Permanent Red 2B (manganese)
PR48:4
Alternate Names
Rubine 2B
BON Red
Pigment Description
It is a great irony of life that so many things named "Permanent" are just the opposite. This color has moderate to inadequate lightfastness and may fade to a 5 in tints depending on the supplier. Surprisingly, it is found in three oil paints by major paintmakers.
Monona Rossol writes that this may cause methemoglobinemia and has more warnings about it in her writing on pigments which also apply to other forms of PR48 as well.
PR48:2 and PR48:3, which are variants of this pigment, fade terribly to ASTM V (the lowest and poorest lightfastness rating) in gouache.
Resources
PR48:4 pigment data from David G. Myers, The Color of Art Pigment Database, Artiscreation.com
Information about PR48 from Bruce MacEvoy, Handprint Guide to Watercolors,
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
Fair, on the low end of decent, may depend slightly on brand
Not lightfast enough for us, as it is the low end of moderate. Some estimates put it around ASTM II. May fall to BWS 5
Transparency
Opaque
Toxicity
Potential Hazard, Use more caution
Little information. Lower concern citation from artiscreation.com however some sources note Manganese content. Treat all pigments and paints with studio safety protocols.
Chemical Name
Monoazo: Salt of 2-naphthol acid. There are other variants such as PR48:2 is Calcium BON Red, salt of 2-naphthol acid. PR48:3 is Strontium BON Red, also a salt of 2-naphthol acid
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