Chrome yellow

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Chrome yellow
 
Gtk-dialog-info.svg    Colour coordinates
Hex triplet #FFA700
sRGB B (r, g, b)(255, 167, 0)
HSV (h, s, v)(39°, 100%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(75, 105, 46°)
SourceColorHexa [1]
ISCC–NBS descriptor Strong orange yellow
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Chrome yellow is a bright, warm yellow pigment that has been used in art, fashion, and industry. It is the premier orange pigment for many applications. [2]

Contents

The raw pigment precipitates as a fine solid upon mixing lead(II) salts and a source of chromate. Approximately 90,000 tons of chrome yellow are produced annually as of 2001. [2]

Chrome yellow pigments are usually encapsulated by coating with transparent oxides that protect the pigment from environmental factors that would diminish their colorant properties. [2]

Related lead sulfochromate pigments are produced by the replacement of some chromate by sulfate, resulting in a mixed lead-chromate-sulfate compositions Pb(CrO4)1-x(SO4)x. This replacement is possible because sulfate and chromate are isostructural. Since sulfate is colorless, sulfochromates with high values of x are less intensely colored than lead chromate. [3] In some cases, chromate is replaced by molybdate.

Permanence

American school bus, painted in dark chrome yellow Laidlaw school bus.jpg
American school bus, painted in dark chrome yellow

Chrome yellow is moderately resistant to fading from exposure to light when it is chemically pure. Observations have found that over time though, it begins to darken and suffer discoloration by turning brown. This degradation is seen in some of Van Gogh's pieces. [5] According to Gettens, especially when mixed with organic colors, it can take on a green tone. This effect is attributed to reduction of some chromate to chromium(III) oxide. [6] Owing to its high lead content, the pigment is prone to discoloration over time, particularly in the presence of sulfur compounds. Its low cost had doubtlessly contributed to its continued use as an artists' color even though some subsequently discovered yellow pigments are more permanent. [7] Artists began using cadmium yellow instead of chrome yellow when they became aware of chrome yellow's instability. [8] :190

The pigment tends to react with hydrogen sulfide and darken on exposure to air over time, forming lead sulfide, [9] and it contains the toxic heavy metal lead plus the toxic, carcinogenic chromate. For these reasons, it was replaced by another pigment, cadmium yellow (mixed with enough cadmium orange to produce a color equivalent to chrome yellow). [6] Darkening may also occur from reduction by sulfur dioxide. Good quality pigments have been coated to inhibit contact with gases that can change their color. [10] Cadmium pigments in turn are increasingly replaced with organic pigments such as arylides (Pigment Yellow 65) and isoindoles (PY 110).

Notable occurrences

Piper J-3 Cub in chrome yellow standard color Piperj3c.jpg
Piper J-3 Cub in chrome yellow standard color

Vincent van Gogh used chrome yellow in many of his paintings, including his famous Sunflowers series. Studies focusing on the techniques used in Van Gogh's Sunflowers series have revealed how Van Gogh skillfully mixed various shades of chrome yellow to achieve different effects. [11] Chrome yellow has also been used in fashion and textiles, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. The vibrant color was a popular choice for flapper dresses, hats, and accessories, and was often paired with other bright colors, such as pink and turquoise.[ citation needed ]

History

The pigment is derived from lead chromate, a chemical compound that was first synthesized in the early 1800s. The discovery of lead chromate, the primary component of chrome yellow, is credited to the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin. Vauquelin was studying the mineral crocoite, a natural form of lead chromate, when he identified the presence of a new element, chromium. The discovery led to the synthesis of a variety of new pigments, including chrome yellow. [12] Chrome yellow quickly gained popularity among artists and designers for its bright, sunny hue, which was particularly well-suited for use in fashion and textiles. The earliest known use of chrome yellow in a painting is a work by Sir Thomas Lawrence from before 1810. [12] The first recorded use of chrome yellow as a color name in English was in 1818. [13] The pigment was also widely used in industrial applications, such as in the production of paint, plastics, and ceramics. [2]

Safety

Because it contains not only lead but hexavalent chromium, chrome yellow has long been the focus on safety concerns. Its use is highly regulated. Its former use as a food colorant has long been discontinued. The continued wide use of this pigment is attributed to its very low solubility, which suppresses leaching of chromate and lead into biological fluids. The LD50 for rats is 5 g/kg. [2]

Chrome yellow Lead chromate.JPG
Chrome yellow

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromium</span> Chemical element with atomic number 24 (Cr)

