Nigrosine

Nigrosine

Description

A class of dark blue and black phenazine-based dyes made by the oxidation of aniline. Nigrosine black was developed in the late 19th century (1860s-1880s) about the same time as aniline black. Nigrosine is produced by heating aniline, aniline hydrochloride, and nitrobenzene in the presence of copper or iron catalysts. It exists in two main forms:

• Spirit Soluble (Nigrosin; CI 50415, Solvent Black 5): An alcohol soluble form used for stains, varnishes, paints, and phenolic resins. Additional applications include microbiological staining, markers, stamp pads, carbon paper and shoe polish.
• Water Soluble (Nigrosine WS, CI 50420, Solvent Black 7, Acid Black 2): A water-soluble form produced by sulfonation that is used as a dye for textiles, wood, leather and fur.

Synonyms and Related Terms

nigrosin; Nigrosine WS; Nigrosin (Deut.); nigrosine (Fr.); nigrosinezwart (Ned.); nigrosine black

Risks

• Skin contact may cause allergies and dermatitis.
• Fisher Scientific: MSDS

Resources and Citations

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
• Monona Rossol, The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide, Allworth Press, New York, 1994
• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
• Colour Index International online at www.colour-index.org
• Wikipedia: Nigrosin Accessed Feb 2026