Selection Of Pigments for Color Application - Wednesday 2:15 - 4:15

Pigments are chemicals that absorb and scatter visible radiations and are generally dispersed in a medium to create an appearance, known as color. There are over 800 commercially available pigments, about 90% organic (based on C, H, N, type elements) and the rest inorganic (based on metals like Fe, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr, Bi etc.), which offer several choices in shades, cost of use, and other properties. Color formulator’s common dilemma is, “Pigments” what is a good combination for my needs?

Organic pigments offer high chroma, bright hues, and a variety of opacity, durability and other key properties which determine their suitability in specific applications. Inorganic pigments on the other hand are opaque, have relatively dull hues and lower tinting strength, but good resistance to chemicals, and weathering properties. A combination of key organic and inorganic pigments is very important to achieve a most cost-effective color recipe for the given application.

Organic pigments, although relatively large in number, can be classified in two main chemical types, Azo, and Polycyclic, however, offer a few choices in physical and chemical properties. Light & weather fastness, heat stability, opacity and other properties vary from poor to excellent depending on chemistry and particle size. It is very important to understand these limitations for proper selection of organic pigments for a given application. In this presentation, discussion will focus on basic chemistry, physical and chemical properties, and a comprehensive guide to selection of pigments for your coloration needs. 

Bio

Romesh Kumar is with Heubach Colorants. His expertise includes colorants & applications, color measurement and other related subjects. He began his career with American Hoechst Corporation, and has been affiliated with the pigment industry for over 41 years. His job functions included training colleagues and promoting new technologies. He teaches “Pigments for Coatings” educational programs for coatings professionals at University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg), and North Dakota State University (Fargo). Educated at Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) has made several presentations at both national and international events.

The Inter-Society Color Council advances the knowledge of color as it relates to art, science, industry and design.
Each of these fields enriches the others, furthering the general objective of color education.