MITRA Forum Question Details

​I hope it proves useful. I've posted it on WetCanvas and DrawMixPaint which I am members of.

Interestingly two manufacturers initally replied to say such information was proprierty or secret and yet when I replied about my concerns with zinc and the articles recently published on JustPaint they readily gave me the percentage used.

I wonder why they didn't reveal it at the beginning? Perhaps just an automatic response to information requests?

​Update from Maimeri about Zinc in other colours:"the website is not updated, sorry about this.Zinc is in Classico whites only.White 019 contains less then 50% zinc.As alternative you can have a look at our Artisti oil range. Artisti white012, 018 and 026 contain less then 50% zinc."

I’d like to add some info to this thread:

I noticed on the Michael Harding website that the pigment specification for their titanium whites no longer mentions zinc oxide (PW4) although the description does mention a ‘’small addition of zinc white’’.

I contacted MH and the response from Karyn Harding was that they are in the process of reformulating their titanium white because ‘there has been sufficient research done indicating that zinc over a very long period of time may affect the paint’. 

Elsewhere on their website MH still maintain that ‘’It is up to any manufacturer if they elect to phase out Zinc White.  In my humble opinion, being an artist, if you know your materials and you understand Zinc White and that it is used for mixing purposes only it will not damage your painting – again – as long as it is used diluted with other colors!’’

I don’t know if they are backpedaling on the ‘it’s the additives and not the pigment’ argument, but whatever they believe, marketing-wise the writing is on the wall….

I also noticed that Gamblin have completely changed the formula of their Naples yellow which used to contain PW4 but now no longer does. I wonder what this means for their other zinc containing formulas (I might contact them) because in a previous exchange they also claimed that additives where a bigger problem than the pigment.

A couple of months ago I contacted Old Holland (via email and Facebook) but they never replied (I live in the Netherlands so language nor time-zone should be a problem). However, I have reason to believe that their Mixed White contains 10% zinc (based on information that was once on their website but has since then been removed).

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As I mentioned in my earlier post, Gamblin have changed their formula for Naples Yellow to one which no longer contains zinc-oxide.

In the meantime I contacted Gamblin, and their representative confirmed that they are in the process of reformulating their zinc-oxide containing colors. At this point it’s not clear whether this means a reduction or a complete phasing out of zinc-oxide.

The representative also emphasized that it will take some time to reformulate all their zinc containing colors and that there is no time table at this time.

​Regarding zinc white content in Old Holland Whites;  The information is available to an inexact degree with their safety data sheets in English. Last updated in 2018.  

Zinc white:  70-90% zinc oxide, 3-5% titanium dioxide.

Titanium white:  50-70% titanium dioxide, 10-20% zinc oxide.

Mixed white:  25-50% zinc oxide, 25-50% titanium oxide.

Cremnitz white:  90% basic lead carbonate. (no declared zinc or titanium oxides, thus one supposes none at all)

Marc

Another option for people in EU, or who buy via Jackson's in the UK: 

Isabelle Roelofs says the Titanium white in her Isaro paints is "100% titanium".

​Winsor & Newton whites 2015 from safety data sheets.

Zinc white percentages only.

Titanium white,   5-10%

Zinc white,  50-75%

Cremnitz white,  0%

Flake white hue,  1-5%

Flake white no1,  10-30%

Underpainting white,  5-10%

Transparent white,   5-10%

This information is probably out of date, but I can't find any newer sheets online.  However perhaps some of these paints will still be in stock in some shops.  At the very least they will still be in many artist's paint boxes. Cremnitz white, Flake white no1 and Transparent white have now been discontinued.

Marc.

​Lefranc & Bourgeois Extra Fine Oil 2016 safety data sheets

Zinc oxide percentages only,

Titanium white,  5-10%

Titanium & zinc white,  5-10%

Zinc white,  60-100%

Also a little out of date.  It would be natural to suppose that the Titanium white will be closer to the 5% end of percentages and the Titanium & Zinc white closer to the 10%.  As the W&N range are now made in the Lefranc & Bourgeois Le Mans factory, I can't help but wonder if some of the paints could now be the same with different packaging.

​Sennelier, "Won't reply after two emails."

2015 safety data sheet for their Zinc-Titanium white has zinc oxide listed as being somewhere from, or between, 25-50%.  Once again this may not be accurate to present production.

Marc.