Pearlescent Pigments in Powder Coatings: A Technical Playbook

Pearlescent Pigments(We also call it pearl pigments or mica pigments) own stunning color-shifting effects in powder coatings, but their successful application requires precision.

Below are 9 key guidelines with optimized data presentation for your easy reference.

Editor: Jason Zhao from iSuoChem

1. Pearlescent Pigment Selection Guide

Choose the right pigment based on temperature resistance and application:

Recommendation: For automotive coatings, use Merck Iriodin® 123 for heat resistance.

Home appliances, BASF Paliocrom Gold. But these 2 type has quite high purchasing cost. You can email iSuoChem to get the equivalent code to Merck and BASF. Same quality, and low purchasing cost.

2. Dispersion Techniques to control fragility

Pro Tip: Pre-blend pigments with 30% resin before full incorporation to reduce shear damage.

Summary(Mixing skills): Use a low-speed mixer (as gentle as kneading dough), high speed will break the pearlescent particles.

Wrap a layer of resin to protect the pigment in advance.

3. Resin Compatibility & Risks

Certain resins can degrade pearl effects—choose wisely:

Test Method: Heat a 1:5 pigment-resin blend at 80°C for 48h to check stability.

Summary(key mistakes to avoid): Some resins (such as epoxy resin) will turn pearlescent to matte.

4. Moisture Control Standards

Prevent clumping and speckling with strict humidity control:

Summary(key mistakes to avoid): A humid environment will cause caking, so store it in a moisture-proof manner (like storing snacks).

5. Mixing Precautions: Avoid Metal Powder Pitfalls

Summary(key mistakes to avoid): Don't mix it with aluminum powder, as it will "fight" and affect the pearl effect.

6. Weather Resistance Performance

Outdoor durability varies by pigment type:

Top Pick: Merck Xirallic® for long-term outdoor stability. Sure, iSuoChem also can supply equivalent code with full inorganic coatings.

7. Recycled Powder Management: Ensuring Color Consistency

Balance cost savings with quality:

Summary(Money-saving tips): Use up to 15% of recycled paint, otherwise the color will be distorted.

8. Thickness of Coatings: Micron-level precision

Management of Film thickness:

Summary: The coating thickness is 80-120 microns (≈ hair) for the best effect, too thin will not shine, too thick will sag.

9. Optical verification scheme for quality inspection --- multi-angle inspection blind spot coverage

9-1. Use three-angle spectral analysis technology to completely eliminate blind spots in visual inspection:
25° high light angle: capture surface specular reflection characteristics
45° middle angle: color performance under standard observation conditions
75° lateral light angle: detect color shift in low gloss areas

9-2. Standardized inspection parameter configuration
Lighting conditions: D65 artificial daylight source (color temperature 6500K) that meets international standards
Color tolerance system:
Indoor application: ΔEab* ≤1.0 (CIE Lab color difference standard)
Outdoor application: ΔEab* ≤1.5 (considering the influence of ambient light)

9-3. Inspection process optimization
Through multi-angle collaborative analysis, the following can be achieved:
High-precision color consistency verification

Defect detection of special gloss surfaces

Color stability evaluation under different lighting environments

Summary(Quality inspection tips): Use multi-angle lighting to check (25°, 45°, 75°) to ensure that it is evenly shiny from different angles.

So, after reading the whole article with 9 tips, are you still confused? Then let me help you summarize it in one sentence.

If you want pearlescent paint to be shiny and durable, remember - choose the right pigment, operate gently, prevent moisture and sun, control thickness, and check from multiple angles during quality inspection!