Pengaruh Pengeringan Konvensional terhadap Karakteristik Fisik Indigo Bubuk

Abstract

Indigo is one of the most preferred natural dyes of batik and traded in the form of paste. Indigo paste tend to have short storage time and difficult to be packed. Effort to fix the weakness is to transform paste into powder by drying. Drying method that has been done by the craftment is traditionally using oven, dry fry or naturally open air. The effectivity of the three method need to be learned. Research has been conducted to determine the effect of drying on the physical characteristics of indigo powder. Three conventional drying methods were tested to dry indigo paste namely oven drying (A), dry frying (B), and natural drying (C). The results of the drying sample are then tested for the visual color, color difference (L*a*b*) also water and ash content. From the results of the study obtained the color of indigo powder between dark blue to black with value of L*a*b* for oven drying sample = 15.41; -3.68; 1.73; dry fry sample = 11.91; -1.15; -3.48 and natural dry sample = 17.99; -3.99; -4.99. Water content of oven drying sample = 4.90%, dry fry sample = 5.74% and natural dry sample = 5.84%. The ash content of oven drying sample = 72.71%, dry fry sample = 68.72% and natural dry sample = 70.48%. The conclusion obtained from this study is that conventional drying methods have diverse influence on physical characteristics of indigo powder such as color, water and ash content. The best method to obtain good character of indigo powder is natural drying.