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EntityQ911922· pop 13· linked from 69 articles

Also known as coloring agent, colouring agent, coloring agents, colouring agents, colorant, colouring matter, coloring matter, barwnik = pigment

A colourant/colour additive (British spelling) or colorant/color additive (American spelling) is a substance that is added or applied in order to change the color of a material or surface. Colourants can be used for many purposes including printing, painting, and for colouring many types of materials such as foods and plastics. Colourants work by absorbing varying amounts of light at different wavelengths (or frequencies) of its spectrum, transmitting (if translucent) or reflecting the remaining light in straight lines or scattered.

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A colourant/colour additive (British spelling) or colorant/color additive (American spelling) is a substance that is added or applied in order to change the color of a material or surface. Colourants can be used for many purposes including printing, painting, and for colouring many types of materials such as foods and plastics. Colourants work by absorbing varying amounts of light at different wavelengths (or frequencies) of its spectrum, transmitting (if translucent) or reflecting the remaining light in straight lines or scattered.

Most colourants can be classified as dyes or pigments, or containing some combination of these. Typical dyes are formulated as solutions, while pigments are made up of solid particles suspended and are generally suspended in a vehicle (e.g., linseed oil). The colour a colourant imparts to a substance is mediated by other ingredients it is mixed with such as binders and fillers are added, for example in paints and inks. In addition, some colourants impart colour through reactions with other substances.

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