Mars Yellow 4 oz vol

Rublev Colours Mars Yellow pigment is an intense ocherous yellow color that makes warm yellowish tints. Mars colors are permanent pigments with good tinting strength in all mediums. Mars yellow, originally named jaune de Mars in the eighteenth century, is a high tinting iron oxide pigment. The very fine particle size of the pigment gives this an intense color.

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Origin and History

Mars Yellow is one of the mars pigments developed during the eighteenth century and manufactured by the aqueous precipitation of iron salts. Mars yellow is the first pigment produced by this process, which is then further roasted to produce the other mars colors—orange, brown, red, and violet. Unlike other earlier synthetic iron oxides and oxide hydroxides, the mars colors were pure and very fine-grained while retaining high tinting strength. Mars yellow is a yellow-brown shade. It could be brightened to a pale yellow by mixing the iron sulfate raw material with alum before precipitating the iron oxide.

In his 1869 edition of George Field’s Chromatography, Salter gives Jaune de Mars, Jaune de Fer, and Iron yellow as synonyms of mars yellow also adding that it was sometimes adulterated with orpiment or lead chromate to brighten the color.

Source

The first mars pigments were manufactured by precipitating iron(II) sulfate (also called ‘green vitriol’ or ‘martial vitriol’) mixed with alum with an alkali, such as lime, caustic soda, potash, etc. The precipitate then was washed carefully to remove any remaining salts. Other salts of iron (iron chloride, iron nitrate, or iron acetate) were also used to manufacture the pigment. A yellow-brown pigment was produced by the precipitation of iron salts and alkali. Alum was added to iron sulfate to produce a light yellow pigment. Mars yellow was the starting material for other mars colors.

Permanence and Compatibility

Like all iron oxide pigments, Mas yellow is lightfast in all mediums and shows excellent weatherability.

Oil Absorption and Grinding

Mars yellow absorbs a moderate amount of oil; about 25 to 35 grams of linseed oil per 100 grams of pigment to make a paste.

Toxicity

Mars yellow is not considered toxic, however, care should be used in handling the dry powder pigment to avoid inhaling the dust. This pigment is approved by the FDA. All toxicological studies showed no signs of toxicity to humans or the environment.

Ecology

Since Mars yellow is inert and practically insoluble in water, it does not pose a hazard to the environment. The pigment can be removed mechanically from effluents. On controlled dumpsites, no dissolved heavy metals are released into the seepage water.

For more information on how to handle pigments safely, please visit How to Safely Handle Art Materials and Pigments.