Ultramarine Blue takes its place as an important type of inorganic pigment. It is a non-hazardous blue pigment that is safe to use. Because of its user friendly properties, Ultramarine Blue has a variety of applications. Essentially it is a blue pigment that is made up of sodium aluminosilicate, consisting sulphur. It is made by heating together of sodium carbonate, kaolin, sulphur and other types of inexpensive ingredients.


As it is a synthetic manufacturing process, so a close control is made over its physical, chemical, and other colour characteristics. This control enables the production of a number of the Ultramarine Blue pigment, that forms an important ingredient for a variety of industries like paint, plastic, printing ink, cosmetic and others.

Product Identification:

• CAS NO- 57455-37-5; 67053-79-6
• Formula- Na₂OSAl₂ O₃SiO₂

Synonyms: C.I. Pigment Blue 29, C.I. 77007, Ultramarine, Ultramarine blue pigment, Azure blue, azzurrum ultramarine, azzurrum transmarinum, azzuro oltramarino, azur d'Acre, pierre d'azur, Lazurstein

Physical and Chemical Properties:

• Physical state- A dark blue powder
• Melting point >1000 ^oC (Decomposes)
• Specific gravity- 2.35
• Solubility (in water)- Not soluble
• pH- 6-9
• Stability- Stable under normal circumstances
• Preferred Particle Size-<5 microns

Applications of Ultramarine Blue Pigments

Given here are a few of the applications of Ultramarine Blue Pigment:

• Paints: Application of Ultramarine Blue pigment in the paints thrives on its high chemical stability. Due to the complex molecular nature of Ultramarine Blue pigment it displays high fastness to alkalis,air, light, water, detergents and organic solvents. However it is bleached by acids.
  
  Ultramarine Blue pigment is used in a variety of paints for Oil Paints, Water and Acrylic Paints, water-based Emulsion Paints etc.
  
  Attributes of Ultramarine Blue that makes it suitable to be used in Paints:
  • Light Fastness
  • Non-Migratory
  • Transparency
  • Heat-Resistance
  
  
• Domestic Applications: Again due to high stability of the Ultramarine Blue pigment and also as it does not contain a transition element makes it non-toxic. This results in it being used to colour food or in containers of food and drink. Further, it is safe to employ this to colour materials that comes in touch with the mouth, such as toothpaste and drawing material like crayons.
  
  Ultramarine Blue is widely used in Lipsticks, eye Liner, Nail Varnish, toiletries, detergents mineral Water Bottles, Food Packaging and Containers.
  
  Attributes of Ultramarine Blue that makes it suitable to be used in Domestic Applications:
  • It is Non-toxic
    
    
• Inks & Coatings: When applied in inks synthetic ultramarine blends smoothly with many other types of colorants so for a complete range of shades. Recent researches show red and yellow dyes will blend with synthetic ultramarine to give a true and authentic black printing ink which were traditionally difficult to make up earlier.
  
  Ultramarine Blue is used in inks for giving colour to Paper coatings, printing Inks, colouring and Tinting Paper, Leather Coatings, Textile printing inks etc.
  
  Attributes of Ultramarine Blue that makes it suitable for use in Inks:
  • Tinting and Shading characteristics- It can be easily mixed with other type of colorants to churn out a wide range of colours.
    
    
• Plastics & Fibres: A great virtue conferred by synthetic ultramarine in the coloring of plastics or fibres is that of dimensional stability after its incorporation into these materials. There is no shrinkage or distortion as a result of colouring.
  
  Ultramarine Blue is applied in in fibres as well as plastics for colouring of Thermoplastics (eg. polythene), Plastic pipes, Plastic packaging - film and containers, Synthetic fibres-Nylon etc.
  
  Attributes of Ultramarine Blue that makes it very useful for use in Plastics and Fibres:
  • Dimensional stability
  • No toxicity

Advantages of Ultramarine Blue

• A very good heat stability that can go up to 350°C
• Shows non-migratory/non-bleeding nature
• Very good light fastness
• Does not pose distortion problems in polyolefins.