The increasing pressure placed on the use of metals through legislation and risk assessment has significantly affected the way in which color targets are achieved. Colorists are more restricted than ever and are concerned about impending legislation limiting color choice, particularly where there are long lead times between design and production.
Bright yellow, orange and red shades are particularly challenging, with reformulation moving away from cadmium pigments and lead chromates within the plastic and surface coating markets. Customers face the challenge of matching traditional color targets with alternative pigment systems, while remaining competitive and protecting their margins. Inevitably, the attractive bright shades are the most difficult to reformulate, since heavy metal formulations often come hand-in-hand with color brilliance, technical performance and ease of use.