Yellow pigments based on lead, tin, and antimony: Ancient recipes, synthesis, characterization, and hue choice in artworks

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the yellow pigments based on lead, tin, and antimony produced according to the ancient treatises, recipe books, and literary sources. The pigments considered in this study are lead/tin yellow type I (Pb2SnO4), lead/tin yellow type II (PbSn1−xSixO3), lead antimonate or Naples yellow (Pb2Sb2O7), and lead/tin/antimony yellow (Pb2SnSbO6,5). Color was measured by X‐Rite reflectance spectrophotometer to investigate the chromatic characteristics of the produced pigments in relation to the recipes. The pigments were chemically characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy, and micro‐Raman analysis to investigate the influence of reagents, temperature, and melting modalities in the compositions of the produced powders. A part of the study was devoted to the study on the use of these yellow pigments in the art history especially concerning the modus pingendi of Italian artists between 14th and 18th century. The results of this study highlighted the possibility to obtain pigments with different colors and compositions according to the reagents, to the temperature, to the melting modality, in particular if single or double firing was used. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 226–231, 2016

Yellow Pigment Powders Based on Lead and Antimony: Particle Size and Colour Hue

“…On the other hand, the APB3 sample, fired at a temperature of 1050 • C, has completely different characteristics in respect to APB1 and APB2, both in terms of particle and colour parameters. Specifically, the colour data of APB1, APB2, and APB3 samples show how APB1 and APB2 have similar colour features if compared to APB3; moreover, the first two yellows exhibit particle heterogeneity in respect to APB3, confirming the results obtained by previous findings on chemical composition [16]. In fact, APB1 and APB2 are characterised by a compositional heterogeneity, while APB3 is a homogeneous dark yellow powder with a reddish hue, as shown by the significantly higher value of the a* coordinate.…”

Pressure-induced Pb–Pb bonding and phase transition in Pb2SnO4

“…Solid-state synthesis. Temperatures between 923 K and 1173 K have been used for the synthesis of Pb 2 SnO 4 powder by solid-state reaction (Gavarri et al, 1981;Hashemi et al, 1992;Clark et al, 1995;Chen et al, 2000;Hradil et al, 2007;Pelosi et al, 2010;Denisov et al, 2012;Agresti et al, 2016). For our experiments we chose a synthesis temperature of 1123 (1) K, in order to avoid the presence of PbSnO 3 which decomposes above 1073 K and to prevent decomposition of Pb 2 SnO 4 which is expected to occur above 1173 K (Xing et al, 2004).…”

European ceramic technology in the Far East: enamels and pigments in Japanese art from the 16th to the 20th century and their reverse influence on China

“…The imported compounds employed for such purpose were scarce and very expensive [6], so their use was strictly allowed to those having trained under the direct supervision of Giovanni Cola himself. In particular, tin and antimony were important elements used in Renaissance Europe for enameling of majolica [13][14][15][16], Limoges metal wares [17], and for preparing painting pigments [18,19]. Both end-members of pyrochlore solid solutions (lead-tin yellow and lead antimonate yellow) as well as more complex solid solutions had been largely used since Roman times [20][21][22].…”