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The world's newest blue pigment YInMn blue (named for the elements used to create it: Yttrium, Indium, Manganese) has now been licensed for commercial use, Artnet recently reported.
The pigment was discovered in Oregon, by a team of chemists at Oregon State University back in 2009 while conducting experiments connected to electronics. YInMn is a blue so cobalt, it looks like it was actually electrified by a ribbon eel. And the process does include electrification. The chemists actually mixed manganese with a variety of chemicals and heated them to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. One of the samples turned into the the vivid, electric, near-neon blue that has become YInMn.
What was more even more astounding, was that the structure of the sample seemed to make it invincible from fading, even when it was exposed to water or oil. The color has peaked an interesest in art restorers due to its durability.
Shepherd Color Company has licensed the patent and has started selling samples of the color. It is still undergoing testing before it will become more available.
Willamette Week