Coal tar dye

Description

An early general name for any of the thousands of synthetic organic colorants obtained from coal-tar based products, such as benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, anthracene, and aniline. Coal-tar dyes were first derived in 1856 when William Perkin made mauve, an aniline dye.

See also aniline dye.

Synonyms and Related Terms

aniline dyes; colorante al catrame (It.); aniline colors; coal tar colors; coal-tar colors

Hazards and Safety

Some coal tar dyes are carcinogenic.

Authority

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

• Hermann Kuhn, Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986