Chromium is a chemical element; it has symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in group 6. It is a steely-grey, lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pigment</span> Colored material

A pigment is a powder used to add color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly insoluble and chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored substances which are soluble or go into solution at some stage in their use. Dyes are often organic compounds whereas pigments are often inorganic. Pigments of prehistoric and historic value include ochre, charcoal, and lapis lazuli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrome plating</span> Technique of electroplating

Chrome plating is a technique of electroplating a thin layer of chromium onto a metal object. A chrome plated part is called chrome, or is said to have been chromed. The chromium layer can be decorative, provide corrosion resistance, facilitate cleaning, and increase surface hardness. Sometimes a less expensive substitute for chrome, such as nickel, may be used for aesthetic purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadmium pigments</span> Class of pigments that have cadmium as one of the chemical components

Cadmium pigments are a class of pigments that contain cadmium. Most of the cadmium produced worldwide has been for use in rechargeable nickel–cadmium batteries, which have been replaced by other rechargeable nickel-chemistry cell varieties such as NiMH cells, but about half of the remaining consumption of cadmium, which is approximately 2,000 tonnes annually, is used to produce colored cadmium pigments. The principal pigments are a family of yellow, orange and red cadmium sulfides and sulfoselenides, as well as compounds with other metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromate and dichromate</span> Chromium(VI) anions

Chromate salts contain the chromate anion, CrO2−
4
. Dichromate salts contain the dichromate anion, Cr
2
O2−
7
. They are oxyanions of chromium in the +6 oxidation state and are moderately strong oxidizing agents. In an aqueous solution, chromate and dichromate ions can be interconvertible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil paint</span> Type of slow-drying paint

Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. For several centuries the oil painting has been perhaps the most prestigious form in Western art, but oil paint has many practical uses, mainly because it is waterproof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium dichromate</span> Chemical compound

Potassium dichromate, K2Cr2O7, is a common inorganic chemical reagent, most commonly used as an oxidizing agent in various laboratory and industrial applications. As with all hexavalent chromium compounds, it is acutely and chronically harmful to health. It is a crystalline ionic solid with a very bright, red-orange color. The salt is popular in laboratories because it is not deliquescent, in contrast to the more industrially relevant salt sodium dichromate.

Plating is a finishing process in which a metal is deposited on a surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years; it is also critical for modern technology. Plating is used to decorate objects, for corrosion inhibition, to improve solderability, to harden, to improve wearability, to reduce friction, to improve paint adhesion, to alter conductivity, to improve IR reflectivity, for radiation shielding, and for other purposes. Jewelry typically uses plating to give a silver or gold finish.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naples yellow</span> Lead-antimonate inorganic pigment used in paintings

Naples yellow, also called antimony yellow or lead antimonate yellow, is an inorganic pigment that largely replaced lead-tin-yellow and has been used in European paintings since the seventeenth century. While the mineral orpiment is considered to be the oldest yellow pigment, Naples yellow, like Egyptian blue, is one of the oldest known synthetic pigments. Naples yellow was used in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, finding widespread application during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Prior to its earliest occurrences in European paintings, the pigment was commonly employed in pottery, glazes, enamels, and glass. The pigment ranged in hue from a muted, earthy, reddish yellow to a bright light yellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chromate conversion coating</span> Chemical treatment of metals

Chromate conversion coating or alodine coating is a type of conversion coating used to passivate steel, aluminium, zinc, cadmium, copper, silver, titanium, magnesium, and tin alloys. The coating serves as a corrosion inhibitor, as a primer to improve the adherence of paints and adhesives, as a decorative finish, or to preserve electrical conductivity. It also provides some resistance to abrasion and light chemical attack on soft metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinc chromate</span> Chemical compound

Zinc chromate, ZnCrO4, is a chemical compound, a salt containing the chromate anion, appearing as odorless yellow powder or yellow-green crystals, but, when used for coatings, pigments are often added. It is used industrially in chromate conversion coatings, having been developed by the Ford Motor Company in the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lead(II) chromate</span> Chemical compound

Lead(II) chromate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula PbCrO4. It is a bright yellow solid that is very poorly soluble in water. It occurs also as the mineral crocoite. It is used as a pigment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barium chromate</span> Chemical compound

Barium chromate, is a yellow sand like powder with the formula BaCrO4. It is a known oxidizing agent and produces a green flame when heated, a result of the barium ions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrome orange</span> Chemical compound and inorganic pigment

Chrome orange is a mixed oxide with the chemical formula Pb2CrO5. It can be made by treating a lead(II) salt with an alkaline solution of a chromate or by treating chrome yellow (PbCrO4) with strongly basic solution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass coloring and color marking</span> Production methods

Glass coloring and color marking may be obtained in several ways.

