This article considers how the dispersability of pigments affects the color development of mixed pigment grinds.

The high-speed disperser has become the equipment of choice to produce architectural and other types of coatings. This has fundamentally changed the energy profile under which pigments are dispersed. High-speed dispersers have a lower shear profile, so they are not recommended for the dispersion of organic pigments. But in low-energy dispersers, variations in a pigment’s rate of color and strength development are more evident, particularly when used in combination with other pigments. The result is that the dispersion characteristics of each component in a pigment mixture and the timing of the production process now have a substantial impact on color performance.