Particle SizeApproveRejectUn-ApproveSubscribeUn-Unsubscribe
Question asked 2022-11-20 13:13:20 ...
Most recent comment 2024-01-11 22:21:02
Pigments
Colored pigments seem to have a farily consistent particle size; for example, titanium white is listed as .5 microns, viridian generally listed as 2.5 microns, etc. Filler or extender pigments (white or transparent solids) seem to come in a very wide range of particle sizes depending on use (from industrial to artist grade). My questions are...
1. Do synthesized colored pigments generally - or always - have a consistent, predictable particle size?
2. How much can the particle size of artist grade, natural earth pigments vary? Or are there standard, predictable sizes used within the paint industry?
3. Are filler/extender pigments mostly dervied from natural minerals? (The only synthesized filler/extender I can think of is glass powder...)
4. Are artist grade filler/extender pigments ground/sieved to specfic sizes (are there industry standards)? Or can they range all over the place? For example, if I buy a "fine grade" chalk from two companies, can I expect them the same particle size? If not, how much might "fine grade" particle sizes vary?
Thanks
EditDelete
Moderator Answer
(brian baade)
Modern precipitated pigments tend to have a more predictable
particle size. Natural products like chalk, azurite, earth colors, etc. can
vary in particle size.
Historical natural pigments were generally much larger in
particle size than their modern counterparts. Modern earth pigments made for
the mass market are generally going to be much finer.
Larger particle sized earth pigments are probably only available
to the average customer through specialty art suppliers like Kremer and Natural
Pigments. There are others and this is not intended as an endorsement nor a
complete list.
Fillers and extenders can come from a variety of sources.
One of the most common is aluminum stearate which is a synthetically produced
half inorganic half organic compound. Chalk can be natural or precipitated and
is available in a large number of grind sizes for different uses.
There are likely industry standards in the commercial paint industry,
but I would imagine that each tailors their product for a specific purpose. You
can order products with a specific range of particle size.
EditDelete
Moderator Answer
(koo schadler)
Thanks for those clarifications, Brian.
This Page Last Modified On:
restricted