INORGANIC PIGMENT · MATERIAL PAGE
YInMn Blue pigment
- YTTRIUM INDIUM MANGANESE OXIDE
- YIn₁₋ₓMnₓO₃
- COLOUR INDEX PB 86
- DISCOVERY PAPER 2009 [1]
- SPECTRAL PROPERTIES 2016 [2]
A synthetic inorganic blue discovered at Oregon State University in 2009, in which manganese(III) in trigonal bipyramidal coordination acts as the chromophore — the mechanism reported by Smith and co-workers in the Journal of the American Chemical Society [1]. Its ultraviolet-absorbing and near-infrared-reflecting behaviour was characterised separately in Dyes and Pigments in 2016 [2], which is why commercial interest in it is industrial rather than purely aesthetic.
Numeric performance values are grade-specific and belong to the manufacturer’s data sheet for the material quoted, together with the test method used. None are published here.
Technical overview
The pigment’s structure is a hexagonal YMnO₃-type lattice in which manganese(III) sits in a trigonal bipyramidal site rather than the octahedral site typical of most transition-metal oxides. That geometry shifts the electronic transitions so the material absorbs red and green strongly while reflecting blue, giving a saturated hue without the organic chromophores that limit heat and UV durability.
Two properties drive industrial interest. First, stability: as a mixed-metal oxide it tolerates high processing temperatures and is not prone to the fading associated with some organic blues. Second, near-infrared reflectance: a dark-appearing surface that reflects rather than absorbs NIR runs cooler under solar load, which matters for exterior architectural, roofing, automotive and equipment applications.
Cost is the constraint, and indium content is the reason usually given for it. We do not publish a price or a price comparison: cost here is grade-, quantity- and route-dependent and is confirmed during quotation. What the enquiries tell us is consistent — this pigment is specified where its stability or near-infrared behaviour earns the difference, not as a general-purpose blue.
SUPPLY STRUCTURE — WHY THIS MATTERS COMMERCIALLY
Commercialisation runs through a licensee rather than an open market. Multiple independent sources — the licensee’s own product pages, trade media and a university account — describe The Shepherd Color Company as holding the commercial licence and marketing the pigment for industrial coatings and plastics, with artists’ colours reaching the market through separately licensed paint makers. Sources also consistently report that available quantities have been limited.
Any enquiry we handle is therefore a licensee-channel enquiry. We state that rather than implying an independent supply line, and the exact channel, grade and terms are confirmed before we quote.
Where it is used, and where it is only proposed
The categories below describe where the material class is applied or has been proposed in the literature and by its producers. None of them is a statement that a particular grade is approved for your application, and none is a statement that we hold a supply route for that use. Both are established per enquiry.
Industrial & architectural coatings
Where solar reflectance and weathering stability are specified together.
High-temperature systems
Processes where organic pigments would degrade during cure or service.
Specialty automotive
Low-volume and show applications where the blue’s character is the point.
Formulation & R&D
Laboratory evaluation against incumbent cobalt and phthalocyanine blues.
How it differs from the incumbent blues
Buyers evaluating this pigment are almost always comparing it against cobalt blue or a phthalocyanine blue. Only one of those comparisons can be made responsibly from published evidence, so only one is made here.
Composition — established
YInMn Blue is an inorganic mixed-metal oxide in which manganese(III) in trigonal bipyramidal coordination is the chromophore [1]. Cobalt blue is a cobalt aluminate; phthalocyanine blue is an organic copper complex. These are class facts, not performance claims, and they are the reason the three behave differently.
Near-infrared behaviour — the one documented distinction
The published spectral study of YIn₁₋ₓMnₓO₃ characterises it as UV-absorbing and near-infrared reflecting [2]. That is the property most often behind a serious enquiry, because a dark surface that reflects rather than absorbs NIR runs cooler under solar load. We do not publish a reflectance figure here: the value depends on the grade and the measurement method, and belongs to the manufacturer’s data sheet for the material quoted.
Everything else — compare it yourself
Tinting strength, heat stability, lightfastness and dispersion differ by grade, not merely by pigment class, and published figures for different products are rarely measured the same way. A drawdown against your incumbent blue in your own binder system will settle in an afternoon what a comparison table cannot settle at all. Tell us the system and we will quote sample quantities for both where we can.
WHY THERE IS NO COMPARISON TABLE HERE
An earlier draft of this page carried a six-row table rating heat stability, tinting strength, regulatory profile and relative cost across three pigments. Most of those cells were qualitative judgements we could not source at class level, and a tidy table made them look settled. It was removed rather than decorated with a disclaimer.
Colour characteristics, compatibility and handling
Colour character
A clean, slightly violet-leaning blue that holds its hue in tint rather than greying. Masstone and tint appearance should be assessed in your own binder before specification.
Binder compatibility
Grade-dependent and governed by surface treatment. Confirm against the grade’s data sheet and trial in your system — waterborne behaviour in particular varies between grades.
Dispersion
As a dry powder it requires proper dispersion; under-dispersed inorganic pigment shows as reduced colour strength rather than obvious defects, which makes it easy to misjudge.
Storage, handling & transport
Store dry and sealed per the manufacturer’s instruction. Powder handling requires appropriate dust control. Transport classification and any hazard statements follow the safety data sheet for the grade supplied.
Sourcing options
EVALUATION
Sample quantity for drawdowns and comparison against your incumbent blue.
PRODUCTION
Commercial quantity by kilogram, quoted against destination and MOQ.
ALTERNATIVE
Where cost or licence channel is prohibitive, other NIR-reflective inorganic blues may meet the requirement. Cobalt blue remains the incumbent comparison.
REPEAT SUPPLY
Scheduled supply for formulators running the pigment in a production colour.
Frequent questions
How does it compare with cobalt blue?
Both are inorganic and heat-stable. The practical differences are hue character, NIR behaviour, cobalt’s regulatory and toxicological profile, and price. A side-by-side drawdown in your own binder system is the only reliable comparison — the technical article covers this in more detail.
Can it be used in waterborne systems?
Compatibility depends on the specific grade and its surface treatment. Confirm against the manufacturer’s data sheet for the grade quoted, and trial it in your system before committing a production batch.
Why is it expensive?
Indium content and small production volumes. Price therefore moves with metal markets rather than sitting at a stable list level, which is why we quote per enquiry rather than publishing a figure.
What quantities are realistic?
Sample quantities for evaluation and commercial quantities for production are handled differently. State which you need; minimum order quantity is confirmed in the quotation.
Enquire about YInMn Blue availability
State quantity in kilograms, the binder system, the destination and whether you need sample or production volume.