Graphite

Natural inorganic pigment

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Composition and Properties of Graphite

Graphite in its pure form consists of carbon and is together with diamond one of the modifications of the element carbon. The pigment is absolutely stable, lightfast and compatible with all other pigments.

graphite-crystals

Pigment

graphite-painted-swatch

Painted swatch

Video: 'Graphite' by Smithsonian American Art Museum

Names 

Alternative names

Plumbago, potlot, carbon black

Color Index

PBk 10, CI 77265

Word origin

From German Graphit, coined 1789 by German mineralogist Abraham Gottlob Werner (1750-1817) from Greek graphein “write”. So called because it was used in making pencils.
From Online Etymology Dictionary

Spain Flag

Graphit

German

Spain Flag

Graphite

French

Spain Flag

Grafite

Italian

Spain Flag

Grafito

Spanish

Preparation 

Graphite can be found in nature as a mineral. The pigment is prepared by purification of the natural material. It can also be prepared synthetically by heating coke to a temperature of 3000 °C.

graphite-mineral

Graphite mineral

History of Use 

Graphite black had been in use since antiquity.

Identification

Raman Spectrum

Raman spectrum at the Experimental Physics Laboratory of the University of Minnesota.

 

References

(1) Eugenia P. Tomasini, Emilia B. Halac, María Reinoso, Emiliano J. Di Liscia and Marta S. Maier, Micro-Raman spectroscopy of carbon-based black pigments, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, Special Issue: Raman spectroscopy in art and archaeology, Volume 43, Issue 11, pp. 1671–1675, November 2012.

(2) Alessia Coccato, Jan Jehlicka, Luc Moens and Peter Vandenabeele, Raman spectroscopy for the investigation of carbon-based black pigments, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, Special Issue: 11th International GeoRaman Conference, Volume 46, Issue 10, pages 1003–1015, October 2015. DOI: 10.1002/jrs.4715. Available as pdf.

Further Reading

References

(1) Winter, J. and West FitzHugh, E., Pigments based on Carbon, in Berrie, B.H. Editor, Artists’ Pigments, A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, Volume 4, pp. 1-37.

(2) J. Winter, “The Characterization of Pigments Based on Carbon” Studies in Conservation, 28:49-66, 1983.

(3) Smith, Tony. “A review of carbon black pigments.” Pigment & Resin Technology 12.4 (1983): 14-16.

S. Muntwyler, J. Lipscher, HP. Schneider, Das Farbenbuch, 2nd. Ed., 2023, alataverlag Elsau, p. 64.