Lithopone
Description
A dense, white, opaque pigment composed of a mixture of Zinc sulfide (30%) and Barium sulfate (70%) with trace amounts of Zinc oxide. Lithopone, first produced in 1874, was called Orr's white. The mixture of the two components is so intimate that it is hard to distinguish microscopically. Lithopone is an inert, transparent pigment which is often used as a filler or as a base for lake pigments. Lithopone was widely used in house paints in the first half of the 20th century. It was also used for some artist grounds, inks and as a filler in Paper, Leather, and Linoleum. Now lithopone has mostly been replaced by Titanium dioxide.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Pigment White 5; CI 77115; Deckweiss (Deut.); Lithopone (Deut.); litopón (Esp.); lithopone (Fr.); lithoponio (Gr.); litopone (It.); lithopoon (Ned.); litopone (Port.); Orr's white; oleum white; Griffiths zinc white; Sterling white; Albalith; Charlton white; Ponolith; Jersey Lily white; Sunotlith; Beckton white; Zincolith
Other Properties
Particle size = 0.3-0.5 micrometers
Soluble in HCl releasing sulfur fumes.
| CAS | 1345-05-7 |
|---|---|
| Density | 4.3 |
| Refractive Index | 2.3(ZnS), 1.64(BaSO4) |
Hazards and Safety
Nonpoisonous. It can darken in the presence of iron.
May chalk with exposure to UV light.
Comparisons
Characteristics of Common White Pigments
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- Nicholas Eastaugh, Valentine Walsh, Tracey Chaplin, Ruth Siddall, Pigment Compendium, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2004
- R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966 Comment: density= 4.3 and ref.index.= 2.3 and 1.64
- Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983
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