Kermes

Property Data
Common name
Suggested name
Other names
C.I. number
C.I. name
Class
Ionisation
Solubility aqueous
Solubility ethanol
Absorption maximum
Colour
Empirical formula
Formula weight
 Kermes
Kermes
Kermesic acid
75460
Natural red 3
Natural
Acid
Soluble at boiling
–
276, 312, 498
Yellow-red
C16H10O8
330.3

Kermes is one of the oldest dyes known, being mentioned in the Bible book of Genesis (38:28) as scarlet or crimson. It is obtained from the bodies of an insect, Kermes ilices (formerly known as Coccus ilicis). It is chemically very similar to carmine and, as the older name indicates, the insects are related to those from which carmine is obtained. Although it forms bright crimson lakes, it is not used in histotechnology.

Compare this dye with other dyes obtained from the bodies of insects, Carmine and Lac.

 

Reference
Susan Budavari, Editor, (1996)
The Merck Index, Ed. 12
Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA

 


 
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Last updated May 2005.