Chrome Orange Molybdate Pigment

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 to 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.

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

Health and Safety

• For art use only. Not for cosmetic, food or children's use.
• Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not eat, drink or smoke while working.
• Avoid creating or breathing dust. Work in a ventilated area and wear a NIOSH approved dust respirator (P100 or better) when handling dry pigment.
• Wear gloves and eye protection. Wash hands and work surfaces after use, and never rinse pigment into drains.
• Do not spray apply, sand or burn.
• If swallowed or if you feel unwell, contact a poison control center (U.S. 1-800-222-1222) or a doctor.
• Safety Data Sheet available on request.

Caution: Contains lead. Harmful if swallowed or inhaled. May cause cancer. May damage fertility or the unborn child and may harm breastfed children. Causes damage to the nervous system, blood and kidneys through prolonged or repeated exposure. Not for use by children or by anyone pregnant, planning a pregnancy or nursing. Never sand, spray, burn or heat dry paint. Wash hands, nails and work surfaces thoroughly after use and keep away from food. Very toxic to aquatic life; never rinse into drains. Wear a P100 respirator (full face, or half face with goggles) when handling the dry pigment; N95 and P95 masks are not sufficient.

Caution: Contains hexavalent chromium (chromate). May cause cancer. May cause allergy or asthma symptoms if inhaled and an allergic skin reaction. Harmful if swallowed or inhaled. Avoid all dust and skin contact and wear gloves. Not for use by children or by anyone pregnant. Very toxic to aquatic life; never rinse into drains. Wear a P100 respirator (full face, or half face with goggles) when handling the dry pigment; N95 and P95 masks are not sufficient.

WARNING: This product can expose you to lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

WARNING: This product can expose you to chromium (hexavalent compounds), which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.