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PY1—Hansa Yellow G

Pigment Type

organic, monoazo

Chemical Name

n/a

Chemical Formula

C₁₇H₁₆N₄O₄

Properties

This Hansa yellow is a transparent yellow. It has great brightness and tinting strength and its drying time ranges from average to slow.

Hansa Yellow makes more intense tints and cleaner secondaries than Cadmium Yellows, especially when mixed with other organic or modern colors like Phthalo Blue and Green. Because they are more transparent, they have great value as glazing colors.

Permanence

Hansa Yellow G has good permanence and lightfastness, particularly in the lighter shades.

Toxicity

Hansa Yellow pigments have no significant acute hazards, though chronic hazards have not been well studied.

History

Hansa Yellows were first made in Germany just before World War I from a series of synthetic dyestuffs called Pigment Yellow. Hansa Yellow G, introduced in 1910, was the first of these products to be commercialized. Hansa Yellow G was the standard yellow for printing inks until late in the 20th century, when stronger diarylide yellows began to replace it. It is still used a great deal in packaging, and for air drying paints.

Alternate Names

Light Fast Yellow G, Pigment Yellow G, Arylide, Arylide Yellow, Azo Yellow, Brilliant Yellow, Monoazo Yellow, Monolite Yellow, Permanent Yellow.

PO43—Perinone Orange

Pigment Type

vat, anthraquinone

Chemical Name

n/a

Chemical Formula

C₂₆H₁₂N₄O₂

Properties

Perinone Orange is a strong, clean, reddish orange pigment classified as a vat pigment. It has an average drying time.

Permanence

Perinone Orange has excellent lightfastness and weatherfastness.

Toxicity

Perinone Orange is not considered toxic.

History

Perinone orange is often used in plastics and vinyls, automotive finishes, and printing inks. Its high cost limits its application to products for which superior lightfastness and weather resistance is essential. In textiles, it is used in synthetic fabrics that must survive in harsh conditions, such as tents and awnings.

Alternate Names

Perionone Orange.

PW4—Zinc White

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

zinc(II)-oxide

Chemical Formula

ZnO

Properties

Zinc White is the coolest white, and it has a cold, clean masstone and a slightly bluish tint. It has less hiding power and is more transparent than other whites. It dries slowly and is good for painting wet into wet and for glazing and scumbling. Zinc White is neither as opaque nor as heavy as Lead White, its covering power is not as good, and it takes much longer to dry. However, it does not blacken when exposed to sulfur in the air as Lead White does. It is very valuable for making tints with other colors. Unmixed Zinc White dries to a brittle and dry paint film that may crack over the years, so it is not good for frescoing. It is more transparent in acrylic form than Titanium White and is the most commonly used white with gouache. Chinese White is a version of Zinc White appropriate for opaque watercolor techniques.

Permanence

Zinc White has great permanence and lightfastness.

Toxicity

Zinc White is moderately toxic if ingested and slightly toxic if inhaled.

History

Though historians are divided on who first isolated the element zinc, they agree that it was first suggested as a white pigment in 1782. Zinc White was accepted as a watercolor in 1834 and was called Chinese White due to the popularity of oriental porcelain in Europe at the time. Ten years later, a suitable oil form was produced. By the early 20th century, it had improved to the point where it was an acceptable alternative to Flake White.

Alternate Names

Chinese White, French White, Permanent White, Silver White, Snow White, Zinc Oxide.