LANXESS Inorganic Pigments (IPG) held its second Pigments Symposium in Shanghai November 18-19, in conjunction with the inauguration of its new iron oxide plant in Ningbo, China. The goal of the symposium was to discuss the global pigments industry in transition, particularly in China, and to examine how to turn challenges into sustainable value creation, particularly by combining economic and ecological targets. I was honored to have been invited to both the symposium and the inauguration, which gave all attendees an opportunity to learn about the current developments in the China pigment market, the latest government regulations and the newest developments in iron oxide production.
Rafael Suchan, Vice President for Asia-Pacific at LANXESS IPG, provided valuable information on the global pigments market, as well as the inorganic pigment market specifically. Suchan noted that the pigment industry totals roughly 7 million tons globally, with 95% of pigments being inorganic. 75% of global pigment demand is represented by TiO2 and carbon black pigments. Of the remaining 25%, iron oxides are the main color pigment. Suchan explained that pigments are differentiated into organic and inorganic categories. Organic pigments have a complex chemical structure, feature bright colors with rather low stability, and have few big western players – primarily BASF and Clariant. (The majority of organic pigment producers are Chinese or Indian.) Inorganic pigments have a mineralogical structure, have warm earth tones with high stability, and are experiencing ongoing consolidation globally. Inorganic pigments are dominated by TiO2 and carbon black, with Chemours, Tronox, Huntsman, Kronos, Cabot and Orion as the major players. The two primary global suppliers in the iron oxide market are LANXESS and Huntsman.