YInMn Blue (Oregon State University)
FOX NEWS - Scientists at Oregon State University have described their discovery of a vivid new blue pigment that doesn't fade. YInMn Blue, or “MasBlue” as it is known, was found while scientists were researching materials for electronics applications. The team was led by Mas Subramanian, a materials science professor at OSU.
The foundations of the discovery were laid in 2009 when graduate student Andrew Smith was exploring the electronic properties of manganese oxide by heating it to approximately 2,000 degrees. A brilliant blue compound emerged from the furnace, which Subramanian immediately recognized as a research breakthrough.”
“If I hadn’t come from an industry research background – DuPont has a division that developed pigments and obviously they are used in paint and many other things – I would not have known this was highly unusual, a discovery with strong commercial potential,” he said, in a statement.
The pigment is composed of the elements Yttrium, Indium, Manganese and Oxygen.