lead carbonate
Noun: A white, solid chemical compound, primarily basic lead carbonate (2PbCO₃·Pb(OH)₂), historically used as a pigment. It is toxic due to its lead content.
This term is used specifically to refer to the chemical compound, especially in historical, artistic, and industrial contexts. It is often associated with its common name, "white lead." * The analysis confirmed the presence of lead carbonate in the paint layers of the antique doll. * Lead carbonate was a key component in many white paints and primers until its toxicity was widely understood.
- Historical Context: The term is frequently used when discussing historical painting techniques, conservation, and the history of materials science.
- Art conservators must take special precautions when handling works that contain lead carbonate.
- White Lead: The common name for basic lead carbonate pigment.
- Cerussite: The mineral form of lead carbonate (PbCO₃), which is a different chemical structure from the pigment form.
- Flake White (specifically an artists' pigment made from lead carbonate)
- Cremnitz White (another historical artists' pigment variant)
The primary meaning refers to the toxic pigment. In a strict mineralogical context, "lead carbonate" can also refer to the pure compound (PbCO₃), but in common usage (especially regarding pigments), it almost always denotes the basic form.
- a poisonous white pigment that contains lead