Phthalocyanine - Applications

Applications

Approximately 25% of all artificial organic pigments are phthalocyanine derivatives. Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) dyes are produced by introducing solubilizing groups, such as one or more sulfonic acid functions. These dyes find extensive use in various areas of textile dyeing (Direct dyes for cotton), for spin dyeing and in the paper industry. Direct blue 86 is the sodium salt of CPC-sulfonic acid whereas direct blue 199 is the quaternary ammonium salt of the CPC-sulfonic acid. The quaternary ammonium salts of these sulfonic acids are used as solvent dyes because of their solubility in organic solvents, e.g. Solvent Blue 38 and Solvent Blue 48. The dye derived from cobalt phthalocyanine and an amine is Phthalogen Dye IBN. 1,3-Diiminoisoindolene, the intermediate formed during phthalocyanine manufacture, used in combination with a copper salt affords the dye GK 161.

All major artists' pigment manufacturers produce variants of copper phthalocyanine, designated color index PB15 (blue) and color indexes PG7 and PG36 (green).

Phthalocyanine is also commonly used as a dye in the manufacture of high-speed CD-R media. Most brands of CD-R use this dye except Taiyo Yuden and Verbatim DataLife (which use cyanine and azo dyes, respectively).