As the world around us keeps progressing and becoming more innovative, we never think of the smallest things such as the colors on our clothing or on objects. Natural dyes were acquired from natural sources like plants, animals, and sometimes minerals. It was a challenge for those who colored fabrics with natural dyes because they were hard to get hold of, the colors faded very rapidly, and it was intensive work. The earliest, most famous, dyes are indigo, Tyrian purple, alizarin, and cochineal. Indigo is extracted from a plant called Indigo tinctoria and also from Isatis tinctoria. Tyrian purple is a reddish dyestuff obtained from the bodies of certain mollusks of the genus Murex and is connected to a glucose unit similar to indigo. Also like indigo, it’s thru the exposure of oxygen in which both colors develop. Alizarin derived from the root of the madder plant and is a mordant dye. Finally cochineal is extracted from the female cochineal insect. All these dyes, either extracted from animals or plants, are somewhat the same in the sense of their molecular structures absorption of particular wavelengths; all depending on the presence of double bonds alternating with single bonds. Also by having a lot of OH groups in a compound the more color is given. Even though these dyes were expensive and in great demand, they also have their disadvantages; that’s why scientists needed to create synthetic dyes to replace the natural ones. William Henry Perkin was the one who made an artificial dye that became well-known. After his success, European countries started on enormous “organic chemical empires”.
I didn't have an idea that these dyes and colors come from plants. More surprisingly, i wouldv'e thought that blue could be extracted from plants to. Although photosynthesis can change the color of leaves, i never thought of extracting colors from these. Moreover, it's said that blue or indigo dyestuffs could be extracted from the plant Indigofera Tintoria. What's more? it's funny to think that people back then don't have the freedom to wear purple. haha.. due to purple's sign of royalty and aristocracy, there was a law that prohibits people from weaing purple. however, today, it's now allowed though it still is a big symbol of aristocracy. Not to mention that dyes can also be obtained from animals, and these purple dyes are obtained from mollusks. As time pass by, colors created its significance. Colors are not used in army uniforms (I guess for identification or something). Colors give way to a lot of things. it won't be exciting if everything were balck and white. The world would be so dull. The true mystery for me is how those colors gain their colors. but whatever.. it shows that colors give life to our lives. :)
It’s weird how different dyes were obtained from plants and other natural sources that people would use. These are things we often don’t think about, and we don’t realize how important they were to people back then and the difference they made in today’s society For example, blue dye was obtained from fresh leaves of indigo-producing plants. They would let leafs ferment under alkaline conditions, followed by oxidation and then the color blue appeared. By reading this chapter I found out that carminic acid is the principal dye molecule from cochineal, the red dye from ancient times. I also found out that the first dyes that were created were indigo, alizarin, tyrian purple, and cochineal. Another fact is that the person who changed the dye industry is William Henry Perkin, he was the first person to synthesize an artificial dye.
Along with rubber, more things come to change the face of our world. Dyes are the reason our clothes have a color. Dyes are the reason we can change the color of our hair. They are the reason… and the list keeps going on and on. In the early days dyes were obtained from plants. Along with most other things, these dyes also had many problems. When a garment was dyed, the colors weren’t as bright as expected. Along with that, when the garment was washed the colors would bleed out, running other clothes that were in the washer. Although most colors were different from plants, some of the colors were not easy to find. For instance, the color blue; blue was one color which was hard to obtain. The major source for the dye blue came to the Indigofera tinctortia. The problem with that was these plant grows only in tropical and subtropical climates. Indigo which is a more populated molecule is also known to be one of the sources for a blue dye. A molecule of indigo is made of the bromine atoms. As time passes and new types of colors, such as purple entered the picture new sources for dyes entered the picture. Purple, became another color which was hard to be obtained. It started to be obtained from shellfishes. During the late 1800’s many scientists were trying ways to find the purple color. In 1880 a German chemist, John Friedrick Wilhelm Adolf von Bayer had found a ways to obtains such a rare color of that time. His discovery gave a very easy method to find purple. Indigo is now one of the mast made dyes, which is most often used in the blue jeans we wear. A color needs light to show its unique qualities. Light has to reflect back from the color for the color to show its color. If the light didn’t reflect back, we would see a dyed garment as black. Byes were used in army uniforms so when fights would take place the different colored uniforms would the “good guys” and the “bad guys”. Peru produces the most amount of dye in the world; approximately 85% of the world’s production of dye. The color yellow was also obtained from plants with all the primary colors. We can make all the main colors in the color wheel. It was a hustle to obtain yellow dye color from a plant. While organic dyes were in use the search for synthetic dyes was still going around. In the late 1700’s the first synthetic dye was made; picric acid. Picric acid made a yellowish color when it is composed to a dye able object/thing. Although picric acid was a man made but it hasn’t easy to obtain and make later many synthetic dyes were made, such as, synthetic indigo. A chemical synthesis of white was still to ding. While experimenting, Perkin made a purple bye by experimentally that would dye fast and was just perfect, which he named mauveine. Even though Perkin created mauveine, which was chemical different from quinine, which they intended to. The world was now being changed because of dyes, along with other things. Dyes changed history, lives, and the world. As the demand for dyes increased so did the factory which influenced many and will influence more