  1. by the addition of coloring ions,
  2. by precipitation of nanometer-sized colloids,
    Ancient Roman enamelled glass, 1st century, Begram Hoard
  3. by colored inclusions
  4. by light scattering
  5. by dichroic coatings, or
  6. by colored coatings

Chromium toxicity refers to any poisonous toxic effect in an organism or cell that results from exposure to specific forms of chromium—especially hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium and its compounds are toxic when inhaled or ingested. Trivalent chromium is a trace mineral that is essential to human nutrition. There is a hypothetical risk of genotoxicity in humans if large amounts of trivalent chromium were somehow able to enter living cells, but normal metabolism and cell function prevent this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strontium chromate</span> Chemical compound

Strontium chromate is an inorganic compound with the formula SrCrO4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green pigments</span> Substances reflecting light between 475-590 nm

Green pigments are the materials used to create the green colors seen in painting and the other arts. Most come from minerals, particularly those containing compounds of copper. Green pigments reflect the green portions of the spectrum of visible light, and absorb the others. Important green pigments in art history include Malachite and Verdigris, found in tomb paintings in Ancient Egypt, and the Green earth pigments popular in the Middle Ages. More recent greens, such as Cobalt Green, are largely synthetic, made in laboratories and factories.

References

  1. "Chrome yellow / #ffa700 hex color". ColorHexa. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Erkens, LJH; Hamers, H.; Hermans, RJM; Claeys, E.; Bijnens, M. (2001). "Lead chromates: A Review of the State of the Art in 2000". Surface Coatings International Part B: Coatings Transactions. 84 (3): 169–176. doi:10.1007/BF02700395. S2CID   94606296.
  3. Völz, Hans G.; et al. (2006). "Pigments, Inorganic". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry . Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a20_243.pub2. ISBN   978-3527306732.
  4. Worobec, Mary Devine; Hogue, Cheryl (1992). Toxic Substances Controls Guide: Federal Regulation of Chemicals in the Environment. BNA Books. p. 13. ISBN   978-0-87179-752-0.
  5. Everts, Sarah (February 1, 2016). "Van Gogh's Fading Colors Inspire Scientific Inquiry". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  6. 1 2 Gettens, Rutherford John; Stout, George Leslie (1966). Painting Materials: A Short Encyclopaedia. Courier Dover Publications. p. 106. ISBN   978-0-486-21597-6.
  7. Harley, R.D (1970). Artists' Pigments c. 1600-1835: a Study in English Documentary Sources. London Butterworths. pp. 92–94.
  8. Kühn, Hermann; Curran, Mary (1986). "Chrome Yellow and Other Chromate Pigments". In Feller, Robert L. (ed.). Artists' Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics. Archetype. pp. 187–217.
  9. Pichon, Anne (2013). "Chrome yellow's darker side". Nature Chemistry. 5 (11): 897. doi: 10.1038/nchem.1789 . ISSN   1755-4349.
  10. Entry on Bleichromat-Pigmente . at: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, retrieved 22. Juli 2018.
  11. Monico, Letizia; Janssens, Koen; Hendriks, Ella; Vanmeert, Frederik; Van der Snickt, Geert; Cotte, Marine; Falkenberg, Gerald; Brunetti, Brunetto Giovanni; Miliani, Costanza (2015-11-16). "Evidence for Degradation of the Chrome Yellows in Van Gogh's Sunflowers : A Study Using Noninvasive In Situ Methods and Synchrotron-Radiation-Based X-ray Techniques". Angewandte Chemie (in German). 127 (47): 14129–14133. Bibcode:2015AngCh.12714129M. doi:10.1002/ange.201505840. ISSN   0044-8249.
  12. 1 2 Eastaugh, Nicholas; Walsh, Valentine; Chaplin, Tracey; Siddall, Ruth (2007-03-30). Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments. doi:10.4324/9780080473765. ISBN   9781136373862.
  13. Rowf, F. M. (1931-07-17). "A Dictionary of colour. By A. Maerz and M. R. Paul. Pp. vii+207. London: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1930. £8". Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. 50 (29): 626. doi:10.1002/jctb.5000502910. ISSN   0368-4075.

Further reading