Posters by Kathryn Harada
Zinc orange is a rare and generally undocumented artists’ pigment lost in the history. Only one s... more Zinc orange is a rare and generally undocumented artists’ pigment lost in the history. Only one sentence is devoted to it in George Field’s 1869 Chromatography: “…when hydrochloric acid and zinc are made to act on nitro-prusside of sodium, a corresponding zinc compound is formed of a deep orange colour, slightly soluble in water, and not permanent”1. The focus of this project was to investigate how zinc orange was manufactured, as described by Field’s Chromatography. Various ratios of the listed ingredients metallic zinc, hydrochloric acid, and sodium nitroprusside were attempted. Different methods of processing the resulting pigments were tested, including heating, grinding, and washing. Additionally, artificial aging was performed to test the light stability of the pigment.
Papers by Kathryn Harada
Zinc orange is a rare and relatively undocumented pigment. Mention of this pigment in the literat... more Zinc orange is a rare and relatively undocumented pigment. Mention of this pigment in the literature indicated its short lived availability to artists in the nineteenth century and that it is unstable, but does not address any specific issues related to its degradation. The synthesis of the original pigment is discussed. In addition, a full characterization of the pigment is presented including XRF, FTIR, Raman and optical microscopy. Research into its degradation mechanisms was also undertaken, and the light fastness of the pigment is presented.
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Posters by Kathryn Harada
Papers by Kathryn Harada