Pigment fundamentals — definitions, classification, history and brand portfolio
A foundational guide to pigments — definitions, classification, history, physical properties, and Sudarshan's brand portfolio across the pigment industry.
Understanding pigment basics is essential for anyone working in color formulation. This overview covers what pigments are, how they differ from dyes, where they come from historically, how they're classified, and how Sudarshan's brands map to different performance tiers.
Pigment Basics — What This Covers
- Definition of Pigment
- Classification of Pigments
- Pigment Process
- Physical Properties and Their Importance
Colorants: Pigments vs. Dyes
Colorants can be classified into two types — Pigments and Dyes:
| Pigment | Dyes |
|---|---|
| Do not dissolve in their application | Dissolve in their application |
| Pigments are dispersed in the medium, but retain their crystal or particle structure | During processing, dyes lose their crystal or particular structure |
History of Pigments
Historically, mankind has always looked at coloring his surroundings. The earliest use of colorants is found in cave paintings and other historic art like cloth dyeing. Pigments have been derived from Plants, Animals, and Minerals.
Examples by origin:
- Animal Origin: Snail shell (pearl effect), Sepia from the ink sac of cuttlefish, Prussian Blue from animal blood (boiled with alum and vitriol)
- Vegetable Origin: Saffron lake (a yellow dye extracted from flowers), vegetable black soot (obtained by burning vegetable matter)
- Mineral Origin: Natural Yellow iron oxide, Indian red (a natural iron oxide)
All these natural sources had drawbacks:
- Tinctorially weak
- Too dirty in hue
- Too fugitive (not lightfast)
- Intrinsically hard in texture
Synthetic manufacture and refining of pigments came into being to improve upon these problems, resulting in pigments with better strength, uniformity, cleaner tones, and softer textures.
Pigment Classification
Pigments are broadly classified into Organic and Inorganic types:
Inorganic Pigments
- Pure: Lead Chrome, Iron Oxide, Cadmium, Chromocyanine, Chrome Oxide Green, Pearl
- Extenders: Calcium Carbonate, Barium Sulphate, Talc, Zinc Oxide, Dolomite, Silica
Organic Pigments
- Pure: Azo (Mono, Dis), Polycyclic (Phthalocyanines, High Performance)
- Lake: 2B Reds, Rubine Toners
- Toners: Violet Toner, Blue Toner, Pink Toner
Organic vs. Inorganic: Key Differences
| Organic | Inorganic |
|---|---|
| Smaller particle size | Larger particle size |
| Low specific gravity | High specific gravity |
| High oil absorption | Low oil absorption |
| Transparent | Opaque |
| Bright and clean hue | Dull to intense color |
| High tinting strength | Low tinting strength |
| Solvent bleeding | Non-bleeding in solvent |
| Moderate light fastness & heat fastness | Good light fastness & heat fastness |
Colour Shade Terminology
Hue shifts are described relative to each base color:
| Base Color | Shifts Toward |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Redder ↔ Greener |
| Blue | Redder ↔ Greener |
| Red | Yellower ↔ Bluer |
| Green | Yellower ↔ Bluer |
| Orange | Yellower ↔ Redder |
| Violet | Redder ↔ Bluer |
Interpreting Color Difference Values (DL, Da, Db, DC)
| Particulars | DL | Da | Db | DC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| + value | Lighter | Redder | Yellower | Brighter |
| − value | Darker | Greener | Bluer | Duller |
Full Shade vs. Tint
- Full Shade: Pigment dispersed in medium
- Tint: Pigment + White pigment dispersed in medium
Reflected vs. Transmitted Undertone
Undertone can be assessed two ways:
- Reflected undertone: light bounces off the pigment surface back to the eye
- Transmitted undertone: light passes through a thin pigment layer before reaching the eye
Both give different — and equally important — views of a pigment's true undertone character.
Sudarshan's Markets & Brands
Sudarshan is India's leading pigment producer and supplier to the Plastics, Paints, and Inks markets globally, with over 60 years of manufacturing experience and sales in more than 60 countries.
Sudarshan's brand portfolio spans the spectrum from traditional/general-purpose to eco-friendly/high-performance:
| Brand | Positioning |
|---|---|
| Sudaperm™ | A premium range of the highest performance pigments, with technical benefits for the most demanding plastic and coatings applications |
| Sudafast™ | A consistently high quality range of medium performance organic pigments, with increasing options for coloration |
| Sudacolor™ | A well-designed range of organic pigments offering the best combination of quality, value, and ease of use |
| Sudadur™ | An extensive range of traditional inorganic pigments that impart excellent color, durability, and coverage for the most demanding applications |
| Sudatex™ | A carefully selected range of concentrated water-based dispersions, ideal for coloring textiles |
| Sudafine™ | A complementary range of high pigment content, water-based, resin-free pastes in easy-to-use stir-in form, for decorative paints and other applications |
| Sumica® | An effect pigment with a unique lustre effect, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of plastics, coatings, and inks |
Pigment Applications
Pigments touch nearly every visible product around us — cosmetics, paints, plastics, sporting goods (billiard balls), automotive coatings, textiles/yarns, rubber products, candles, decorations, and more.
Source: Sudarshan — Pigments General / Pigment Basics presentation