More about tannin...(post by Michel Garcia)

The tannin black pigment What to do with an old gall nut bath that has been used to mordant a cotton fabric before dyeing? Nothing is planned in dyeing for this bath that could be reused; Moreover, some small white molds float in between waters... (In fact, these are our allies, as by enzymatic action they transform tannic acid into gallic acid. For dyeing, the bath would be less good, but our black will only be more beautiful. Pour 200ml of ferric acetate mordant into 2l of tannin solution A "black cloud" immediately forms in the secondary bath. The black particles, visible to the naked eye, are filtered through a cloth Placed over a funnel. The contents of the cloth are then dried in the oven Once dried, the pigment granules will be finely ground. This is our gall nut black. After drying, the pigment is washed on a filter, then it is dried and stored for use. Mixed with sophora, it yields beautiful khakis.