White Yeti - 15-6-2012 at 18:38
Carminic acid is a valuable acid extracted from cochineals. Cochineals must be harvested by hand, making carminic acid, E120 and other derivatives
some of the most expensive dyes on the market, averaging in the $130s per gram
As far as I know, E120 is made by precipitating aluminium or calcium carminates out of solution within a defined pH range by adding alum to a solution
of carminic acid obtained by boiling the bodies of dried cochineals.
I was wondering what colour you'd get if you added a soluble iron salt to a solution of carminic acid. I can't find much info on the subject at all,
perhaps because it's a ludicrous idea. Nonetheless, salts and complexes of transition metals tend to have interesting colours and I doubt that iron
carminate is an exception.
Any thoughts?