Name: Mary Ann
Message: I have come across some "Aljo aniline batik dye" -- lots of it; so I'd like to make use of it. I trust I can use it on silk, cotton, wool? Does this mean I need to make the dyebath aniline? Recipe for other additives? Your website is an inspiration.

The word "aniline", when applied to dyes, means little more than the obvious fact that these are synthetic dyes. It does not even imply that the chemical aniline was actually used as a precursor in synthesizing them.

From the name, these could be any sort of cold water dye, as obviously you cannot use hot water dye in batik, because the heat of the dyebath would melt the wax. In some countries such as Indonesia, naphthol dyes are used for batik; these are a fascinating type of dye, but are considered too toxic and/or carcinogenic for craft use in the US. It is possible to use vat dyes, such as indigo, in batik, but the chemistry is complex and not suitable for dye beginners. The other main class of cool water dye used in batik is fiber reactive. Fiber reactive dyes that are used on cotton include Procion MX, Drimarene K, and Cibacron F dyes (the latter is sold by ProChem under the name Sabracron F).

Since the Aljo dye company is located in New York, it is unlikely that they would be selling naphthol dye - they don't mention naphthols on their web site - and they would be more specific if these were vat dyes. What you have there is most likely dichlorotriazine dye, the type sold widely under the brand name Procion MX, though it is now out of patent and manufactured by many different companies that have no right to this brand name. I seem to recall that some fiber reactive dye I bought from Aljo, years ago, was labeled as aniline dye. The instructions on my web site's How to Dye page are intended for this type of dye. You can use it on cotton, rayon, linen, or silk; you can also use it as an acid dye, on wool, but for that you must use an entirely different recipe, as the high pH of the soda ash recipe will damage wool, and you must use heat with acid dyes. The soda ash recipe that is used for cotton, rayon, and silk works well at room temperature or slightly above.

Don't confuse "aniline" with "alkaline". The word alkaline is often used to refer to any substance with a high pH (the opposite of acid); the word aniline refers to a specific chemical derived from coal tar. Though they sound similar, the two words actually have nothing to do with each other.

If the dyes you have come across are very old, or have been stored in a hot place, they may have gone bad. If this has happened, they will still work fine as acid dyes on silk and wool, simmered with vinegar or another acid, but they will no longer work with the soda ash recipe that is required for dyeing cellulose fibers such as cotton. (Silk can be dyed with either recipe, with soda ash or with acid.)