Pearlescent pigment is a kind of glossy pigment. Because it can exhibit a certain metallic luster, it is also called a non-metallic pigment with metallic luster. Pearlescent pigments have the glittering effect of metallic pigments, and can produce the soft color of natural pearls. When exposed to sunlight, they can produce multi-level reflections, and the reflected light interacts to present soft and dazzling or colorful luster and color. Can be widely used in coatings, plastics, rubber, ink, paper, textiles, cosmetics, decorations, handicrafts, leather, enamel, ceramics, packaging supplies, printing and decoration and construction materials.

Pearlescent pigments include synthetic inorganic pearlescent pigments, natural pearlescent pigments and other materials with pearlescent effects. Early natural pearlescent pigments contained natural pearls or a silver-white organic crystal derived from fish scales or fish skins. Due to the limited source of this natural material and its fragile performance during plastic processing, especially when it is repeatedly processed, it gradually loses its pearlescence and is gradually replaced by synthetic inorganic pearlescent pigments.

Industry development

Historical pearlescent materials are derived from the pearlescent pearl color effect inherent in natural shells. Artificially processed methods have adopted extremely small and precious pearl powder for aristocratic and royal use as makeup; in the 1930s, DuPont (USA) Company invented A method for producing a pearlescent material by using a natural mica as a substrate with a titanyl sulfate coating, and after obtaining a patent, sells it to the US company, and the manufacture of the pearlescent material enters an initial stage of industrialization. In 1967, Merck & Co. developed a method for the production of pearlescent materials by the preparation method of titanium tetrachloride, which was used to replace the environmentally-prepared and cumbersome preparation method of titanyl sulfate, and improved the preparation level of pearlescent pigments. The pearlescent pigment industry has entered a stage of further growth. With the development of the industry, the industry entered the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the industry further merged and reorganized. In the late 1990s, many Chinese enterprises began to try the production of pearlescent pigments. South Korea, Japan, India, Finland and other countries also began production. Pearlescent pigments, while Anger acquired Meier and BASF acquired Ange in 2008, the structure of the industry changed and formed the beginning of replacing organic pigments, dyes and metallic pigments.

At present, the industry is in a transitional stage of growth. At this stage, the technology of the major pearlescent pigment manufacturers will gradually mature, and the product range will be further expanded to form substrates such as silica, glass flakes, flake alumina and synthetic mica. Industry production, the industry is intensifying expansion, competition is more intense, product quality structure will be gradually adjusted to the production of high-grade pearlescent pigments. At present, the research and development and production of high-grade pearlescent pigments in the world have been monopolized in the hands of the top companies with strong technical strength, such as BASF, Merck in Germany, Kunqu China, CQV, etc., and formed a brand advantage. While developing new products, these internationally renowned pearlescent pigment manufacturers are committed to studying the surface properties of pigments, giving ultra-high performance to pearlescent pigments, improving product quality and expanding application areas. Pearlescent pigments produced by companies such as Merck, BASF and China Kuncai still occupy a very important position in terms of production quantity, variety and quality.

In the past ten years, the global pearlescent pigments have developed rapidly. From the production scale of about 20,000 tons in 2000, it expanded to about 85,000 tons in 2013, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.77%. In general, the consumption of pearlescent pigments in developed countries in Europe and America is about 4 to 5 times that of GDP growth. The growth rate of pearlescent pigment consumption in China is about twice that of GDP growth. The overall supply and demand of global pearlescent pigments are in a state of rapid growth, and the supply will be relatively tight in the next three to five years.

According to statistics, from 2008 to 2013, the global market demand for pearlescent pigments increased from 452 million US dollars to 1.02 billion US dollars in 2013, with a compound annual growth rate of 17.67%.

In recent years, with the increasing recognition and acceptance of pearlescent pigments in people's minds and the improvement of people's consumption grades, the application of pearlescent pigments in various fields has become increasingly popular. At the same time, due to the clean production and less pollution of pearlescent pigments, organic pigments and metallic pigments will be gradually replaced. According to statistics, the current global pigment demand is 1 million tons, pearlescent pigments account for 100,000 tons, organic pigments account for 400,000 tons, metallic pigments account for 200,000 tons, inorganic pigments (excluding pearlescent pigments) account for 200,000 tons, and other types of pigments account for 200,000 tons. 100,000 tons. The market for pearlescent pigments is huge. In the next 3-5 years, the overall supply and demand of global pearlescent pigments will maintain a high-speed growth. If the growth rate is calculated in the next few years, the market size of global pearlescent pigments in 2014-2018 will be 1.2 billion, 14.12, 16.61, 19.55. $2.3 billion.