Umbala we-iron oxide uhlobo lombala onokuhlakazeka okuhle, ukumelana nokukhanya okuhle kakhulu, kanye nokumelana nesimo sezulu. Umbala we-iron oxide ubhekisela kakhulu ezinhlotsheni ezine zombala: obomvu we-iron oxide, ophuzi we-iron, omnyama we-iron, kanye nonsundu we-iron, kanye ne-iron oxide njengento eyisisekelo. Phakathi kwazo, umbala obomvu we-iron oxide uwumbala oyinhloko (ohlanganisa cishe u-50%imibala ye-iron oxide), kanye ne-mica iron oxide esetshenziswa njenge-pigment yokulwa nokugqwala kanye ne-magnetic iron oxide esetshenziswa njengezinto zokuqopha ze-magnetic nazo ziyingxenye yesigaba se-imibala ye-iron oxideI-iron oxide iyi-pigment yesibili ngobukhulu ye-inorganic ngemuva kwe-titanium dioxide futhi iyi-pigment enkulu kakhulu ye-inorganic enemibala. Ngaphezu kwama-70% azo zonke izi-pigment ze-iron oxide ezisetshenziswayo zilungiswa ngezindlela zokwenziwa kwamakhemikhali, ezaziwa ngokuthi i-synthetic iron oxide. I-synthetic iron oxide isetshenziswa kabanzi ezintweni zokwakha, ezimbozweni, epulasitikini, kuma-elekthronikhi, kugwayi, emithini, erabha, ezintweni zobumba, kuyinki, ezintweni ezisebenza ngogesi, ekwenzeni iphepha, nakwezinye izinkambu ngenxa yobumsulwa bayo obukhulu bokwenziwa, usayizi wezinhlayiya ezifanayo, i-chromatography ebanzi, imibala eminingi, izakhiwo ezingabizi kakhulu, kanye nezakhiwo ezingezona ezinobuthi, kanye nezakhiwo ezinhle kakhulu zokufaka imibala kanye nokusetshenziswa, kanye nezakhiwo zokumunca i-UV.