German:
Pigmente
Spanish:
pigmentos
French:
pigments
Italian:
pigmenti
Russian:
Пигменты
Arabic:
الأصباغ
Chinese:
颜料
Japanese:
顔料
General overview of Pigments
A pigment is identified as a substance made of small particles, which is utilized as a result of its coloration, protective, magnetic, or other special characteristics. In contrast to dyes, pigments are rarely soluble in the application medium. The most important application areas for pigments include paints and finishes, printing ink and artistic paints, coloration of plastics and building materials, printing and coloration of textiles and leather, as well as specialized applications like cosmetics, ceramics, and enamel products.
Organic and inorganic pigments differ according to their chemical composition. Organic pigments have less covering power, but are brighter and exhibit more color strength than the inorganic variety. Most inorganic pigments are exceedingly weatherproof and their flow characteristics are generally better than those of organic pigments. However, there are only a few types of inorganic pigments, which additionally have a limited color spectrum. On the other hand, organic pigments are able to encompass most of the color palette.
Identification of pigments according to systematic nomenclatures, like CAS for example, can result in very elaborate names. Therefore, characterization of pigments is usually left to "Colour Index International," which is published by the British Society of Dyers and Colourists and the American Association of Textile Chemists und Colorists.
Worldwide pigment production reached a total volume of approximately 7.4 million tons in 2006. Inorganic pigments, especially titanium dioxide, iron oxide, and carbon black, accounted for just less than 96% of all pigment consumption. Organic pigments only made up 4.3% of consumption, but were responsible for about one-third of global revenue. Altogether, worldwide pigment revenue reached a total of roughly 17.6 billion US$ (13 billion €) in 2006. China alone exported approximately 0.65 million tons of pigments.
Comprehensive information on pigments - their characteristics, application areas, market data, and environmental aspects - can be found in Market Study - Pigments, from Ceresana Research.
The three top-selling pigments:
Last revision: 13 Feb 09
