Effect of fixator on color performance of bark extract from three tropical wetland species for fabric dye

Fixation is a stage in dyeing fabric or batik fabric with natural dyes to obtain the desired color and bind the color so that it does not fade quickly due to sweat, washing, sunray, and rubbing. Three fixators used as color binders were alum (Al2[SO4]3), lime (CaCO3), and tunjung (FeSO4). Each material showed a different color on each extract. This activity aimed to observe the color performance of bark extracts from three wetland species applied to batik fabric with 1 or 2 combinations of fixators. The results showed the color performance of batik fabric depended on the bark of tree species and the kind of fixator. The performance of bark extract with fixators produced darker and sharper colors than without the use of fixators. The application of lime on Rhizophora apiculata Bl. bark extract produced dark moderate orange color, while the combination of lime and tunjung produced very dark orange (Brown tone). The combination of lime and tunjung on Acacia mangium Willd and the Terminalia catappa L. barks gave a dark moderate orange color with different intensities. In contrast, the combination of alum and tunjung on Terminalia catappa L. bark extract produced a very dark greyish orange color.