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Benzimidazolone Orange H5G

PO62

Pigment Description

Benzimidazolone Orange H5G. This is a color that turns up in a handful of the attempts to replace Cadmium Orange, though Benzimizolone has a yellow note in it. PO62 doesn't have the same high chroma as a cadmium, nor does it have the same opacity. However, setting the cadmium discussion aside, in its own right this is an interesting pigment.

From a health and safety standpoint it may metabolize to a mutagen, and or cause a condition called methemoglobinemia. Author Monona Rossol has more on this, so please consult her work for additional information.

Benzimidazolone Orange seems to have good lightfastness overall with a slight fall off in tints- we wish it were even a little more lightfast as it's a nice, not-quite-highest-chroma orange. Even though Gamblin describes this color as the same masstone as Cadmium Orange, we'd disagree based on their version of it, which does not share the same high chroma as PO20. We'd say this color is slightly less chromatic than cadmium orange.

Resources

PO62 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com

Information about PO62 from Bruce MacEvoy, Handprint Guide to Watercolors, General information about this class of pigments from Handprint,

Rossol, Monona. The Artist's Complete Health and Safety Guide. New York, NY : Allworth Press, 2001. The book is rather dated, updated information is available from her website.

Stats

Lightfastness

Very Good

Listed as ASTM I, but with BWS scales that show slight change (7 out of 8) in tints. In watercolor, Bruce MacEvoy found it to be excellent.

Transparency

Semi-Transparent, Semi-Opaque

Toxicity

Previously thought to be in the category of Low Concern, new research suggests this may be a mutagen and also metabolize to cause a serious health condition.

See Monona Rossol's research available upon request here for more information. Treat all pigments and paints with studio safety protocols.

Dry Time

Medium

Particle Size

Fine

Chemical Name

monoazo, acetoacetyl, H5G, monoactolone

Dry Pigments listing PO62

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