This dye has been used to demonstrate aluminum deposits. Care should be taken with its identification as the supplying companies use the names eriochrome cyanin R and alizarol cyanin R for another dye, CI 43820, but Conn gives these two names as synonyms for this compound.

The name aluminon is given to the ammonium salt rather than the sodium salt shown, and the name aurintricarboxylic acid is given to the free acid, sometimes with the addendum sodium salt or ammonium salt for Chrome violet CG and aluminon respectively.