Chrome Orange Molybdate

Description

Chrome Orange (PO21) is a handmade single-pigment molybdate orange based on basic lead chromate–molybdate chemistry. It produces a rich, high-chroma orange with a warm, slightly red-leaning undertone and a dense, opaque masstone. Compared to modern organic oranges, Chrome Orange feels heavier and more mineral, with strong covering power and a distinctly 19th–20th century character rather than a transparent glow.

In use, Chrome Orange gives a powerful, saturated orange ideal for sunlight, autumn foliage, textiles, decorative motifs, industrial and historical subjects, and bold accents in figurative work. It has very strong tinting strength and is highly opaque, covering completely in masstone while still yielding assertive, glowing passages when thinned. It mixes beautifully with yellows for blazing warm lights, with reds for deep vermilion and fiery scarlets, and with blues and earth pigments for strong, warm neutrals and rich browned oranges suited to brick, rust, and aged architectural color.

This molybdate orange is a traditional heavy-metal pigment and should be treated as a specialist material. In artist’s colors it offers a classic, historical orange with great strength and presence, best suited to experienced painters, restoration work, and historically informed palettes where opacity, power, and a period-authentic look are desired.

History

Chrome-based pigments appeared in the early 19th century and quickly transformed the painter’s palette. Lead chromate yellows were followed by deeper tones produced by modifying the chemistry with basic lead compounds, sulfates, and later molybdates, giving rise to the family of intense Chrome Oranges and Molybdate Oranges. These colors offered unprecedented opacity and brilliance compared with earlier mineral yellows and oranges and were widely adopted in oil painting, sign painting, and industrial coatings.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, Chrome Orange and related molybdate oranges were standard workhorse pigments in everything from fine art to machinery and transportation paints. Many historical works owe their vivid warm passages and striking highlights to these colors. Over time, however, the toxicity of lead and chromate compounds led to their gradual replacement by cadmiums and, later, modern organic pigments. Today, Chrome Orange PO21 persists mainly in conservation, specialist coatings, and small-batch artist materials, valued for its unique optical qualities and unmistakably historical character, but handled with far more caution than contemporary alternatives.

Health and Safety

Precautions:

Contains lead and chromate compounds. Handle only with appropriate safety precautions.

Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Do not consume.

Not for cosmetic or food usage.

Not for children’s materials or situations with frequent hand-to-mouth contact.

Do not spray apply.

For further health information contact a poison control center.

Use care when handling dry pigments and avoid dust formation.

Avoid breathing in pigment dust and use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator with sufficient rating for toxic metal dusts.

Wear gloves and protective clothing to prevent skin contact; avoid contact with eyes.

Do not eat, drink, or smoke near dry pigments.

Wash hands and any exposed skin thoroughly after use or handling.

Work in a well-ventilated area and wet-wipe surfaces to minimize dust.

Dispose of waste, rags, and wash water according to local regulations for lead- and chromium-containing materials.

This product may contain chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.

Warnings and bottle information are abbreviated.

Pigment Information

Pigment Type: Synthetic (Inorganic) basic lead chromate–molybdate orange (molybdate orange)

Suitable Mediums: Oil, Tempera, Acrylic, Enamel

Lightfastness: Very good to excellent

Opacity: Opaque

Other Names: Chrome Orange, Molybdate Orange, Chrome Yellow Orange (PO21)

Color Index Code: PO21