As the world around us keeps progressing and becoming more innovative, we never think of the smallest things such as the colors on our clothing or on objects. Natural dyes were acquired from natural sources like plants, animals, and sometimes minerals. It was a challenge for those who colored fabrics with natural dyes because they were hard to get hold of, the colors faded very rapidly, and it was intensive work. The earliest, most famous, dyes are indigo, Tyrian purple, alizarin, and cochineal. Indigo is extracted from a plant called Indigo tinctoria and also from Isatis tinctoria. Tyrian purple is a reddish dyestuff obtained from the bodies of certain mollusks of the genus Murex and is connected to a glucose unit similar to indigo. Also like indigo, it’s thru the exposure of oxygen in which both colors develop. Alizarin derived from the root of the madder plant and is a mordant dye. Finally cochineal is extracted from the female cochineal insect. All these dyes, either extracted from animals or plants, are somewhat the same in the sense of their molecular structures absorption of particular wavelengths; all depending on the presence of double bonds alternating with single bonds. Also by having a lot of OH groups in a compound the more color is given. Even though these dyes were expensive and in great demand, they also have their disadvantages; that’s why scientists needed to create synthetic dyes to replace the natural ones. William Henry Perkin was the one who made an artificial dye that became well-known. After his success, European countries started on enormous “organic chemical empires”.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have an idea that these dyes and colors come from plants. More surprisingly, i wouldv'e thought that blue could be extracted from plants to. Although photosynthesis can change the color of leaves, i never thought of extracting colors from these. Moreover, it's said that blue or indigo dyestuffs could be extracted from the plant Indigofera Tintoria. What's more? it's funny to think that people back then don't have the freedom to wear purple. haha.. due to purple's sign of royalty and aristocracy, there was a law that prohibits people from weaing purple. however, today, it's now allowed though it still is a big symbol of aristocracy. Not to mention that dyes can also be obtained from animals, and these purple dyes are obtained from mollusks. As time pass by, colors created its significance. Colors are not used in army uniforms (I guess for identification or something). Colors give way to a lot of things. it won't be exciting if everything were balck and white. The world would be so dull. The true mystery for me is how those colors gain their colors. but whatever.. it shows that colors give life to our lives. :)
ReplyDeleteIt’s weird how different dyes were obtained from plants and other natural sources that people would use.
ReplyDeleteThese are things we often don’t think about, and we don’t realize how important they were to people back then and the difference they made in today’s society
For example, blue dye was obtained from fresh leaves of indigo-producing plants. They would let leafs ferment under alkaline conditions, followed by oxidation and then the color blue appeared.
By reading this chapter I found out that carminic acid is the principal dye molecule from cochineal, the red dye from ancient times.
I also found out that the first dyes that were created were indigo, alizarin, tyrian purple, and cochineal. Another fact is that the person who changed the dye industry is William Henry Perkin, he was the first person to synthesize an artificial dye.
*-*Hamza shah*-* Stated -
ReplyDeleteAlong with rubber, more things come to change the face of our world. Dyes are the reason our clothes have a color. Dyes are the reason we can change the color of our hair. They are the reason… and the list keeps going on and on. In the early days dyes were obtained from plants.
Along with most other things, these dyes also had many problems. When a garment was dyed, the colors weren’t as bright as expected. Along with that, when the garment was washed the colors would bleed out, running other clothes that were in the washer. Although most colors were different from plants, some of the colors were not easy to find. For instance, the color blue; blue was one color which was hard to obtain. The major source for the dye blue came to the Indigofera tinctortia. The problem with that was these plant grows only in tropical and subtropical climates. Indigo which is a more populated molecule is also known to be one of the sources for a blue dye.
A molecule of indigo is made of the bromine atoms. As time passes and new types of colors, such as purple entered the picture new sources for dyes entered the picture.
Purple, became another color which was hard to be obtained. It started to be obtained from shellfishes. During the late 1800’s many scientists were trying ways to find the purple color. In 1880 a German chemist, John Friedrick Wilhelm Adolf von Bayer had found a ways to obtains such a rare color of that time. His discovery gave a very easy method to find purple. Indigo is now one of the mast made dyes, which is most often used in the blue jeans we wear.
A color needs light to show its unique qualities. Light has to reflect back from the color for the color to show its color. If the light didn’t reflect back, we would see a dyed garment as black. Byes were used in army uniforms so when fights would take place the different colored uniforms would the “good guys” and the “bad guys”. Peru produces the most amount of dye in the world; approximately 85% of the world’s production of dye. The color yellow was also obtained from plants with all the primary colors. We can make all the main colors in the color wheel. It was a hustle to obtain yellow dye color from a plant.
While organic dyes were in use the search for synthetic dyes was still going around. In the late 1700’s the first synthetic dye was made; picric acid. Picric acid made a yellowish color when it is composed to a dye able object/thing.
Although picric acid was a man made but it hasn’t easy to obtain and make later many synthetic dyes were made, such as, synthetic indigo. A chemical synthesis of white was still to ding. While experimenting, Perkin made a purple bye by experimentally that would dye fast and was just perfect, which he named mauveine. Even though Perkin created mauveine, which was chemical different from quinine, which they intended to.
The world was now being changed because of dyes, along with other things. Dyes changed history, lives, and the world. As the demand for dyes increased so did the factory which influenced many and will influence more