Safflower

Product Name	: Safflower
Catalog	: BBC-DP-2019
Botanical Name	: Carthamus tinctorius
Parts Used	: Petals
Typical Uses	: Textiles

The petals of Safflower are a commonly used dyestuff which can yield yellows, sharp pinks, orange-reds, and corals. It is extremely responsive to pH shifts. The yellow dye should be washed away in cold water. Only then can the reds be extracted by drastically changing the pH to alkaline and then back to slightly acidic. Silk takes up both the red and the second yellow dye, turning orange, whilst cotton takes up only the red.

Dyeing Processes

Pre mordant: Pre-treat the material with alum 15% of fabric weight.
Dyeing: Yellow—Use Safflower at 100-200% of fabric weight for a medium to dark depth of shade. Put the safflower in cold water for at least one hour. Add mordanted fiber (protein or cellulose) and simmer with the extracted yellow dye for 45 minutes. Pink—Put the safflower in cold water for at least one hour. Then adjust the pH of solution at 11 through the addition of soda ash. Keep this now reddish water and turn it slightly acidic (pH 6) by adding an acid such as white vinegar. Mix the mordanted fiber and bright red liquid until all the color has been taken up.
Post treatment: Conduct soaping of the dyed material with non-ionic detergent (0.5gpl) for 20-30 mins.
Hot wash and then cold wash.

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