Uses of Pigments

<p>Pigments are used in a wealth of applications from the design on that new T-shirt to the colour of your shoes. But that is not all; pigments are used to colour cosmetics, medicine, plastics, building material such as brick and vinyl cladding, the magazines and books we read, paints of all kinds and even the food we eat.</p>

<p>Of course, food colouring differs considerably from the pigment in paints, for example. And while natural dyes may be used for colouring clothing made from wool or cotton, they are not as bright as many pigments. Food colouring must be suitable for human consumption, while the colour in clothing has to be from a source that will not cause skin irritation. Food colouring and natural dyes comes from plants such as herbs, fruit, vegetables and non-poisonous leaves.</p> 

<p>So where do pigments come from? Many pigments are extracted from minerals such as magnesium, zinc or titanium. These substances are ground into a fine powder and a liquid called an agglutinant is added. This liquid can be oil or water-based depending on what it is going to be used for. Pigment powder is insoluble, while natural dyes and food colourings are soluble.</p>

<p>Pigments that are used to paint such things as model cars or airplanes to make them look more realistic differ from those pigments that are added to house paint or cosmetics. <a href="http://www.allcoloursupplies.com.au/">Pigments</a> to be used in artistic pursuits such as painting or modelling can be bought from art-supply stores.</p>

<p>Industrial pigments are added to such things as plastics during the process of forming the products, rather than afterwards as in a product that is painted. Gathering pigments was once a laborious task and some, such as the vermilion pigment made from mercury, were toxic. Synthetic pigments that are cheaper and safer are now widely used in many commercial applications.</p>

<p>For more information please visit us on <a href="http://www.allcoloursupplies.com.au/">www.allcoloursupplies.com.au</a>.</p>