark showed that almost 10 mordants gave higher color strength and various shade. The mordanting technique would give good fastness and reduce the stiffness of batik fabric.