Performance Matters
Faced with greater performance pressures, coatings manufacturers
need to recognize the key attributes high-performance pigments can deliver
to their formulations—and ultimately their customers.
BY CHRISTINE CANNING ESPOSITO
CONSULTING EDITOR
Answering ever-increasing customer needs for durability, regulatory compliance and color
are absolute essentials for any coatings manufacturer, and high-performance pigments (HPP) can deliver on all
fronts. But admittedly, they do so at a
higher cost. According to SRI
Consulting, classic organic pigment
prices range from $7.50-$20/kg compared to $25-58+/kg for organic HPPs.
The range and capacity of HPP
products continues to expand, stirring
exploration of the benefits more
expensive HPPs can offer in a variety
of coatings end markets. In applications ranging from industrial to automotive to architectural, HPPs can be a
smart solution.
According to industry sources, the
global market for HPPs is estimated to
be in the area of 20,000-25,000 tons.
Some suppliers say the market is set to
grow as end customers demand more
from their finished coatings, and subsequently, paint makers seek out HPP
technologies to answer those requests.
“The HPP market for paint and
coatings continues to grow,” said Brian
E. Leen, corporate vice-president and
general manager, Performance
Pigments – Sun Chemical Corp. “The
demand for more unique appearance
effects along with improved durability
continues to provide significant opportunities for innovation.”
Demand will also be fueled by manufacturers opting to swap traditional
pigments for HPPs. “This replacement
is mainly driven by the ongoing trend
to pigments with higher quality, particularly in tinting systems for industrial and decorative coatings,” said
Falko Orlowski, marketing manager
for automotive and industrial coatings
at Clariant.
While HPPs have always held a
dominant position in the automotive
market, suppliers are looking to other
growth areas including architectural
and industrial paint, as coatings makers recognize that HPPs offer the best
combination of environmental compliance, color, chroma and durability.
“Formulators in architectural coatings are looking for improved performance and durability and better value
in use. Cleaner pigments with higher
chroma offer access to a broader color
gamut. Pigments with improved
resistance to specific environmental
conditions also are of interest,” said
Leen, who noted that both areas offer
opportunities for innovation and are
areas Sun Chemicals’ Performance
Pigments unit is actively pursuing.
Orlowski of Clariant also pointed to
the increased interest in HPPs within
architectural and industrial coatings
sectors. “The introduction of new high
Photo: Sun Chemical
quality tinting systems based on HPP
offers a wide variety of applications
with improved performance,” he said.
“This expands the life cycle of newly
developed tinting systems and reflects
the growing demand for better quality
paints.”
“Historically, high performance pigments brought durability and color,”
said Doug Swank, technical manager
for transportation coatings, Ciba
Specialty Chemicals. “New coloristic
effects and lower film build potential
via more opaque pigments are some
recent areas of focus. Here, formulators are able to reach new levels of colors and save money with lower paint
usage,” he added.
The durable color HPPs can deliver
in demanding environments is helping
carve out an avenue for future growth
in products geared to boost energy efficiency. “We are seeing HPP usage in
roofing coatings; companies are getting away from white and boring,” said
Ray Will, a senior consultant with
SRI, which later this year will publish
