Learn More About Indigo

There are two types of Indigo, natural and synthetic. Both types are the same at a molecular level, the difference is one is made from a plant and the other in a laboratory. it is often the additives used with the dyes that make industrial indigo so damaging.

To create a healthy indigo vat it must first have a high pH, a condition known as alkalinity in which the amount of OH− ions exceeds that of H+ ions in the solution. Second, the Vat must be reduced, so that the solution has no dissolved oxygen in it. By reducing the indigo, the molecules can dissolve and bind to a fiber.

Sustainability and Indigo

In industrial production, sodium dithionite is the common reducing agent rather than sugar or fruit because sugar vats are more costly and difficult to maintain. Chemical reduction agents can be harmful to workers health and extremely damaging to waterways when not disposed of correctly.

It’s important to note that even natural vats must be balanced (neutralised to a PH 7) before releasing to the environment.

When considering plants for dyeing or large scale processing, it is important that they have been grown and harvested sustainably.