Alum Powder For Marbling

Alum is also used with some natural dyes as a mordant.

Alum powder for marbling.

A white crystalline compound used in solution for coating paper prior to marbling for setting dyes on fabrics and other applications. Alum is the third most important substance in marbling after the gall and the size. Alum is used in the fabric marbling process as a pre mordant to make marbling paints stick and is also used as one of the safer chemicals to pre mordant fabric in preparation for natural dyeing. Without it the marbling will be faint and blurry.

This video demonstrates the recipes and techniques necessary for aluming paper in preparation for marbling. You may apply the alum with a brush sponge or a spray bottle. Buy pure aluminum sulfate from an art supply store or online. Mix 1 tablespoon of the powdery alum per one cup of water and then thoroughly wet the surface of your paper.

Alum safety depends on multiple factors. It acts as a color binder or mordant fixing the colors to the paper permanently if alum is not applied to the paper before marbling most of the color will rinse off. You will need to cover your paper with alum in order for the design to transfer from the water to the paper without getting washed away. Also sometimes referred to as potassium aluminum sulfate.

The alum helps the pigments used in marbling to adhere to the paper. Alum aluminum sulphate every sheet of paper to be marbled must be coated with alum. Marbling on tragacanth does not requore alum but the paper must be dampened slighly to accept the colour. Alum is a mordant meaning it causes color to set on the paper.

Sodium aluminum sulfate is a type of alum that is used in commercial baking powder. Alum in powder left and lump right form. Alum or potassium aluminum sulfate is a chemical often used as a food preservative. Without a mordant the pigments will slide off the paper.

Marbling paper in the ebru turkish style requir. Dissolve 2 teaspoons alum into 1 gallon of water to make a solution for fabric to be marbled. It makes the colours adhere to the paper. The reasons behind this i have not been able to find out but it.

It ensures that designs transfer clearly to fabric or paper surfaces. It is sold in a dry crystal form and is soluble in water. Al 2 so 4 3 k 2 so 4 24h 2 o this product looses 18 h 2 o at 92 5 o c and becomes anhydrous at 200 o c. Any form of aluminum sulfate could be called alum including toxic versions of the chemical however the type of alum you find used for pickling and in deodorant is potassium alum kal so 4 2 12h 2 o.