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Pigment discovered in lab inspires new crayon color

Xinhua, May 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

A color inspired by the YInMn pigment developed in the laboratory of Oregon State University (OSU) chemistry professor Mas Subramanian is making its way to the market.

Crayola LLC, a U.S. manufacturer of artists' supplies based in Easton, Pennsylvania, said Friday a recently retired crayon known as Dandelion would be replaced by the blue pigment, and the new blue crayon will begin appearing in its products in late 2017.

While YInMn refers to the elements yttrium, indium and manganese, which along with oxygen comprise the vibrant pigment, YInMn blue was discovered by accident in 2009 when Subramanian and his team were experimenting with new materials that could be used in electronics applications.

The researchers mixed manganese oxide, which is black in color, with other chemicals and heated them in a furnace to nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 1,090 degrees Celsius. One of their samples turned out to be a vivid blue. OSU graduate student Andrew Smith initially made these samples to study their electrical properties.

"This was a serendipitous discovery, a happy accident," Subramanian was quoted as saying in a news release. "But in fact, many breakthrough discoveries in science happen when one is not looking for it."

Featuring a unique structure that allows the manganese ions to absorb red and green wavelengths of light while only reflecting blue, YInMn blue is so durable, and its compounds are so stable that the color does not fade even in oil and water. These characteristics, as well as its non-toxicity, make the new pigment versatile for a variety of commercial products. Used in paints, for example, they can help keep buildings cool by reflecting infrared light.

"Most pigments are discovered by chance," Subramanian added. "The reason is because the origin of the color of a material depends not only on the chemical composition, but also on the intricate arrangement of atoms in the crystal structure. So someone has to make the material first, then study its crystal structure thoroughly to explain the color."

Crayola made the announcement about the new crayon color at The Colorful World of Pigments, an OSU-hosted celebration of YInMn blue and its impact on art, culture and industry, where Subramanian noted that people love the color blue for a wide variety of reasons, as it is "associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration and sensitivity." Endit