Description
A permanent, yellow pigment composed of cadmium sulfide. Cadmium yellows were synthetically prepared in Germany by Friedrich Strohmeyer in 1817. The bright yellow pigments slowly began to be used as artist paints in the mid 1840s, gaining in popularity in the early 20th century. Variations in particle size and chemical composition produce as range of colors from light yellow to orange. In the 1920s, the cadmium pigments were co-precipitated with barium sulfate to form the cheaper cadmium lithopone (cadmopone) pigments. Cadmium sulfide also occurs in minor amounts in the mineral greenockite.
Synonyms and Related Terms
cadmium sulfide; Pigment Yellow 37; CI 77191; Kadmiumgelb (Deut.); jaune de cadmium (Fr.); cadmium sulphide (Br.); giallo di cadmio (It.); amarillo de cadmio (Esp.); kitrino toy kadmioy (Gr.); cadmiumgeel (Ned.); amarelo de cádmio (Port.); cadmium lithopone; cadmopone; Aurora yellow; daffodil; radiant yellow; cadmia; Orient yellow; jaune brilliant; Cadmolith
| CdS |
| 144.48 |
| 4.35 |
| e=2.506, w=2.529 |
Other Properties
Cubic or hexagonal crystals. Soluble in concentrated mineral acids with the evolution of H2S. Insoluble in water. May fluoresce red.
The tiny yellow particles (about 1 micrometer) have a high refractive index.
Hazards and Safety
Toxic by ingestion and inhalation. Carcinogen.
Additional Information
° I. Fiedler, M. Bayard, "Cadmium yellows, oranges and reds", Artists Pigments, Volume 1, R. Feller (ed.), Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1986.
|
Images
7 total images
Cadmium yellow
Photomacrograph of cadmium yellow pigment. From the Forbes Collection. Sample provided by the MFA Scientific Research Lab.
Photo credit: Keith Lawrence, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. |
Cadmium yellow
Normal (left) and UV (right) reflected light images at 100x of pigment/collodion mixture on glass slide to illustrate pigment color along with presence or absence of autofluorescence. Normal light = Halogen lamp (100 W, no filter); UV light=Mercury gas discharge lamp (100W, excitation filter=340-380nm, suppression filter=425 nm). Image credit=Scientific Research lab, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. |
Cadmium yellow
Photomicrograph of cadmium yellow at 500X. From the McCrone Paint Pigment Reference Set. Particles are usually between 0.1 and 0.2 micrometers in size. Due to this small particle size, it is difficult to differentiate particles of cadmium yellow from that of other pigments with an optical microscope. Sample provided by the MFA Scientific Research Lab.
Photo credit: Keith Lawrence, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston |
Cadmium yellow
Polarized photomicrograph of cadmium yellow at 500X. From the McCrone Paint Pigment Reference Set. Particles are usually between 0.1 and 0.2 micrometers in size. Due to this small particle size, it is difficult to differentiate particles of cadmium yellow from that of other pigments with an optical microscope. Sample provided by the MFA Scientific Research Lab.
Photo credit: Keith Lawrence, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston |
SEM image of cadmium yellow
Sample from MFA Forbes collection: Cadmium Yellow, Roberson, 1926 (bottle 315). Magnification = 600x. Sample uncoated.
Image credit: MFA Scientific Research Lab |
XRD spectrum of cadmium yellow
Sample of Cadmium yellow from Forbes collection bottle 315. Matched JCPDS files for Otavite [Cadmium carbonate (72-1939)] and Hawleyite [cadmium sulfide (10-0454)].
Image credit: MFA Scientific Research Lab |
EDS spectrum of cadmium yellow
Sample from MFA Forbes collection: Cadmium Yellow, Roberson, 1926 (bottle 315). Sample uncoated.
Image credit: MFA Scientific Research Lab |
Authority
7 total authority records
Nicholas Eastaugh, Valentine Walsh, Tracey Chaplin, Ruth Siddall, Pigment Compendium, Vol. 1 and II, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004
R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966
comments: density = 4.35 and ref. index = 2.35-2.48
Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
Website address 1
comments: Pigments Through the Ages: http://webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/technical/cdyellow.html - e=2.506, w=2.529
Thomas B. Brill, Light Its Interaction with Art and Antiquities, Plenum Press, New York City, 1980
The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996
comments: 'Pigments'
Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000
Last updated on: 7/24/2009 11:36:03 AM
|