The world of inorganic pigments

Abstract Inorganic pigments have been very important substances for human life for thousands of years. They have contributed and continue to contribute to the beautification of our daily life and habitat and to the accentuation and differentiation of objects, and influence thoughts, moods, and feelings. The industrial manufacture of inorganic pigments based on growing chemical and physical knowledge started around 1800. Before that, pigments based on natural materials or manufactured by mostly empirical processes were used. Most of the technically relevant inorganic pigments were developed and first produced on an industrial scale in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Ongoing developments are aiming to improve existing conventional pigments as well as synthesize new, innovative colorants, especially in the classes of effect pigments and functional pigments. The objective of this text is to present comprehensive knowledge about inorganic pigments, including definitions, types of pigments and their properties, historical pigments, modern inorganic pigments, synthesis methods, and applications. It is also intended to show the current status of new pigment developments. Graphical abstract Collection of samples of inorganic pigments