Phthalocyanine Blue BN

    Phthalocyanine Blue BN, also called phthalo blue, helio blue, thalo blue, Winsor blue, phthalocyanine blue, C.I. Pigment Blue 15:2, Copper phthalocyanine blue, Copper tetrabenzoporphyrazine, Cu-Phthaloblue, PB-15, PB-36, and C.I. 74160, is a bright, greenish-blue crystalline synthetic blue pigment from the group of phthalocyanine dyes. It was developed as a pigment in the mid-1930s. Its brilliant blue is used in paints and dyes. It is highly valued for its superior properties such as light fastness, tinting strength, covering power and resistance to the effects of alkalies and acids. It has the appearance of a blue powder, insoluble in water and most solvents.

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Safe Weighing Range Ensures Accurate Results

Weighing the right way

Phthalocyanine blue is a complex of copper with phthalocyanine.

Phthalo Blue is a deep blue oil paint. When mixed with other colors, it quickly tends toward green. Also, with the addition of chlorine to it, it turns to a lighter green tone than the original prussian blue with the same chemical characteristics. It has to be used with great care, as it is a very powerful tinter and tends to overwhelm other pigments. When used alone, it should be mixed with some white, as it is transparent and almost black on its own. It was also generally a popular oil in Bob Ross's Joy Of Painting show where it is commonly used for sky, water and other such components of a landscape.

Due to its stability, phthalo blue is used in inks, coatings, and many plastics. In application it is transparent. The pigment is insoluble and has no tendency to migrate in the material. It is a standard pigment used in printing ink and the packaging industry.

Phthalocyanine Blue BN is also used as a source material for manufacture of Phthalocyanine Green G.