Pigments: Coloring the World: Unique Insights
into the Latest Trends Shaping the Global Paints and Coatings 

Properties
and Types of Pigments



Colorants are finely ground, solid coloring materials that are insoluble in the
vehicle or medium in which they are suspended. The major properties of colorants
that determine their usage are color, chemical composition, particle size and
texture, lightfastness, tinting strength, and permanence.



In terms of chemical composition, colorants can be classified into inorganic
and organic classes. Common inorganic colorants include iron oxides (red,
yellow, brown), chromium oxide (green), cadmium sulfide and selenide (yellow,
orange), ultramarine blue, and carbon black. Organic colorants are aromatic
compounds derived mostly from coal tars or petroleum products. These include
phthalocyanine blues and greens, quinacridone reds and violets, dioxazine
violets, diarylide yellows, and various azo colorants.



The size of Pigments
 particles affects properties like
transparency, tinting strength, texture, and permanence of the pigment. Finely
ground particles give more transparent and intense colors whereas coarsely
grounded ones appear dull. Some colorants need to be dispersed at a particular
grade for best performance.



Lightfastness is the ability of a pigment to retain its color when exposed to
light, moisture, pollution, etc. It depends on the chemical composition and
crystal structure of the pigment. Colorants like cadmium red, phthalocyanine
blue and green possess excellent lightfastness.

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Tinting strength is defined as the ability of a pigment to impart a visible
color to the vehicle or medium at low concentrations. It depends on the
particle size, refractive index, and chemical composition. Colorants with high
tinting strength are usually expensive.

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