Blockx Soft Pastel - Cobalt Blue 531

Pigment Information

This color contains the following pigments:

PB15:1-Phthalo Blue

PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]

PB36-Cobalt Chromite Blue Green Spinel

Pigment Name

PB15:1-Phthalo Blue

Pigment Type

organic

Chemical Name

alpha copper phthalocyanine

Chemical Formula

C32H16CuN8

Properties

Phthalo Blue PB15:1 is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more reddish tones.

Permanence

Phthalo Blues are completely lightfast and stable and are permanent for all paint uses. They are currently used in inks, coatings, and many plastics due to their stability and are considered a standard pigment in printing ink and the packaging industry.

Toxicity

Phthalo Blues have no significant hazards, although those made before 1982 contained some PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

History

Developed by chemists using the trade name Monastral Blue, the organic blue dyestuff now known as Phthalo Blue was presented as a pigment in November 1935 in London. Its discovery was accidental. The dark color was observed in a kettle where a dye was being made from a British dyestuff plant. The demand for such a pigment came from commercial printers who wanted a cyan to replace Prussian Blue.

Pigment Name

PB29-Ultramarine [Blue]

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

complex silicate of sodium and aluminum with sulfur

Chemical Formula

Na8-10Al6Si6O24S2-4 or Na6-8Al6Si6O24S2-4

Properties

Ultramarine is the standard warm blue, a brilliant blue pigment that has the most purple and least green in its undertone. It has a moderate to high tinting strength and a beautiful transparency. Synthetic Ultramarine is not as vivid a blue as natural Ultramarine. Ultramarine dries slowly in oil and tends to produce clean, though granular, washes in watercolor. French Ultramarine mixes well with Alizarin colors in oil and watercolor form to create a range of purples and violets. It can dull when mixed with white in acrylic form, but mixes well with other colors. The shade varies based on manufacturer. Considered a great color for glazes, it is not suitable for frescoing.

Permanence

Ultramarine has excellent permanence, although synthetic Ultramarine is not as permanent as natural Ultramarine. It may discolor if exposed to acid because of its sulfuric content.

Toxicity

Ultramarine has no significant hazards.

History

The name for this pigment comes from the Middle Latin ultra, meaning beyond, and mare, meaning sea, because it was imported from Asia to Europe by sea. It is a prominent component of lapis lazuli and was used on Asian temples starting in the 6th century. It was one of the most expensive pigments in 16th century Europe, worth twice its weight in gold, and so was used sparingly and when commissions were larger. Ultramarine is currently imitated by a process invented in France in 1826 by Jean Baptiste Guimet, making blue affordable to artists and extending the range of colors on their palettes.

Pigment Name

PB36-Cobalt Chromite Blue Green Spinel

Pigment Type

inorganic

Chemical Name

Oxides of Cobalt and Chromium

Chemical Formula

Co(Al,Cr)2O4

Properties

Cobalt Chromite Blue is an opaque pigment with moderately low tinting strength.

Permanence

Cobalt salts have excellent lightfastness and temperature stability.

Toxicity

Cobalt salts are toxic when ingested or inhaled, and slightly toxic on contact with the skin. Evidence of Chromium(III) carcinogenicity is inconclusive. Chromium(III) salts appear in greenish pigments.