Emil Wich
Sandoz Color & Chemicals
Pigments Department
East Hanover, New Jersey 07936
The Colour lndex
An extensive international compilation of the structure
and properties of dyes and pigments, as well as a system
of numbering these materials, the Colour Index is a po-
tentially valuable tool for all users of colorants. For lack
offamiliarity it is not as widely used as it should be. This
paper describes the Colour lndex and how to use it.
History
Prior to the discovery of Mauve and the founding of the coal
tar industry by Perkin in 1856, the number of colorants
available for use in dyeing and manufacturing processes was
very limited. Other workers were encouraged by this dis-
covery to produce new coloring matters, and the increase
in the number which became available soon created the
need for a reference book.
This need was first met by J. W. Slater who compiled The
Manual of Colors and Dyewares published in London in
1870 with a second edition in 1882. Colorants were listed
strictly in alphabetical order and the same system was fol-
lowed by G . H. Hurst in the Dictionary of the Coal Tar
Colours, also published in London in 1892, with a second
edition in 1896, and by C. Rawson, W. M. Gardner and W.
F. Laycock in their Dictionary of Dyes, Mordants and
Other Compounds used in Dyeing and Calico Printing,
released in 1901 and again in 1905 and 1926.
I n 1885 the need existed for a more systematic method
for listing dyes and pigments according to their hues ar-
ranged in spectral order. This was done by W. R. Rich-
ardson in his A Classijkation of the Coal Tar Colours
giving their commercial names, chemical nomenclature, and
chemical formulae.
This was followed in 1888 by Tabellarische Ubersicht
der im ~andelbe~ndlichenkunstlicherOrganischen
Farbstoffe compiled in Germany by G. Schultz and P.
Julius, classifying the colorants solely by chemical structure.
This was the best publication to date and remained the
standard text on the subject for forty years. Seven editions
were published between 1888 and 1939. An English
translation of the second edition was published in England
0 1977 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Volume 2, Number 2, Summer 1977
in 1894, a second edition of the translation in 1904 and a
reprint in 1908.
Development of the British dye industry necessitated by
the 1914-18 war again brought to mind the need for a
current survey of available commercial dyes and this was
undertaken by the Society of Dyers and Colourists. This
resulted in the publishing of the first Colour Index in 1924
and a Supplement in 1928 with F. M. Rowe as the Editor.
The example of Schultz and Julius was followed in ar-
ranging the dyes according to their chemical constitution.
It became apparent that frequent supplements would be
required to keep the Colour Index up to date but the
worldwide economic depression of the early 1930’s pre-
vented this. In the late 1930’s consideration was given to
updating the current index, but the outbreak of the war in
1939 prevented any further work.
At the termination of the war in 1945, the Society of
Dyers and Colourists took up the work again and asked the
assistance of the American Association of Textile Chemists
and Colorists, who readily accepted. Review of the format
of the Colour Index disclosed that while listing by chemical
constitution was desired by most color chemists, it was by
no means the best arrangement for users of colorants since
it made no provision for listing dyes whose constitution was
unknown or had not been disclosed. As a result it was de-
cided to divide the Colour Index into two parts: one part
(Part I ) to contain the colorants grouped according to their
recognized usage categories, the dyes or pigments them-
selves being arranged in spectral hue order, and the second
part (Part 11) to contain the colorants arranged according
to their chemical constitutions. Each colorant in Part I was
given a usage number, e.g., C. I. Acid Yellow 1, and each
constitution in Part I1 a five-digit number, e.g., C. I. 10316,
which made the necessary cross-referencing very simple.
It was also decided to have a third part (Part 111) to consist
essentially of an alphabetical listing of commercial names
together with the Part I and Part I1 numbers. This second
edition of the Colour Zndex was published in 1956, Part I
consisting of two volumes and Parts I1 and I11 of one volume
each. It was intended to keep the Index up to date by issuing
supplementary volumes as occasion demanded, and the first
supplement to the second edition was published in 1963.
Since the Colour Index had now been established as the
77
leading work in the field of colorant classification, is the
most valuable reference for manufacturers and users, and
is officially recognized by departments of many govern-
ments for both scientific and commercial purposes, the
demand for the second edition led to its going out of print
long before it was originally expected. The need for a
completely revised and enlarged third edition was made
evident by the increase in the number of generic names of
individual dyes and pigments from approximately 6,000 in
the second edition to approximately 8,000 in the second
edition and supplement, an increase of 33% in seven
years.
Third Edition of the Colour Index
The third and latest edition of the Colour Index, published
in 197 I , consists of five volumes. Volumes 1-3 contain, in
labular form, the technical information for each C. I.
Generic Name, and Vol. 4 gives the structural formula
where known or disclosed, together with an outline of the
method of preparation and literature references. The entries
in Vol. 1-3 and Vol. 4 are crossreferenced. Volume 5 con-
tains lists of manufacturers and code letters allocated to
them, the C. 1. Generic Names Index, and an alphabetical
Commercial Names Index. The format of the third edition
is described in Table I.
A reference book of this type can never be final, and
additions and amendments as well as corrections of errors
become necessary. Additions are handled in the following
way. Requests for Colour Index generic names for Amer-
TABLE I. Format of the third edition of the Colouf Index.
ican dyes, and for dyes from all countries in Central and
South America, excluding British possessions, are directed
to the Colour Zndex Editorial Committee of the American
Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, a subcom-
mittee of the AATCC Publications Committee. These re-
quests are forwarded to the Colour Index Editorial Board
of the Society of Dyers and Colourists in England. Requests
for names from all other countries are referred directly to
the English Board, who alone assigns the names. The Cof-
our Index is published by the Society of Dyers and Col-
ourists with acknowledgment to the American Association
of Textile Chemists and Colourists for its contribution of
technical information. The AATCC Editorial Committee
sees all the additions and amendments and corrections of
errors at several stages.
In order to keep the Colour Index up to date, not only will
the additions and amendments be issued quarterly, but Vol.
5 , which contains the commercial names indexed alpha-
betically and under the C. 1. Generic Names, will be
brought up to date and issued in revised form at possibly
five-year intervals.
Between the date of publication of the third edition of the
Colour Zndex (November 197 1) and July 1974, there were
twelve issues of “Additions and Amendments.” (Products
no longer available from a given manufacturer were deleted
from the listings.) All of this information has been expanded
and consolidated into two volumes and published in 1975
as: Revised Vol. 5 (updated replacement for current Vol.
5) and Supplement-Vol. 6 (supplementary information to
Vols. 1-4 contained in Additions and Amendments 1 -
12).

