List of inorganic pigments

The following list includes commercially or artistically important inorganic pigments of natural and synthetic origin.^[1]

Purple pigments

Aluminum pigments

• Ultramarine violet: (PV15) Silicate of sodium and aluminum containing sulfur.

Copper pigments

• Han Purple: BaCuSi₂O₆.

Cobalt pigments

• Cobalt Violet: (PV14) cobaltous orthophosphate.

Manganese pigments

• Manganese violet: NH₄MnP₂O₇ (PV16) Manganic ammonium pyrophosphate^[2]

Gold pigments

• Purple of Cassius: Gold nanoparticles suspended in tin dioxide.

Blue pigments

Aluminum pigments

• Ultramarine (PB29): a complex naturally occurring pigment of sulfur-containing sodio-silicate (Na_8-10Al₆Si₆O₂₄S_2-4)
• Persian blue: made by grinding up the mineral Lapis lazuli. The most important mineral component of lapis lazuli is lazurite (25% to 40%), a feldspathoid silicate mineral with the formula (Na,Ca)₈(AlSiO₄)₆(S,SO₄,Cl)_1–2.

Cobalt pigments

• Cobalt Blue (PB28) and Cerulean Blue (PB35): cobalt(II) stannate

Copper pigments

• Egyptian Blue: a synthetic pigment of calcium copper silicate (CaCuSi₄O₁₀). Thought to be the first synthetically produced pigment.
• Han Blue: BaCuSi₄O₁₀
• Azurite: cupric carbonate hydroxide (Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂)

Iron pigments

• Prussian Blue (PB27): a synthetic pigment of ferric hexacyanoferrate (Fe₇(CN)₁₈). The dye Marking blue is made by mixing Prussian Blue and alcohol.

Manganese pigments

• YInMn Blue: a synthetic pigment discovered by Dr. Mas Subramanian's lab at Oregon State University (YIn_1−xMn_xO₃).^[3]
• Manganese Blue: Barium manganate(VI) sulfate; no longer in production.

Green pigments

Cadmium pigments

• Cadmium Green: a light green pigment consisting of a mixture of Cadmium Yellow (CdS) and Viridian (Cr₂O₃)

Chromium pigments

• Chrome green (PG17): chromic oxide (Cr₂O₃)
• Viridian (PG18): a dark green pigment of hydrated chromic oxide (Cr₂O₃·H₂O)

Cobalt pigments

• Cobalt green: also known as Rinman's green or Zinc green (CoZnO₂)

Copper pigments

• Malachite: cupric carbonate hydroxide (Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂)
• Scheele’s Green (also called Schloss Green): cupric arsenite (CuHAsO₃)

Other pigments

• Green earth: also known as terre verte and Verona green (K[(Al,Fe^III),(Fe^II,Mg)](AlSi₃,Si₄)O₁₀(OH)₂)

Yellow pigments

Arsenic pigments

• Orpiment: natural monoclinic arsenic sulfide (As₂S₃),

Bismuth pigments

• Primrose Yellow (PY184): Bismuth Vanadate (BiVO₄),

Cadmium pigments

• Cadmium Yellow (PY37): cadmium sulfide (CdS), which also occurs as the mineral greenockite.

Chromium pigments

• Chrome Yellow (PY34): lead chromate (PbCrO₄), which also occurs as the mineral crocoite.

Cobalt pigments

• Aureolin (also called Cobalt Yellow) (PY40): Potassium cobaltinitrite (K₃Co(NO₂)₆).

Iron Pigments

• Yellow Ochre (PY43): a naturally occurring clay of monohydrated ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃.H₂O)

Lead pigments

• Naples Yellow (PY41)
• Lead-tin-yellow: PbSnO₄ or Pb(Sn,Si)O₃

Titanium pigments

• Titanium Yellow (PY53)

Tin Pigments

• Mosaic gold: stannic sulfide (SnS₂)

Zinc Pigments

• Zinc Yellow (PY36): Zinc chromate (ZnCrO₄), a highly toxic substance with anti-corrosive properties which was historically most often used to paint over metals.

Orange pigments

Cadmium pigments

• Cadmium Orange (PO20): an intermediate between cadmium red and cadmium yellow: cadmium sulfoselenide.

Chromium pigments

• Chrome Orange: a now obscure pigment composed of a mixture of lead chromate and lead(II) oxide. (PbCrO₄ + PbO)

Red pigments

Arsenic pigments

• Realgar: an arsenic sulfide mineral (As₄S₄)

Cadmium pigments

• Cadmium Red (PR108): cadmium sulfo-selenide (Cd2SSe)

Iron oxide pigments

• Sanguine, Caput Mortuum, Indian Red, Venetian Red, Oxide Red (PR102)
• Red Ochre (PR102): anhydrous Fe₂O₃
• Burnt Sienna (PBr7): a pigment produced by heating Raw Sienna.

Lead pigments

• Minium (pigment): also known as red lead, lead tetroxide, Pb₃O₄

Mercury pigments

• Vermilion (PR106): Synthetic and natural pigment: Occurs naturally in mineral cinnabar. Mercuric sulfide (HgS)

Brown pigments

Clay earth pigments (naturally formed iron oxides)

• Raw Umber (PBr7): a natural clay pigment consisting of iron oxide, manganese oxide and aluminum oxide: Fe₂O₃ + MnO₂ + nH₂O + Si + AlO₃. When calcined (heated) it is referred to as Burnt Umber and has more intense colors.
• Raw Sienna (PBr7): a naturally occurring yellow-brown pigment from limonite clay. Used in art since prehistoric times.

Black pigments

Carbon pigments

• Carbon Black (PBk7)
• Ivory Black (PBk9)
• Vine Black (PBk8)
• Lamp Black (PBk6)

Iron pigments

• Mars Black (Iron black) (PBk11) (C.I. No.77499) : Fe₃O₄

Manganese pigments

• Manganese dioxide: blackish or brown in color, used since prehistoric times (MnO₂)

Titanium pigments

• Titanium Black: Titanium(III) oxide (Ti₂O₃)

White pigments

Antimony pigments

• Antimony White: antimony(III) oxide (Sb₂O₃)

Barium pigments

• Barium sulfate (PW5): barium sulfate (BaSO₄)
• Lithopone: BaSO₄*ZnS

Lead pigments

• Cremnitz White (PW1): basic lead(II) carbonate ((PbCO₃)₂·Pb(OH)₂)

Titanium pigments

• Titanium White (PW6): titanium(IV) oxide (TiO₂)

Zinc pigments

• Zinc White (PW4): zinc oxide (ZnO)

Safety

A number of pigments, especially traditional ones, contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium that are highly toxic. The usage of these pigments is now highly restricted in many countries.^[1]

See also

• List of dyes

References

External links

•  "Mineral Paints". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.