Four Steps to Effective Pigment Dispersions
properties of various color indexes and this provides additional reasoning as to why co-dispersion of pigments is not recommended.
Conclusion
Pigments are a key component in a coating formulation and proper
selection and dispersion is critical in determining the performance
of the coating. In a recent study regarding the requests for technical
assistance received over the past 2 years, it was noted that near-
ly 80% of the formulation issues were resolved by modifying or
changing the pigments being used in the formula. It is a mistake to
assume that all pigments will perform the same from one formula
to another. This assumption could also prove to be costly with re-
spect to the coating development and manufacturing process. The
keys to achieving a stable coating with the optimum performance
and value are: proper pigment selection, proper additive selection,
and the appropriate means to achieve complete dispersion. It is for
this reason that we strongly suggest that formulators consult with
their raw material and equipment suppliers to better understand
their options and potential issues when formulating a coating. CW
References
1. BASF, little helpers love great achievement - Practical Guide
to Dispersing Agents, 2016
2. Hunger, Klaus, Thomas Heber, Martin U. Schmidt, Friedrich
Reisinger, and Stefan Wannemacher. Industrial Organic Pigments
Production, Properties, Applications. Weinheim, Bergstr; Wiley-VHC, 2013. Print.
3. Surface Coatings. London: Chapman & Hall, 1993. Print.
4. “Surface Tension Values of some Common Test Liquids for
Surface Energy Analysis”. N.p.,n.d. Web 29 June 2017
Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge Frank Lavieri, Mark
Freshwater, Ralph Svenningsen, and Belinda DeSousa from
LANSCO COLORS for their contributions.
Table 3. Physical properties for various CI pigments.
