The RMS Titanic’s antifouling paint, as do ships of today, is primarily made of red oxide. Red oxide is an anticorrosive material, and when used directly in paint gives the paint a red colour, and that material makes the paint have anticorrosive qualities. Red oxide is used in paints to protect ferrous metals from corrosion. Some ferrous metals include steel, and wrought iron, both materials Titanic exhibited on the ships draft. Therefore, red oxide was used in the antifouling paint on the ship, and almost all large steel ships of the time, and still today. It is also why this paint is not blue, because the paint did not use blue oxide, or gray oxide, because those oxides are not used to protect ferrous metals, such as the metals utilized on the draft of the Titanic. The specific type of red oxide used was lead (II, IV), which comes from solid minium lead, a mineral. Minium lead is also called ‘Red Lead’. This red oxide was mixed with boiled linseed oil and thinned in mineral turpentine. A key observation must be made here, the only ingredient with any colour is the lead (II, IV) oxide, making that the only pigment of the paint. Also, adding external pigments to an anticorrosive paint seriously diminishes the anticorrosive effects of the oxide. In other words, external pigments make the paint less effective, a few reasonable assumptions can be drawn here. That is no extra pigments were added to the paint, therefore the colour of the red oxide is directly tied to the colour of the paint.
Exhibit (A) Red (II,IV) Oxide, Alibaba.com
According to the Britannic specification book, red lead, which has the Red (II, IV) Oxide was used as the undercoat on many things, such as hatch coamings, so this paint was being used by H&W for sure, and more importantly on this specific class of ship. It is safe to say this noncorrosive material was used.
Exhibit (B) Red Lead on metal.-Alibaba.com
Another key observation must not be ignored. These are what the propeller boss on the wreck shows. Here is an image, that is high quality, with excellent light, and in visible spectrum.
Exhibit (C) Titanic's port wing propeller, - Encyclopedia Titanica.
The issue with this image, and all images of this propeller, is it is taken underwater. So to make this the true colour, we must colour correct it to get rid of the "blueing". This is the result of the colour correction.
Exhibit (D)
Conclusion
This is the colour that is believed best represents the evidence from the wreck, and other evidence brought up in this article for the lead oxide based paint on RMS Titanic. Whilst not conclusive evidence, (When it comes to colours, nothing can be 100%), the colour below is consistent with red lead anticorrosion paints, the primary ingredient of which having not changed since its initial widespread use in the mid to late 19th century.
The hex is #a83a36
The RGB is 168, 58, 54
The CMYK is %, 65%, 68%, 34%
The HSV is 3°, 68%, 66%
The HSL is 3°, 51%, 44%
Exhibit (A) Red (II,IV) Oxide, Alibaba.com
According to the Britannic specification book, red lead, which has the Red (II, IV) Oxide was used as the undercoat on many things, such as hatch coamings, so this paint was being used by H&W for sure, and more importantly on this specific class of ship. It is safe to say this noncorrosive material was used.
Exhibit (B) Red Lead on metal.-Alibaba.com
Another key observation must not be ignored. These are what the propeller boss on the wreck shows. Here is an image, that is high quality, with excellent light, and in visible spectrum.
Exhibit (C) Titanic's port wing propeller, - Encyclopedia Titanica.
The issue with this image, and all images of this propeller, is it is taken underwater. So to make this the true colour, we must colour correct it to get rid of the "blueing". This is the result of the colour correction.
Exhibit (D)
Conclusion
This is the colour that is believed best represents the evidence from the wreck, and other evidence brought up in this article for the lead oxide based paint on RMS Titanic. Whilst not conclusive evidence, (When it comes to colours, nothing can be 100%), the colour below is consistent with red lead anticorrosion paints, the primary ingredient of which having not changed since its initial widespread use in the mid to late 19th century.
The hex is #a83a36
The RGB is 168, 58, 54
The CMYK is %, 65%, 68%, 34%
The HSV is 3°, 68%, 66%
The HSL is 3°, 51%, 44%