Vol. Generic Name of Colorant Class Number of Listings

How to Use the Colour Index

1783
When dyes are bought and sold, the user may be inter-
1 AcidDyes
Azoic Coloring Matters ested in finding a substitute or alternate source of supply,
Coupling Components 113 particularly if it is in short supply. A salesman may wish to
Diazo Components 140
373
know which of his products to offer as a replacement for one
Basic Dyes
2 Developers 26 now being used by his customer. A manufacturer may wish
Direct Dyes 1319 to recommend a dye or pigment suitable as a colorant for
Disperse Dyes 752
269
his product and may not favor a particular dye manufac-
Fluorescent Brighteners
Food Dyes 56 turer. This is accomplished through the listing of dyes or
Ingrain Dyes 22 pigments by Colour Index generic name. By definition, the
Leather Dyess -
C. 1. Name and Number are the generic name and number
3 Mordant Dyes 598
Natural Dyes 93 assigned to a given product according to its general usage,
Oxidation Bases 35 e.g., acid dyes, basic dyes, solvent dyes, pigments, etc.
Pigments 633
526
For example, if one knows the trade name of a solvent-
Reactive Dyes
Reducing Agents 13 soluble dye used for coloring plastics and wishes to find the
Solvent Dyes 582 Colour Index Number and the manufacturer, he would
Sulphur Dyes 180
17
refer to the alphabetical product listing in Vol. 5 for that
Condense Sulfur Dyes
Vat Dyes 422 dye. Taking Calco Oil Red D as an example, p. 5392 of
Total 7952b revised Vol. 5 shows ACY as the code letters for the man-
4 Chemical Constitutions ufacturer, C. I. Solvent Red 24 as the generic Colour Index
Intermediate Compounds
5 Manufactures and Code Name Name and Number, and C. I. 26105 as the C. I. Constitu-
Generic Index tion Number. The identity of the manufacturer can be
Alphabetical Index verified by referring to the forepart of Vol. 5 which indicates
Use category for previously listed dyes. ACY as being American Cyanamid. If one wishes to find
Including additions and Amendments Nos. 1-8. other manufacturers of the same product, he would refer

70 COLOR research and application

 C.I. Solvent Red 24-37

FASTNESS

Hue us.ux
5 5:

24 26105 I D ~ s ~ r o Red- Good 184- 120 Insol Unalt Unalt Hydrocarbon r o l ~ e n f i ,

Bluish Red 185 (mineral oil) oils. fats and n a c s in
(recryst) shoe and floor polisher
A'otr: Some brands are mixtures of homologous and/or i w - in petrol, oils and
rneric dyes (e.g. with C.I. Solvent Re& 27 and 23) and the greases, \vwd stains.
fastnesn and solubility prapertiea vary accordingly soap, polyrr).rer.e. N C
CF and oily resin 13:
qucn and varnishes.
Cellulose acecate and
acrylic resins
Aka used as an indlcarol

