Paint

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Pigment

:Main article: Pigment

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Pigments, usually insoluble powders, are used both to provide color, and to make paint opaque, thus protecting the substrate from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light while also increasing a paint's hiding power.

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Some pigments are toxic, such as those used in lead paint. Paint manufacturers replaced lead white with a less toxic substitute, which can even be used to color food titanium white (Titanium Dioxide) which was first used in paints in the 19th century. The titanium white used in most paints today is often coated with silicon or aluminum oxides for better durability.

Related Topics:
Lead paint - 19th century

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Some newer paints - called prism paint - can produce effects where the color changes depending on the angle (orientation) at which it is viewed. Modern U.S. and Canadian currency, specifically the newer higher denomination notes, have this effect on them. This effect is produced by having pigment molecules that are long and thin and are meant to dry in a specific orientation, with different ends of the molecule being different colors.

Related Topics:
U.S. - Canadian

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