Editorial

Citation

(2005), "Editorial", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 34 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2005.12934caa.001

Editorial

Pigment is one of the more important ingredients in coating formulations. Pigment industry has historically been more misunderstood than other coating and coating related industries. Most readers would agree that understanding of the synthetic chemistry of pigment is important in order to ensure efficient production of pigment. However, fewer appreciate the importance of the surface treatment of pigments. In fact, surface treatment is of vital importance to manufacturing of pigments for application in various coating media. Often, a pigment (i.e. that having a specific colour index (CI)) needs to be surface-treated to ensure its compatibility with a variety of varnish systems. Thus, there often exists a number of commercial pigment products, even from the same manufacturer, carrying the same CI number (thus having the same chemical structure of the colorant), but significantly different surface treatments, intended for use in different coating systems, e.g. water-borne coatings, solvent- borne coatings and UV curable coatings.

While the synthesis chemistry of pigment is well established and published, there is little literature providing details relevant to the surface treatment of pigments. Indeed, unlike the chemistry of pigment synthesis, the techniques of surface treatment for pigment have long been a “black art” closely guarded by pigment industry. While colour chemistry, i.e. chemistry related to the synthesis of colorants, is taught in several academic institutions, there is very little provision of training on the principles and technology of surface treatment for pigments. Such a situation is unlikely to improve in the next few years due to the lack of adequate academic resources. Indeed even today, there exist only a very small number of academic institutions around the world possessing a significant level of relevant knowledge and practical experience on the surface treatment of pigments, besides The Department of Colour & Polymer Chemistry at The University of Leeds, UK.

The Editor has, for a number of years, devoted much effort to raising the awareness of the importance of academic development to service the industrial need for theoretical and practical knowledge on surface treatment for pigments. Readers would be pleased to know that this issue includes several papers on synthesis and surface modification of pigments. The Editor hopes that, through his effort, the academic community could be encouraged to be more eagerly involved in the advancement of the understanding of the interactions between the surface of pigment particles and the coating medium. Academics adventuring into this field need to bear in mind that surface treatment for pigment is such an area of science and technology that the industry concerned, i.e. the pigment manufacturers, currently possess a greater deal of relevant knowledge. As such, any significant advancement would likely to be a joint effort of the industrial technologists and the academics!