Pigment suppliers are not ones to rest on their laurels. Even though there are pigments out there for just about every coatings application, suppliers continue to invest lots of time and money into developing new products to meet the changing demands of the paint and coatings industry.
Improving the performance characteristics of pigments is one area that suppliers are focusing on. "Customers are constantly looking for better properties in pigments: improved durability, heat stability, light fastness and weatherfastness without increasing prices," said Frank Kochendoerfer, Clariant's marketing manager for coatings. "We are not only improving our existing products, but we are also trying to develop chemically new pigments."
New Facilities, Joint Ventures In order to meet the increasing demand for pigments in the paint and coatings industry, suppliers are finding it necessary to expand existing facilities and build new plants.
Ciba is in the midst of expanding capacity for quinacridone pigments at its Newport, DE production facility. Scheduled to go on-line in mid-2000, the $80 million project will exp
Continue reading this story and get 24/7 access to Coatings World for FREE
FREE SUBSCRIPTION