Introduction To Pigment Blue And Their Types

Pigment Blue – A Synthetic Organic Pigment From Phthalocyanine Dyes

Pigment Blue: A Brief Introduction

The pigment blue is related to two of Earth’s most natural characteristics: the ocean and the sky. According to a scientific study, the ocean and the sky are not really blue or not, at least the same way as the leaves are green and the soil is brown. Out of all the colors, blue has been considered the most preferred by both men and women.

Blue pigment is also referred to by several other names such as Phthalo Blue, Copper Phthalocyanine, and Phthalocyanine blue. Let us further understand what is blue pigment. The pigment blue is crystalline, an indispensable colorant belonging to the group of Phthalocyanine dyes. Blue pigment uses are widespread today because of their broad superior attributes. Phthalocyanine pigments have influenced the colorant industry since their commercial use in the early 19th Century.

The Phthalocyanine family comprises green and blue pigments, which are universally used in several applications. The pigment blue holds strong beneficial properties such as tinting strength, light fastness, power, and superior resistance to acids and alkalis effect. The blue pigment is unaffected by heat and chemicals.

Phthalocyanine blue is prepared by providing heat to a mixture of urea, phthalic anhydride, and copper chloride. The pigment is first washed in watery caustic soda and then in adulterated hydrochloric acid. The result is copper-phthalocyanine, but it cannot be used as a pigment until it is liquefied in concentrated sulfuric acid and attentively washed in excess water and filtered.

Pigment blue is found in small supplies; they carry a rich history of scientific invention, global trading, and artistic fields. Various pigments available today in the market are extensively used around the globe and have different applications in different industries. Apart from being the largest pigment green 7 manufacturer, Dhanveen Pigments also produces all its variants. Please continue reading to discover the history of blue pigment and its types.

The Ancient History Of The Blue Pigment

Throughout ancient history, blue colorant has been the most sought-after artist and commercially used pigment. The ancient Egyptians first synthesized the color blue as it infrequently occurred in nature and was developed from minerals like Azurite and Lapis Lazuli. During medieval times, Lapis Lazuli was exported via the Silk Route from Afghanistan to Europe, and later it became the most important blue pigment.

Blue pigment history has been vast in terms of invention to extensive use. Phthalocyanine blue was first sold as a pigment in the 19th Century with the trade name Monastral Blue, while some paint manufacturers still use this trade name. At the time of its invention, it was thought to be the most crucial advancement in the art field after the discovery of Synthetic Ultramarine Blue in the 18th Century. Copper Phthalocyanine was first obtained in 1927 through the traces and observation of colored by-products from rejoinder of phthalic acid or sources such as nitrogen and metals. The industrial production of pigment blue, previously sold under the trade name Monastral Blue, commenced in 1935 at a British Chemical Company ICI, IG Farben – a German chemical and pharmaceutical company, and Dupont, an American company.

Phthalocyanine Blue is a highly staining, transparent, crystalline, and reliably lightfast greenish-blue or sometimes red-blue pigment. When Phthalo blue was discovered, the industrial hunt for a pigment that was inexpensive, reliable, and could fill in the void of the blue color requirement was solved. The pigment blue demonstrated the excellent features lacked by the earlier versions of pigments in that color shade.

However, the difficulty was later experienced in developing stable scattering with the initial pigment alpha blue forms where the blue pigment tends to flocculate. Then there was a need to generate a more stable form of alpha pigment blue, such as beta forms. Today, dozens of isomeric forms of pigment blue are available on the market.

Types Of Blue Pigments Available

There are many crystalline forms of phthalocyanine blue available in the market today with numerous isomeric forms, but three major types of products from the commodities. Blue has been the most used pigment, and several varieties of blue pigments exist. Let's have a look at them:

Pigment Blue 15.0 (Alpha Blue)

Alpha Blue is a strong reddish-blue with superior resistance to acids, heat, alkalis, oils, soap, and solvents. This pigment is mostly used in ink, rubber, packaging, and polymer industries. Moreover, alpha blue pigment is regarded to have excellent color strength and outstanding performance. One of the main features is that the pigment is insoluble and has no capabilities to move away in different substances. Generally, this form is a solvent-unstable form of PB 15.

Pigment Blue 15.1 (Alpha Blue)

Alpha Blue 15.1 is a vibrant bright reddish shade of blue and has many of the same properties as that of alpha blue 15.0. The only difference is that the pigment particles have been treated to avoid flocculation or undesirable bonding together of the substances. It is also more expensive than the previous version.

Pigment Blue 15.2

Beta Blue is non-flocculating and is mostly used to make ink, polymers, coating rubber, and much more. This graded pigment is highly resistant to crystallization and tends to flocculate. Beta Blue leaves a warm reddish shade and is very stable from weather changes and heat temperature. Further, it is widely used in textiles, PVC, plastic and rubber, and polyolefins.

Pigment Blue 15.3

Blue 15.3 is a bright greenish shade of blue having all the high resistance characteristics that those of pigment alpha blue form. It is also used to avoid flocculation of the pigment particles and is mainly used in liquid inks.

Pigment Blue 15.4

Epsilon form is the strongest reddish shade of blue, possessing all the resistance properties of the phthalo blue category. It has been the only solvent-stable red shade in the series, mainly used in link-ink applications.

Dhanveen group of companies is the leading player in phthalocyanine pigments. We are trusted manufacturers and exporters of pigment green 7 and its variants. Let us help you cater to your needs and requirements accordingly.