SOLUBILITY IN
CJ.
-=- 1
*x
Y .
9: 2 - " - a
c"g x,
z -
$7 -5: $!
5 +, 9 . 5 ; solvent
g$9 =s.2 $=-k
; *:A3
xg
; k'd B .:z
Eg 2 Red
<-
2
*
=
c
i) ": z z z 0 3 z; 9'5 E 2% g g

0 !5- 0 0.12- - SS 0.02- - 0-38- - - 0.08- 0.26- - VS S 0.2-5 0.03- - a

J ? 3 1 1 1 5 1

to the C. I. Generic Names Index, also in revised Vol. 5,
where the listing for C. I. Solvent Red 24 on p. 5273 shows
that NAC (National Aniline), GAF (General Aniline
Corporation), and SDH (Hilton Davis) are among the
many listed as being manufacturers of the same or similar
products, with the trade name indicated for each manu-
facturer.
If technical information for this product is desired, the
reader can refer top. 3594 and 3595 of Vol. 3 to locate the
data shown in Fig. 1 on chemical class, hue, fastness, usage,
and solubility in various solvents. The chemical constitution
of this product is given on p. 4227 of Vol. 4, reproduced in
part in Fig. 2, as the product obtained by coupling 4-o-to-
lylazo-o-toluidine with 2-naphthol. By definition, the C. 1.
Constitution Number (five-digit number) is the number for
a given product according to its chemical classification,e.g.,
monoazo, disazo, triphenylmethane, anthraquinone, etc.
If the trade name of a pigment is known, the same pro-
cedure is followed to determine the information desired. The
entry for Monastral Fast Blue BF, as indicated on p. 5618
of Revised Volume 5, lists DUP (du Pont) as the manu-
facturer, C. I. Pigment Blue 15 as the generic Colour Index
name and number, and C. I. 74160 as the C. I. Constitution
Number. Some Colour Index numbers, particularly for the
pigments, are divided in subgroups to indicate different
physical properties or different salts of a colorant having
the same basic chemical constitution. Different physical
forms of a given dye or pigment are also listed under the
same C. I. number. For example, aqueous dispersions,
plastic chips or concentrates, flushings in vehicles for
printing inks and in plasticizers for plastics, dry toners, and
presscake of phthalocyanine blue are all listed as C. I.
Pigment Blue 15. In this case, C. I. Pigment Blue 15 is the
alpha-type red-shade crystallizing, 15:1 the alpha-type
red-shade nonflocculating, 15:3 the beta-type green-shade,
and 15:4 the beta-type green-shade nonflocculating pig-
ment. In the case of Permanent Red 2B (C. I. Pigment Red
48), however, Pigment Red 48 is the sodium salt, 48:l the
barium salt, 48:2 the calcium salt, 48:3 the strontium salt,
and 48:4 the manganese salt. These subgroups are of great
assistance to the end user in selecting colorants for a specific
purpose.

FIAT 764 - Sudan Red BB I

Soluble in ethanol and one

Vtry .oluhlc in b e m e
HISO, conc. - bluish gmn;on dilution - red ppt.

FIG. 2. Chemical structure of C. I. Solvent Red 24, found on p. 4227 of Vol. 4 of the Colour Index.

