Titanium white

White pigment invented in the 20th century

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Titanium white is a family of white pigments composed primarily of titanium dioxide.[1] It is the most widely used white pigment in contemporary artistic applications because of its affordability, low toxicity, and high hiding power. Though the term titanium white most often refers to pigments containing titanium dioxide, it can also describe any white pigment that contains a titanium compound (e.g. zinc titanate, barium titanate, potassium titanate, titanium lithopone, titanium silicate).[1]:&#;295&#;

History

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a bright white substance first named and created in a laboratory in the late s. It is called titanium white, Pigment White 6 or CI when used specifically as a pigment in paints and was initially used as a pigment in the ceramic arts for yellow glazes. The pigment was further developed for industrial use in the s by the Titanium Pigment Company in the United States and the Titan Company in Norway, each working independently. The two manufactures cross-licensed their patents in .[1]:&#;297&#; By the late s, titanium and zinc white had unseated lead white as the dominant product in the market for white pigment.[2] Most art supply companies now explicitly advise that titanium white should be used instead of lead white for safety reasons.[3]

Visual characteristics

Titianium white provides greater hiding power and tinting strength than any other white pigment.[1] Titanium white was initially more expensive to produce than lead white, but its superior hiding power soon made it a more economical choice because smaller quantities were required to achieve the same degree of opacity.[1]:&#;309&#;

Notable occurrences

Titanium white featured regularly in the palette of Arthur Dove, who was among its earliest adopters in the s.[4] It has also been identified in the work of Thomas Hart Benton,[5] Diego Rivera,[6] Pablo Picasso,[7] and Jackson Pollock.[8]

References

Chromium oxide. The most widely used in painting is green pigment chromium greens, an anhydrous form of chromium oxide. There was also a natural compound (rock), in the XVIII century called "Volkonskoite," but it is known that back in the XI century in the icon painting of Ancient Russia this natural mineral pigment was used, M.V. Lomonosov used green chrome in painting glass for mosaics. The pigment got the name of the metal chromium that was discovered in , an oxide of which it is, and coloured chromium oxides were obtained earlier in . The name comes from the ancient Greek word χρ&#;μα - colour.

The silver-white metal with a bluish tint was given this name by the French chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, who discovered it, probably because he received chrome by long manipulations with chromium compounds - bright yellow, orange, green.

Green chromium paint began to be used for artistic purposes only from the middle of the XIX century (there are indications of ). This pigment was a very stable chemical compound, did not have a bright colour. The cheap pigment of muted grey-green, olive colour was extremely opaque and it was used in all types of painting. After good thermal calcination, it did not dissolve in alkalis or acids, aggressive environmental factors did not have impact on it. It had high lightfastness.

• Name of the paint based on the pigment: Chromium oxide (704).

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