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): a synthetic or naturally occurring sulfur containing silicate mineral.

Copper pigments

• Han purple: BaCuSi₂O₆.

Cobalt pigments

• Cobalt violet (PV14): Co₃(PO₄)₂.

Manganese pigments

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

Gold pigments

• Purple of Cassius: Gold nanoparticles suspended in tin dioxide - Au_x • SnO₂.

Blue pigments

Aluminum pigments

• Ultramarine (PB29): a synthetic or naturally occurring sulfur containing silicate mineral - Na
  _8–10Al
  ₆Si
  ₆O
  ₂₄S
  _2–4 (generalized formula)
• 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(AlSiO
  ₄)
  ₆(S,SO
  ₄,Cl)
  _1–2.

Cobalt pigments

• Cobalt blue (PB28): cobalt(II) aluminate.
• Cerulean blue (PB35): cobalt(II) stannate.
• Cerium uranium blue

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).
• Basic copper carbonate: Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃.

Iron pigments

• Prussian blue (PB27): a synthetic inert pigment made of iron and cyanide: C₁₈Fe₇N₁₈.

Manganese pigments

• YInMn Blue: a synthetic pigment discovered in 2009 (YIn_1−xMn_xO₃).^[3]
• Manganese blue: barium manganate(VI) sulfate.

Green pigments

Cadmium pigments

• Cadmium green: a light green pigment consisting of a mixture of cadmium yellow (CdS) and chrome green (Cr₂O₃).

Chromium pigments

• Chrome green (PG17): anhydrous chromium(III) oxide (Cr₂O₃).
• Viridian (PG18): hydrated chromium(III) oxide Cr₂O₃ • xH₂O.

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,Fe³⁺),(Fe²⁺,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 or crocoite (PY34): lead chromate (PbCrO₄).

Cobalt pigments

• Aureolin or 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.

Strontium pigments

• Strontium yellow (PY32): SrCrO₄

Titanium pigments

• Titanium yellow (PY53): NiO·Sb₂O₃·20TiO₂

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

Bismuth pigments

• Bismuth vanadate orange (PO86): non-toxic pigment similar to vermilion.

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: As₄S₄ - a highly toxic natural pigment.

Cadmium pigments

• Cadmium red (PR108): cadmium sulfo-selenide (Cd2SSe).

Cerium pigments

• Cerium sulfide red (PR265).

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 or cinnabar (PR106): 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 + Al₂O₃. 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

Carbonaceous pigments

• Carbon black (PBk7).
• Ivory black (PBk9).
• Vine black (PBk8).
• Lamp black (PBk6).

Iron pigments

• Mars black or Iron black (PBk11) (C.I. No.77499) Synthetic magnetite 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 pigment

• Antimony white: antimony(III) oxide (Sb₂O₃).

Barium pigments

• Barium sulfate (PW5 or baryte): barium sulfate (BaSO₄).
• Lithopone: BaSO₄•ZnS.

Lead pigment

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

Titanium pigment

• Titanium white (PW6): titanium(IV) oxide (TiO₂).

Zinc pigments

• Zinc white (PW4): zinc oxide (ZnO).
• Sachtolith: zinc sulfide (ZnS).

Fluorescent pigments

• Uranium salts.

Safety

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

See also

• List of dyes
• Blue pigments
• Green pigments
• Red pigments

References

External links

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