Vdunw 2, Number 2, Summer 1977 79

 ~-
74160 C.1. Pigment Blue 15 (Hngbt Mvr)
\
c=s
. " s\- c/
Vanous methods, e.g. -
(1) Heat phthalonitrile with cupmus chloride at 180-200"C
(2) Heat phthalic anhydride, phthalimide or phthalamide with a
copper salt and urea, cyanoguanidine or p-toluenesulfonamide and
cuprous (or cupric) chloride in prracnce of ammonium molybdate or
arsenic oxide (phthalic anhydridelurea process)
(3) Impregnate the fibre with 1,3-diiminoisoindoline and a copper
palr and heat in presence of reducing agents to form copper hthalo-
cyanine in sifu. T h i s pncumr is Phthalogen Brilliant Blue I F k (C.I.
Ingrain Blue 2); when a nickel salt U used. nickel phthalocyanine is
formed in situ yielding a nore greenish blue than the bright blue dyeing
ohtamed ,with a copper uIt-FBy. BP 698039. 698049. 698070; Bau-
mann. Bienert. R a u h , Vollrnann and Wolf, Angew. C'hcm. 68 (1956),
133-150; F. Cund. J.S.D.C.. 76 (1960) 151-158
FIG. 3. Chemical structure and related information on C. I. Pigment Blue 15, found on p. 4618 of Vol. 4 of the CoIour Index.
Continuing with C. I. Pigment Blue 15, under the generic
names listing on p. 5235-6 of Revised Vol. 5 the various
manufacturers of this product are listed. For technical in-
formation one must refer to Vol. 3, p. 3344-5, and for the
chemical constitution, Vol. 4, p. 46 18 (Fig. 3). This figure
illustrates the wealth of background information provided
in the Colour Index.
Other technical information is found in the Colour Index
which may be of interest in solving certain problems. If one
has a colorant which has performed successfully in his
product and he wishes to find other colorants of the same
general chemical structure, this information can be located
in the Colour Index.
In the case of C. I. Solvent Red 24, C. I. 26105, previously
referred to as having the general chemical classification of
a disazo dye, by referring to the section on those dyes in the
Colour Index, p. 4225 of Vol. 4, it is noted that there are
18 dyes in the series C. 1.26000-C. I. 26150, dyes without
-COOH, -SO,H, or -S02NHz salt forming groups. This
could lead by crossreference to the selection of other dyes
for a given end use application. In the case of C. I. Pigment
Blue 15, C. I. 74160, by referring to the section on
phthalocyanine dyes and pigments on p. 4617 of Vol. 4 of
the Colour Index, additional information is found con-
cerning the general classification of phthalocyanine dyes
and pigments.
The fact that most dyes (but, in general, not pigments,
although there are some) are mixtures even though they are
classified under a single C . 1. Name and Constitution
Number, is well known. In some cases, the designation
"similar to" is noted. This variation is attributed to the
presence of subsidiary dyes normally formed during man-
ufacture, by the presence of isomers in the intermediates
and as a result unintentionally present in the finished
product in some reacted form.
Variations within a C. I. name, however, may be made
80
~~
D~JCOUWWI - Dandridye, Drerher and 'I'homar 1928
Scottish Dyes, BP 322169
I.C.I.. BP 41O814, 464126, 476243
American Cynnnmid Co., USP 2460779. 2460783
Du Pont, USP 2452606
Montecatini. BP 503029
Roberta Chemical Co., USP 2471794
Sherwin-Williams Co., BP 640576, 648688
Standard Ultramarine Co., USP 2469663
Wiswall, USP 2486351
BIOS 960, 33 - Heliogen Blue B
FD 2696/46 (PB 74220)
FIAT 1309, 8; 1313, 111, 273-385 - Heliogen Blue B
Dent & Linstead, JCS (1934). 1027
Dent, Linstead & Lowe, JCS (1934). 1033
Barren, Dent & Lidstead, JCS (1936), 1719
Dahlen, Ind. Eng. C h .(1939). 839
de Diesbach, et al., Heir. Chim. Acto. 10 (192i). 886
Haddock, JSDC. 61 (1945). 68; Rescorch. l(1948). 685
Hamm & Norman, J . Appi. Phys. 19 (19+8). 109;
I.C.I., JSDC, 52 (1936), 22
Stadlinger, Chon. 2.60 (19361, 315
vop Susich, FIAT 1313. 111, 446
Tarantino. Stubbs. Cooke & \Ielsheimer, C a h Trrh. mi.
No. 902 (1951)
Chinolfi, Ind. vmricr (Milon).9 (1955\, 181
Biplow & Perkins, Allen, L&r, SVO. 658
Soluble in 98% H,SO,
Inaoluble in wuter. alcohol and hvdnrarhnns
HaSOI conc. -olive dlution: on dilution - blur pm-ipituitc
intentionally to indicate a brighter or duller shade, or a
shade shifted from yellow to redder, green to bluer, etc., by
the addition of another intermediate during the course of
manufacture. These dissimilar and chemically different
types have been classified under the same C. I. name and
Constitution Number, the justification being that the
Constitution Number shows the major component cor-
rectly.
With this in mind, most buyers and users of dyes and
pigments know that small differences can and do exist
among various samples that have the same C. I. name, and
that samples of products claimed to be the same C. I. name
must and should be evaluated in their own particular end
use product to determine any variations.
Conclusions
The usefulness of the Colour Index as a reference and aid
to the buyer, user, and the salesman is well established. The
U. S. Tariff Commission also makes use of the Colour
Index generic names in reporting the volume of dyes and
pigments manufactured, sold, or imported in its annual
statistical report. With the cooperation of the various
manufacturers and careful editing of information by the
Editorial and Publication Committees, the Colour Index
can be made even more useful in the future.
The Colour Index (3rd ed., revised) is published by the
Society of Dyers and Colourists, P. 0. Box 244, Perkin
House, 82 Grattan Road, Bradford, Yorkshire BDl 2JB,
England (Vols. 1-4, 1971; Vols. 5 (revised), 6, 1975). It is
available in the U. S. from American Association of Textile
Chemists and Colorists, P. 0. Box 12215, Research
Triangle Park, N. C. 27709.
The illustrations in this article are 0 1975 by the Society
of Dyers and Colourists and the American Association of
Textile Chemists and Colorists (all rights reserved) and are
reprinted with permission.
COLOR research and application