What’s Different about the Newest Crayola Crayon?

Crayola tells us that blue is America’s favorite color, based on consumer polling. That’s why the crayon makers are excited about the September 2017 unveiling of a new blue crayon, inspired by the discovery of a vibrant blue hue by a research team at Oregon State University in 2009. Called "YInMn Blue" -- for the oxides of the elements yttrium, indium, and manganese that were involved in the experiment -- the accidental discovery will be commercialized by the Shepherd Color Company.

A new blue for you:

• The researchers had mixed and heated different combinations of chemicals and, surprisingly, one of the samples turned a brilliant, never-before-seen shade of blue.
• YInMn is a durable pigment with near-infrared-reflecting properties.
• Crayola’s new blue won’t be exactly the same as the laboratory-synthesized pigment, and will come with a name picked during a consumer contest. The crayon will replace Dandelion, which was apparently not a very popular color.