Crayola tells us that blue is America’s favorite color, based on consumer polling. That’s why the crayon makers are excited about the September 2017 unveiling of a new blue crayon, inspired by the discovery of a vibrant blue hue by a research team at Oregon State University in 2009. Called "YInMn Blue" -- for the oxides of the elements yttrium, indium, and manganese that were involved in the experiment -- the accidental discovery will be commercialized by the Shepherd Color Company.
A new blue for you:
- The researchers had mixed and heated different combinations of chemicals and, surprisingly, one of the samples turned a brilliant, never-before-seen shade of blue.
- YInMn is a durable pigment with near-infrared-reflecting properties.
- Crayola’s new blue won’t be exactly the same as the laboratory-synthesized pigment, and will come with a name picked during a consumer contest. The crayon will replace Dandelion, which was apparently not a very popular color.