Pigment Warnings: Specifically Prussian Blue, Is It Safe?
We often receive questions about the
safety of using certain pigments in encaustic. If you have any questions about the
safety of our paints or the pigments we use, please let us
know. We also hope you check out our safety guidelines and MSDS sheets available for download on our website. To help provide some answers, we've included a recent example of a pigment safety question.
Mike, the Enkaustikos President, received the following question via email:
Mike,
I've been reading about warnings against using Prussian blue in
encaustic paint because of the danger of emission of cyanide gas if the
pigment is heated. Would you please write and tell me why you sell
this paint for use in encaustic (hot cakes) and if this particular
color is sold with specific warnings about its toxicity?
Thank you, Anna
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Mike's response went as follows:
Hello Anna,
As you know all artists grade pigments require safe handling and use. Prussian blue pigment is no exception. We read the same information you did about Prussian blue. Our pigment supplier publishes a MSDS sheet which explains that the decomposition temperature of this pigment is 1112 degrees Fahrenheit. We have a downloadable MSDS sheet on our web so you have all the information available to you. In regards to encaustic painting, your beeswax should never be heated above 200 degrees F or the beeswax will burn and smoke, in addition your damar resin will also begin to break down and lose its working properties. The ideal working temperature is 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit, at this temperature your all of wax paints will be workable and safe to work with. I hope this answers your questions.
Mike