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Ultramarine blue is one of the world’s most tried and trusted pigments for premium applications in plastics, cosmetics, food packaging, artists’ colours and paint. A pigment with a unique and vibrant red-blue shade, it cannot be recreated by other pigments, and is still basically manufactured according to the principles of Jean-Baptiste Guimet’s original process, discovered in 1828. Click here for more...
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Synthetic Ultramarine is non-toxic and inherently safe for sensitive applications including cosmetics, children’s toys and plastics that come into contact with food stuffs, but Holliday Pigments recognised it could add value to plastics packaging – and in particular the caps and closure market – by developing a grade that was proven to impart no taste or odour during the production process. Click here for more...
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It is often assumed by new end users that Ultramarine can gently be stirred into a resin to impart a uniform colour. More experienced users will know that this is not the case. While dyes dissolve in compatible systems, pigments exist as particles suspended within a resin. Optimum colour is obtained from a system in which the pigment is present as primary particles rather than larger agglomerates. Ultramarine pigments range in primary particle size from 1 to 5 microns. Click here for more...
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Colour correction is a term frequently used to describe the effect observed when low concentrations of Ultramarine Blue and Violet or Manganese Violet pigments are added to media which possess an inherent yellowish tint. The improvement in apparent whiteness that can be achieved in this way is dramatic. “Whiter than white” shades can be produced and, with transparent materials, the apparent clarity can be greatly enhanced. Click here for more...
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Ultramarine blue is the synthetic form of a naturally occurring mineral called Lapis Lazuli. From the time of the Pharaohs, Lapis was widely used in jewellery and as the blue pigment in high quality decoration. It was the discovery of its beneficial effects in laundering applications - and the resulting increase in demand - that led, in 1828, to the development of a process for manufacturing the pigment on an industrial scale. The natural product was neither abundant nor cheap nough to justify its use as a laundry aid. Click here for more...
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When the ancient Egyptians came to decorate the works of art that they buried with their Pharaohs, they used a blue pigment of such brilliance that it would enhance the quality and value of any object. The pigment was derived from the semi precious mineral, Lapis Lazuli, and it continued to be used for many centuries. Click here for more...
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The origin and development of Ultramarine as a general pigment - including the manufacturing process - has been described in another publication, ‘Ultramarine – The Eternal Pigment’. This explained how, having been in use for thousands of years, Ultramarine has found its way into many and varied applications, each of which has its own demands on pigment properties. What is required of an Ultramarine pigment used for colouring plastics? Click here for more...