Lead(II) chromate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formulaPbCrO4. It is a yellow orange solid that is very poorly soluble in water. It occurs also as the mineral crocoite. It is used as a pigment.
Structure of PbCrO4 as determined by X-ray crystallography. Color code: red = O, dark gray = Pb, light gray = Cr.
Two polymorphs of lead chromate are known, orthorhombic and the more stable monoclinic form. Monoclinic lead chromate is used in paints under the name chrome yellow, and many other names.[2] Lead chromate adopts the monazite structure, meaning that the connectivity of the atoms is very similar to other compounds of the type MM'O4. Pb(II) has a distorted coordination sphere being surrounded by eight oxides with Pb-O distances ranging from 2.53 to 2.80 Å. The chromate anion is tetrahedral, as usual.[3] Unstable polymorphs of lead chromate are the greenish yellow orthorhombic form and a red-orange tetragonal form.[2]
Related lead sulfochromate pigments are produced by the replacement of some chromate by sulfate, resulting in a mixed lead-chromate-sulfate compositions Pb(CrO4)1−x(SO4)x. This replacement is possible because sulfate and chromate are isostructural. Since sulfate is colorless, sulfochromates with high values of x are less intensely colored than lead chromate.[6] In some cases, chromate is replaced by molybdate.[2]
Heating in hydroxide solution produces chrome red, a red or orange powder made by PbO and CrO3. Also, in hydroxide solution lead chromate slowly dissolves forming plumbite complex.
Despite containing both lead and hexavalent chromium, lead chromate is not acutely lethal because of its very low solubility. The LD50 for rats is only 5,000 mg/kg. Lead chromate must be treated with great care in its manufacture, the main concerns being dust of the chromate precursor. Lead chromate is highly regulated in advanced countries. As one of the greatest threats comes from inhalation of particles, so much effort has been devoted to production of low-dust forms of the pigment.[2]
In the 1800s, the product was used to impart a bright yellow color to some types of candy.[7] It is used (illegally) to enhance the color of certain spices, particularly turmeric,[8][9] particularly in Bangladesh.[10][11]
Unlike other lead-based paint pigments, lead chromate is still widely used, especially in road marking paint.[12]
^ abcdErkens, LJH; Hamers, H.; Hermans, RJM; Claeys, E.; Bijnens, M. (2001). "Lead chromates: A Review of the State of the Art in 2000". Surface Coatings International Part B: Coatings Transactions. 84 (3): 169–176. doi:10.1007/BF02700395. S2CID94606296.
^Quareni, S.; de Pieri, R. "A Three-Dimensional Refinement of the Structure of Crocoite, PbCrO4" Acta Crystallographica 1965, volume 19, p287-p289. doi:10.1107/S0365110X65003304
^Monico, Letizia; Janssens, Koen; Hendriks, Ella; Vanmeert, Frederik; Van Der Snickt, Geert; Cotte, Marine; Falkenberg, Gerald; Brunetti, Brunetto Giovanni; Miliani, Costanza (2015). "Evidence for Degradation of the Chrome Yellows in Van Gogh's Sunflowers: A Study Using Noninvasive In Situ Methods and Synchrotron-Radiation-Based X-ray Techniques". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 54 (47): 13923–13927. doi:10.1002/anie.201505840. PMID26482035. S2CID2268072.
