The potential of sawdust as raw material for the production of natural dye

Problems faced in producing natural dye are the difficulty of obtaining raw material to meet the volume and continuity of supply needed. The resources for raw materials for the production of natural dye should be explored vigorously. Materials used as raw material should come from plants or animals with a low economic value and when used will not have an adverse effect on the environment. Sawdust from Mahagoni and Merbau wood fulfil this criteria, they are found in abundance as waste in Indonesia. This research is a problem solving research with the objective to: 1). explore the potential of sawdust of Mahagoni and Merbau wood as a source of natural textile dye. 2). study the practical and economical process of natural dye powder production from extract. 3). evaluate the quality of dyeing using natural dye of Mahagoni and Merbau sawdust. Results show that Merbau sawdust is the better raw material for natural dye than Mahagoni sawdust. Merbau sawdust is the better raw materia since the extract could be floculated by alum and is more durable during storage, has a good quality as a dye and when used on textile the colour does not fade easily (colour fast). A study of scale pilot plant to produce natural dye from Merbau sawdust need to be carried out as a preliminary step for the development of a commercial unit.