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Iron Oxide Pigments in the 20th Century | ![]() |
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Pigments | ||
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Iron Oxide Pigments in the 20th Century |
iron oxide pigments in the 20th Century In 1900, U.S. output of natural (mined) iron oxide pigments (IOPs), including ocher, sienna, umber, and ¡°metallic paint¡± was about 39,000 metric tons with a value of $490,000. ¡°Metallic paint¡± was red and brown iron oxides produced by grinding the impure mineral in the natural state. Imports of ocher, sienna, and umber were about 5,000 tons. Other major producing countries of ocher were France with 33,100 tons, the United Kingdom with 15,400 tons, and the German Empire with 11,500 tons. In the early 1900s in the United States, natural IOPs were used mostly in linoleum and readymixed paints. The other category of IOPs, synthetic, is made by a chemical process, such as the Penniman-Zoph precipitation process, which became commercially important around the 1930s. During World War II, many IOP producers geared their operations more closely to war needs such as olive drab and camouflage paints for military vehicles, artillery, and aircraft. Paint for shipbuilding required large quantities of both natural and synthetic red iron oxide. After the war ended, peace time uses resumed, such as farm buildings, box cars, and domestic construction. In 2000, total U.S. output of finished IOPs (natural and synthetic) was 172,000 tons with a value of $171 million. The largest end-use categories for total IOP output were construction (such as cement, mortar, and concrete) and paints and coatings. Total U.S. imports of IOPs (natural and synthetic) were 91,300 tons, with China supplying about 48,000 tons, or 53 %, most of which was synthetic material. (Time : 2011/6/28, Hits : 6032) |
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