Metallic Pigments
Coatings World caught up with Sun Chemical’s Dr. Aaron Hollman, Global Product
Manager Effect Pigments, Performance Pigments, and discussed the latest market and
technology trends in the metallic pigments market.
by Tim Wright, Editor
Coatings World: Silver consistently tops the list of most popular
colors for automotive. Are there any colors that are catching up
to silver?
Dr. Aaron Hollman, global product manager effect pigments,
performance pigments, Sun Chemical: Silver has enjoyed the top
spot in automotive coatings for the past decade. It is difficult to
predict how long this trend will continue because color popularity varies by region. Growing demand for cars in emerging
markets will certainly have an impact on future trends. Fortunately for aluminum manufacturers, consumers in China, Brazil
and India seem to enjoy the sophisticated look of silver.
Coatings World: What about end-use applications? Where is the
strongest demand for metallic pigments coming from? Are there
any up and coming application areas to note?
Hollman: Industrial and automotive coating applications show the
strongest demand for metallic pigments. Emerging areas are con-
sumer coil coating, architectural paint, digital ink and securities.
Coatings World: What are your customers looking for in terms
of new effects and styling options and what technologies have
you developed to answer their needs?
Hollman: Our customers are always looking for finer, brighter aluminum pigments. This has certainly been a primary area of focus
of our R&D department. Another area of focus has been to improve the functional properties of larger particle size aluminums.
Some of our new encapsulation technologies allow formulators to
enjoy the sparkle, brilliance, and travel of large flakes while providing the hiding power and shear stability of smaller flakes.
Coatings World: What are some challenges from a technical perspective when dealing with metallic pigments, and what advances
has your R&D lab introduced?
Hollman: Sun Chemical recognizes the importance of developing
technologies geared towards sustainability. One key technical
challenge with aluminum pigments is long-term stability in aqueous systems. Our new SunMetallics HydraCirc technology pro-
32 | Coatings World
www.coatingsworld.com
June 2011
