Most of the range is iron oxide. Not all of it is, and on a submittal that difference is the whole question. This is what each code actually is, in both the powder and the liquid line — and why the same number can mean two different chemistries depending on which product you are holding.
The powder line, by chemistry
| Codes | Chemistry | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1xx series, except 118 and 122 | Synthetic and natural iron oxides | The blacks in this series are iron oxide, not carbon black |
| 206, 217, 224, 226, 231, 294 | Iron oxide blended formulations | Blended from the same iron oxide chemistry as the 1xx series |
| 122, 215, 216 | Blends | Published as blends rather than as a single named chemistry |
| 118 | Iron oxide blend | Carries its own data sheet |
| 202 | Ultramarine blue | Not an iron oxide. Separate data sheet |
| 203 | Copper phthalocyanine | Not an iron oxide. Separate data sheet |
| 204 | Chromium oxide green | Not an iron oxide. Separate data sheet |
| 205 | Titanium dioxide | Not an iron oxide. Separate data sheet |
- 1xx series, except 118 and 122 — synthetic and natural iron oxides. The blacks here are iron oxide, not carbon black
- 206, 217, 224, 226, 231, 294 — iron oxide blended formulations, from the same chemistry as the 1xx series
- 122, 215, 216 — blends, published as blends rather than as a single named chemistry
- 118 — iron oxide blend, with its own data sheet
- 202 — ultramarine blue. Not an iron oxide
- 203 — copper phthalocyanine. Not an iron oxide
- 204 — chromium oxide green. Not an iron oxide
- 205 — titanium dioxide. Not an iron oxide
The colors are blended to Direct Colors formulations rather than resold as stock pigment. Codes 118, 202, 203, 204 and 205 each carry their own data sheet and their own safety data sheet, so a sheet covering the main range does not describe them.
The carbon black question
This is the one that decides specifications, and it has two different answers depending on the product:
- Powder, 1xx series — iron oxide, not carbon black. Where a specification excludes carbon black, the 1xx series satisfies that requirement.
- Liquid, code 102 — a carbon black. Its Color Index designation is PBk 7.
So a spec that rules out carbon black rules out the liquid 102, and does not rule out the powder 1xx blacks. The number is not the chemistry.
The liquid line, by Color Index designation
The paste codes are their own set — not the same colors as the powder codes with the same numbers, not the same chemistry in every case. These are the designations a specifier uses to name a pigment:
- 101 Red — synthetic red iron oxide · PR 101 · 77491
- 102 Carbon Black — carbon black, not an iron oxide · PBk 7 · 77266
- 119 Yellow — synthetic yellow iron oxide · PY 42 · 77492
- 201 Blue — copper phthalocyanine, organic · PB 15:0 · 74160
- 204 Chromium Green — chromium oxide green · PG 17 · 77288
- 205 White — titanium dioxide · PW 6 · 77891
- 206 Charcoal — no designation published
Two of the seven liquid codes are blacks and they are not the same product. 102 is a carbon black; 206 is a different black. They sit on different dose ladders, their figures do not transfer, and neither substitutes for the other.
What this means for a submittal
- Name the code, not the family. "Iron oxide pigment" describes part of the range and not the rest of it.
- Ask for the data sheet that names your code. A sheet for the main range does not describe 118, 202, 203, 204 or 205, and a paste sheet does not describe any powder.
- Ask for the safety data sheet by code too. One exists per code, and a sheet for one color does not describe another.
- Do not carry a figure between the two lines in either direction — not a dose, not a chemistry, not a performance claim.
- Where a specification names a standard, raise it with Direct Colors before submittal.
Call 405-275-6657 or write to cs@directcolors.com with the color codes and the project name.
Common questions
Is all Direct Colors concrete pigment iron oxide?
No, and the exceptions matter on a submittal. Most of the powder range is synthetic and natural iron oxide, but codes 202, 203, 204 and 205 are not iron oxides — they are ultramarine blue, copper phthalocyanine, chromium oxide green and titanium dioxide. Each carries its own data sheet and its own safety data sheet.
Are the black pigments carbon black?
It depends which product. In the powder line the blacks in the 1xx series are iron oxide, not carbon black, so where a specification excludes carbon black the 1xx series satisfies that requirement. In the liquid line, code 102 Carbon Black is a carbon black. The two lines do not share chemistry just because they share a number.
Does the same code mean the same pigment in powder and paste?
No. A paste code is not the powder code with the same number, and the chemistry does not track the number either. Confirm the chemistry against the data sheet for the exact product and code you are specifying rather than inferring it from the number.
What is the Color Index designation for each liquid pigment?
Red 101 is PR 101, Color Index 77491. Carbon Black 102 is PBk 7, 77266. Yellow 119 is PY 42, 77492. Blue 201 is PB 15:0, 74160. Chromium Green 204 is PG 17, 77288. White 205 is PW 6, 77891. No Color Index designation is published for Charcoal 206.
Why is no pigment identity published for 206?
Direct Colors publishes no Color Index name and no Color Index number for Charcoal 206, and the absence is deliberate rather than an oversight. It is a black; nothing further about its pigment identity is stated. Where a project requires a declared pigment identity for a black, ask before specifying.
Are these stock pigments?
No. The colors are blended to Direct Colors formulations rather than resold as stock pigment.
What’s Next
- Weight, not volume → Should Liquid Pigment Be Measured by Weight or Volume?
- Which black → Carbon Black 102 vs Charcoal 206
- Production batching → Weighing vs Pumping Liquid Pigment
- Paste and water → Does Liquid Pigment Change the Water-Cement Ratio?
- Every shade and its dose step → Concrete Pigment Color Chart
- The fundamentals → Integral Color Concrete
- Mixing powder → How to Mix Concrete Pigment Powder Without Streaks
- Mixing liquid → How to Use Liquid Concrete Pigment
- Approve the color → How to Make and Approve a Concrete Pigment Test Panel
- Shop → Concrete Powder Pigment · ColorBlast Pro™ Pigment Paste
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
