Are iron oxide pigments sustainable? If you look at the prehistoric paintings, for example in the Altamira cave, you can answer this question in the affirmative with a clear conscience. These works of art have survived for thousands of years. However, the effort that goes into preserving them today – for example to prevent damage caused by the moisture in the air that visitors breathe – raises another question: How sustainable are our own pigments really?
Complacency would be out of place. After all, nothing is more embarrassing than when a flaw in reasoning becomes apparent.
What good is the most sustainable pigment if people’s tastes change and the painting is no longer appreciated at some point? Theoretically, the pigments could be recycled – but is it worth it given the low material value? So is this really sustainable?
The term “sustainability” currently remains vague and open to interpretation. France considers nuclear power to be sustainable, while some environmental associations explicitly do not classify wood as a heating material as sustainable. And almost everyone is backing e-mobility. What is missing is a universally valid, precise definition.
But how do we, as a manufacturer of FERROXON pigments, deal with this question? Our answer: we provide facts and leave the assessment of sustainability to others.
Iron oxide is non-toxic, non-flammable and insoluble in water. It is one of the most abundant raw materials on earth. Finely ground, it becomes a high-quality pigment. Production, especially grinding and mixing, is energy-intensive – which is why we at Schlieper & Heyng have been using electricity from hydropower for many years. We are also increasingly using raw materials from recycling processes to produce color-intensive pigments. Even scrap steel is used in pigment synthesis.
Our conclusion: With our FERROXON iron oxides, we offer a product that will not only have its place today, but also in the future – sustainable and durable.