Four Steps to Effective Pigment Dispersions

摘要

Pigments are designed and produced to be insoluble particles used to impart color in a variety of materials. They can be classified as organic, inorganic, effect, and functional. The diverse range of pigment chemistries, the end use requirements, and the broad range of colors available create a challenge for chemists in selecting the optimal pigment or additive for a given application. Proper pigment and additive selection is critical in determining the performance of the finished coating as well as the production efficiency. Understanding the various pigment types, properties and chemical families will help the formulator in determining the most effective pigment chemistry and manufacturing processing, thus avoiding potential problems with the final coating and application. This paper focuses on pigment families and their application in waterborne, solventborne and universal dispersions. The theory behind processing, selection of wetting and dispersing agents, and the differences between co-grinding and single pigment dispersion are discussed.