Abstract of SCUP report Specialty Pigments
Abstract
Found in high-quality inks, high performance paints and coatings, plastics
and cosmetics, specialty pigments provide the first impressions for many of
our most prized possessions and add unique color to our lives. From security
printing and anticounterfeiting labeling to bold new automotive finishes to
color shifting lip glosses and eye shadow, specialty pigments provide high
performance and high value.
Specialty pigments range in price from $5 to $8 per kilogram at the low end
of the spectrum to as high as $3,000 per kilogram at the high end. The largest
consuming region is NAFTA (Canada, Mexico and the United States), followed
by Europe and Asia.
Most of the specialty pigment classes are made by only a few producers. While
these are high-value products as measured by purchase price and, in some cases,
profit margins, they also present substantial barriers to entry. This is particularly
so for pigment classes other than classic organic pigments.
Specialty pigments are made in production volumes that are as much as two
or three orders of magnitude smaller than those of commodity pigments. In turn,
a smaller number of companies produce specialty pigments than commodity pigments.
Specialty pigment producers offer significantly greater levels of customer
support and invest more heavily in research and development than commodity
pigment producers.
The following pie charts show world consumption of specialty pigments by type
and by region.
The fastest growing region is China, particularly for classic organic pigments.
Chinese consumption of many other specialty pigment classes is also growing,
but from lower volumes. Both China and India have emerged as important sources
of the world’s supply of classic organic pigments.
Most specialty pigments, other than classic organic pigments, are supplied
to China, India and many other developing markets as finished products, particularly
in the form of formulated printing inks.
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