United States. A new bright blue pigment – discovered by chance by chemists at Oregon State University (OSU) in 2009 – is coming to market, where it will be used in a wide range of coatings and plastics.
OSU chemist Mas Subramanian and his team were experimenting with new materials that could be used in electronics applications and mix manganese oxide — which is black — with other chemicals and heat them in an oven to nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. One of his samples turned out to be an intense blue. Oregon State graduate student Andrew Smith initially made these samples to study their electrical properties. "It was by chance, in fact, a happy and accidental discovery," Subramanian said.
The new pigment is formed by a crystalline structure that allows manganese ions to absorb red and green wavelengths of light, while only reflecting blue. Vibrant blue is so durable, and its compounds are so stable – even in oil and water – that the color doesn't fade.
The new pigment is a "cool blue" compound that has infrared reflectivity of around 40% – much higher than other blue pigments – and could be used in blue roofing.
"We already know that it had the advantage of being more durable, safer and quite easy to produce. Now there also seems to be a new candidate for energy efficiency." In addition to testing the blue pigment for other applications, Subramanian is trying to discover new pigments by creating an intentional "accident" lab. His original work was funded by the National Science Foundation. "Who knows what we might find?" he said.
