How to make your own Aluminium Tri-Formate

I'm very pleased to be able to access this recipe as so far it's hard to find aluminum tri-formate in my country. My one quibble is that the recipe only lists 'formic acid' as an ingredient without indicating what concentration of acid is needed. I can get 65% formic acid easily from a local store that sells beekeeping supplies. Hopefully this will work (please advise, Suzanne!); it's difficult to know whether a mordant is effective until you've dyed an article and then washed it a few times.

Buén mordiente. Envio rápido y buena comunicación.

Trying to find formic acid to purchase, I can only find suppliers of very large quantities. Ordering from outside of my country would raise the price by quite a bit, so it is cheaper and faster for me to purchase the Triformate already made (from a supplier in my country). Because it can be reused and replenished easily, I don't need a large quantity even though I am mordanting a fairly large quantity of good over the year.

Hello Suzanne,

First of all, thank you. I have a few questions for you. The measurements you provided are for how much fiber, and how do I know when the mordant is exhausted? Don’t we wash the fiber immediately after mordanting?

Hello Suzanne,

First of all, thank you. I have a few questions for you. The measurements you provided are for how much fiber, and how do I know when the mordant is exhausted? Don’t we wash the fiber immediately after mordanting?

I love the idea of having a cold mordant on hand and because Alum Tri is not always available here, I like that I can make it. But like a previous reviewer, I was curious about the concentration of the formic acid. I am lucky to have sources between 25% and 99% so I will probably try something in the middle and see how it goes.