When I discovered aluminum triformate, it was exactly what I had been looking for:
A cold process, no heating needed, and the possibility to reuse the mordant multiple times. Furthermore, the mordant leftovers can be easily disposed of and pose no particular issues for the environment.
Alum (potassium aluminium sulfate) in itself as a mordant is not a good fit for many types of fabrics. The cellulose fibers do not get mordanted very well, and wool tends to get sticky. The alternative is alum/soda ash, but that is not good for wool either. The consensus so far was that aluminum acetate was the 'best' mordant all around, but the powder is expensive and there have been periods where it was really hard to find.
Aluminium triformate is a combination of soda ash, alum, and formic acid. This creates a neutral mordant with some interesting additional benefits:
ATF does not make wool sticky.
ATF can be used on all types of natural textiles, so even a mix of cotton and silk can be perfectly mordanted using only one mordant.
ATF can be used cold.
ATF does not go 'bad' and does not form mold when left in the mordant bath for prolonged periods. This was for me the perfect way to mordant the samples for my Holon exhibition, leaving a big batch of silk in the mordant and only taking out those that I needed to dye that particular day.
ATF can be re-used until fully exhausted (that is when the liquid becomes cloudy).
ATF can be disposed of via your drain or poured under the plants in your garden.
I have always used and will continue to use the powdered form of aluminium triformate.
When I started to plan my visit to the Enchanting Eco Print Festival in Java - Indonesia, the request started to create a mordant combo with aluminium tri-formate for the print session. But: in Indonesia, it is not possible to buy the powder, and it is very very costly to ship it. So I did my research and found a recipe by J Harbort, which I adjusted for ease of use.
The results have been amazing and I want to share with you some of these beautiful works the community has created with homemade aluminium triformate elaborated with other dyes, blankets etc, they really lifted the whole concept to a different level.
These collaborations between me and the Indonesian printing community have been an absolute joy and enrichment. My colleague Inen Kurnia, has been nothing but an inspiration on fearless female leadership and I can not wait to get there in person finally.
After many requests, I am now sharing my recipe with you. I still believe it is better and easier to use the powder, but this way at least everybody can give it a try.
Here is the free download for the recipe, I would appreciate it if you left me a review for your download.