Difference between revisions of "Zinc white"

Latest revision as of 13:16, 15 March 2025

Zinc white

Zinc white at 100x. Visible light on left; UV light on right

Description

Zinc oxide white at 500x

A bright, white pigment composed of Zinc oxide. Zinc white is permanent, opaque, and nontoxic. It was known as a white compound since the Middle Ages but was rarely used as a pigment until 1834 when zinc oxide was first listed by Winsor and Newton as a watercolor pigment called Chinese white. It quickly became a standard in watercolor paints but the early batches of zinc white were inferior to Lead white in oil paints because of poor covering and drying properties. However, by the last quarter of the 19th century zinc white was sufficiently improved and became a widely used alternative to lead white in oil paints (Mayer 1969). The following grades of zinc white were sold:

white seal: purest (>99% zinc oxide) but poor covering
green seal: greater than 99% zinc oxide with better covering power
red seal: slightly less pure, generally used for grounds
gold seal: similar to red seal
gray seal: contains some metallic zinc.

Zinc oxide is used as a pigment in oil, and in watercolor paints, ceramic glazes, printing inks, glass colorant, UV absorber, Fungicide.

Synonyms and Related Terms

zinc oxide; Pigment White 4; CI 77947; Zinkweiss (Deut.); Schneeweiss (Deut.); Pergamentweiss (Deut.); blanc de zinc (Fr.); bianco di zinco (It.); blanco de cinc (Esp.); zincwitt (Ned.); sinkkivalkoinen (Fin.); branco de zinco (Port.); Chinese white; French zinc; absolute white; snow white; philosophers' wool; nil alba; nibil album; nix album; flowers of zinc; snow flowers; Florence zinc oxide; constant white; Hubbocks white

FTIR (MFA)

Raman (MFA)

XRD (MFA)

SEM (MFA)

EDS(MFA)

Risks

Noncombustible.
Nonpoisonous, but slightly antiseptic.
Inhalation or ingestion of dust may cause slight irritation.
Zinc oxide fumes from firing may cause metal fume fever.
Reacts violently with aluminum and magnesium powders.
Oil paints with zinc oxide may yellow and chalk with UV exposure.
U.S Zinc: SDS

Physical and Chemical Properties

Composition = ZnO (mol. wt. = 81.4)
CAS = 1314-13-2
Melting Point = 1975 C
Density = 5.47-5.65 g/ml
Refractive Index = 2.00; 2.02
Soluble in acids and alkalis. Insoluble in water and ethanol.
Normal zinc oxide contains rounded particles, precipitated acicular zinc oxide crystals are needle-like and crossed.
Birefringence is low.
First order interference colors.
Autofluoresces yellow.

Comparisons

Characteristics of Common White Pigments

Resources and Citations

Nicholas Eastaugh, Valentine Walsh, Tracey Chaplin, Ruth Siddall, Pigment Compendium, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004

Artists' Pigments: A Handbook of their History and Characteristics, R.L.Feller, ed., Cambridge University Press, London, Vol. 1, 1986 Comment: H. Kuhn, "Zinc White"

The Dictionary of Art, Grove's Dictionaries Inc., New York, 1996 Comment: "Pigments"

R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966

M. Doerner, The Materials of the Artist, Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1934

Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

Pigments Through the Ages. - http://webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/technical/zincwhite.html

Website : http://www.coloria.net/varita.htm - 1746

G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 887

R. Newman, E. Farrell, 'House Paint Pigments', Paint in America , R. Moss ed., Preservation Press, New York City, 1994

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_white (Accessed Nov. 29, 2005)

Michael McCann, Artist Beware, Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979

Thomas B. Brill, Light Its Interaction with Art and Antiquities, Plenum Press, New York City, 1980

Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:529 zinc white.jpg|thumb|Zinc white]]
+[[File:Zincwhite C100x.jpg|thumb|Zinc white at 100x. Visible light on left; UV light on right]]
 == Description ==
+[[File:1_Zinc_oxide_white_500X.jpg|thumb|Zinc oxide white at 500x]]
+A bright, white pigment composed of [[zinc oxide]]. Zinc white is permanent, opaque, and nontoxic. It was known as a white compound since the Middle Ages but was rarely used as a pigment until 1834 when zinc oxide was first listed by Winsor and Newton as a watercolor pigment called Chinese white. It quickly became a standard in watercolor paints but the early batches of zinc white were inferior to [[lead white]] in oil paints because of poor covering and drying properties. However, by the last quarter of the 19th century zinc white was sufficiently improved and became a widely used alternative to lead white in oil paints (Mayer 1969). The following grades of zinc white were sold:
-A bright, white pigment composed of [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=zinc%20oxide zinc oxide]. Zinc white is permanent, opaque, and nontoxic. It was known as a white compound since the Middle Ages but was rarely used as a pigment until 1834 when zinc oxide was first listed by Winsor and Newton as a watercolor pigment called Chinese white. It quickly became a standard in watercolor paints but the early batches of zinc white were inferior to [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=lead%20white lead white] in oil paints because of poor covering and drying properties. However, by the last quarter of the 19th century zinc white was sufficiently improved and became a widely used alternative to lead white in oil paints (Mayer 1969). The following grades of zinc white were sold:
+* white seal: purest (&gt;99% zinc oxide) but poor covering
+* green seal: greater than 99% zinc oxide with better covering power
+* red seal: slightly less pure, generally used for grounds
+* gold seal: similar to red seal
+* gray seal: contains some metallic zinc.
-- white seal: purest (&gt;99% zinc oxide) but poor covering
+Zinc oxide is used as a pigment in oil, and in watercolor paints, ceramic glazes, printing inks, glass colorant, [[ultraviolet%20absorber|UV absorber]], [[fungicide|fungicide]].
-- green seal: greater than 99% zinc oxide with better covering power
+See also [[French%20process%20zinc%20oxide|French process zinc oxide]].
-- red seal: slightly less pure, generally used for grounds
-- gold seal: similar to red seal
-- gray seal: contains some metallic zinc.
-Zinc oxide is used as a pigment in oil, and in watercolor paints, ceramic glazes, printing inks, glass colorant, [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=ultraviolet%20absorber UV absorber], [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=fungicide fungicide].
-See also [http://cameo.mfa.org/materials/fullrecord.asp?name=French%20process%20zinc%20oxide French process zinc oxide].
-[[File:Zincwhite C100x.jpg|thumb|Zinc white]]
 == Synonyms and Related Terms ==
 zinc oxide; Pigment White 4; CI 77947; Zinkweiss (Deut.); Schneeweiss (Deut.); Pergamentweiss (Deut.); blanc de zinc (Fr.); bianco di zinco (It.); blanco de cinc (Esp.); zincwitt (Ned.); sinkkivalkoinen (Fin.); branco de zinco (Port.); Chinese white; French zinc; absolute white; snow white; philosophers' wool; nil alba; nibil album; nix album; flowers of zinc; snow flowers; Florence zinc oxide; constant white; Hubbocks white
-[[[SliderGallery rightalign|ZincwhitUCL.jpg~Raman|zincwhite632.jpg~Raman|PIG529.jpg~XRD|f529sem.jpg~SEM|f529edsbw.jpg~EDS]]]
+[[[SliderGallery rightalign|Zinc White, Forbes 174.TIF~FTIR (MFA)|Zinc white (Forbes MFA 531), 50X, 532 nm copy.tif~Raman (MFA)|PIG529.jpg~XRD (MFA)|f529sem.jpg~SEM (MFA)|f529edsbw.jpg~EDS(MFA)]]]
-== Other Properties ==
-Soluble in acids and alkalis. Insoluble in water and ethanol.
-Autofluoresces yellow.
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
-! scope="row"| Composition
-| ZnO
-|-
-! scope="row"| CAS
-| 1314-13-2
-|-
-! scope="row"| Melting Point
-| 1975
-|-
-! scope="row"| Density
-| 5.47-5.65
-|-
-! scope="row"| Molecular Weight
-| mol. wt. = 81.4
-|-
-! scope="row"| Refractive Index
-| 2.02; 2.00
-|-
-! scope="row"| Boiling Point
-| 7
-|}
-== Hazards and Safety ==
-Noncombustible. Nonpoisonous, but slightly antiseptic.  Inhalation or ingestion of dust may cause slight irritation.  Zinc oxide fumes from firing may cause metal fume fever.  Reacts violently with aluminum and magnesium powders.
-Oil paints with zinc oxide may yellow and chalk with UV exposure.
+== Risks ==
-LINK: [http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcsneng/neng0208.html International Chemical Safety Card]
+* Noncombustible.
+* Nonpoisonous, but slightly antiseptic.
+* Inhalation or ingestion of dust may cause slight irritation.
+* Zinc oxide fumes from firing may cause metal fume fever.
+* Reacts violently with aluminum and magnesium powders.
+* Oil paints with zinc oxide may yellow and chalk with UV exposure.
+* U.S Zinc: [http://www.uszinc.com/assets/uploads/2017/08/US-Zinc-SDS-ZnO-Rev10.pdf SDS]
-== Additional Information ==
+== Physical and Chemical Properties ==
-° H. Kuhn, "Zinc White", ''Artists Pigments'', Volume 1, R. Feller (ed.), Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1986. ° R. Mayer, ''A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques'', Harper and Row, New York, 1969.
+* Composition = ZnO (mol. wt. = 81.4)
+* CAS = 1314-13-2
+* Melting Point = 1975 C
+* Density = 5.47-5.65 g/ml
+* Refractive Index = 2.00; 2.02
+* Soluble in acids and alkalis. Insoluble in water and ethanol.
+* Normal zinc oxide contains rounded particles, precipitated acicular zinc oxide crystals are needle-like and crossed.
+* Birefringence is low.
+* First order interference colors.
+* Autofluoresces yellow.
 == Comparisons ==
-[[media:download_file_521.pdf|Characteristics of Common White Pigments]]
+[[media:download_file_512.pdf|Characteristics of Common White Pigments]]
-== Additional Images ==
-<gallery>
-File:1_Zinc_oxide_white_500X.jpg|Zinc oxide white
-</gallery>
-== Authority ==
+== Resources and Citations ==
 * Nicholas Eastaugh, Valentine Walsh, Tracey Chaplin, Ruth Siddall, ''Pigment Compendium'', Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004
@@ Line 94: / Line 62: @@
 * Ralph Mayer, ''A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques'', Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
-* Website address 1  Comment: Pigments Through the Ages. - http://webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/technical/zincwhite.html
+* Pigments Through the Ages. - http://webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/technical/zincwhite.html
-* Website address 2  Comment: http://www.coloria.net/varita.htm - 1746
+* Website : http://www.coloria.net/varita.htm - 1746
 * G.S.Brady, ''Materials Handbook'', McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971  Comment: p. 887
@@ Line 102: / Line 70: @@
 * R. Newman, E. Farrell, 'House Paint Pigments', ''Paint in America '', R. Moss ed., Preservation Press, New York City, 1994
-* Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, at http://www.wikipedia.com  Comment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_white (Accessed Nov. 29, 2005)
+* Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_white (Accessed Nov. 29, 2005)
 * Michael McCann, ''Artist Beware'', Watson-Guptill Publications, New York City, 1979