High-performance Pigment (HPP) is a thin clear coating that is designed for high performance and durability. It is made from materials that have similar to human hair in its biotechnology and structural makeup. The term "High-performance" refers to its ability to resist extreme temperatures, abrasion, moisture, chemicals, and sunlight. HPP is a substrate for many processes including surface coating, oxidation control, stain removal, elastomeric coating, protective coating, photo enhancement, and ultraviolet (UV) coating.
Some of the recently launched high-performance pigments include Irgazin DPP Cosmoray Orange and Irgazine DP Rubine TRI. These applications are mainly automotive coatings, such as OEM, refinish, and plastic coatings. With such a wide range of formulations and coatings to meet diverse customer needs, manufacturers face stiff competition. Therefore, they continually conduct research and development activities to improve the qualities of their products and enhance their durability, reliability, cost-effectiveness, and performance.
Some active high-performance pigments are durable, low-cost metallic oxides that offer high color visibility and high-speed application. These pigments are also known for their anti-reflection properties and resistivity to UV degradation. These materials can be used to create flat, gloss, matte, or mirror-like finishes. High-performance diamond crystals pigments are said to be available in the range of 300 to 600. These products are often used to create colors for automotive floor mats, floor protectors, seat covers, decals, trim, and grilles. The combination of organic pigments and diamond-based coloring agents ensures long-lasting brilliance. In addition, these pigments can support anodization and cathode coating processes. These products are said to meet rigid deadlines, which further adds to their popularity.
As the demand for high-performance pigments is increasing worldwide, the manufacturers are exploring various techniques for producing color-safe, low-cost pigments. In the coming years, new techniques such as surface diffusion may be developed to reduce the cost of production. In addition, due to the demand for durable and long-lasting color spaces in the auto industry, there will be a continuous growth in the number of coatings formulators.