Researchers characterized four commercial blue pigments with three conservation binders using thermal analysis, ATR-FTIR, SEM-EDS, and microscopy, revealing marked differences in thermal behavior and predominantly non-homogeneous pigment-binder mixtures. Most notably, a commercial manganese blue contained no detectable manganese, while 11 of 12 pigment-binder combinations showed non-uniform behavior, highlighting the value of verifying material composition and compatibility before conservation use.
