Colorbeit

What is a pigment paste?

Pigment pastes are dispersions of powdered pigments in a liquid carrier and, in the composite sector, they are used to color polyester resin and other thermosetting resins, in applications where a final coating (gel coat) is not required. They can also be used for coloring the gel coats themselves. italbeit has been producing high quality pigment pastes for over 60 years and is known worldwide as a quality leader in this sector. Our coloring pastes are formulated with highly selected pigments and solvent-free grinding vehicles in order to guarantee consistent quality batch after batch and offer the following advantages:
  • greater storage stability
  • absence of sedimentation
  • non-flammable products
  • products that cannot be labeled for safety purposes
  • absence of pigment separation

Characteristics

Each production batch undergoes an extensive and demanding test to verify that the coloring paste complies with the specifications. The maximum tolerance in terms of tint is ± 1 Cie L*a*b* unit for Delta C and Delta E. For the coloring power, the standard in the specifications is 100 ± 3. All grinding vehicles used for pigment grinding are compatible with most of the thermosetting resins on the market. The viscosity and concentration of the coloring pastes are fine-tuned according to customers’ requirements.

The organic and inorganic pigments used have been tested and selected through continuous and in-depth research to guarantee excellent wettability and grindability characteristics, as well as high stability and solidity characteristics.
The discriminating element in the selection of pigments is the absolute non-toxicity.

The first discriminating element in the selection of pigments is their absolute non-toxicity. This philosophy has led to the progressive reduction, up to the complete elimination, of pigments containing lead salts or other heavy metals. Italbeit coloring pastes are available in a wide range of colours: our tinting system consists of a series of base pastes from which all the other colors are obtained by mixing them. Our colourists are at your service for any need to tint new colors or to advise you on the correct amount of paste to use.

Application mode

The pigment pastes must be added to the resin under slow stirring to avoid or limit the inclusion of air bubbles. It is always advisable to mix the pastes well before using them, especially if they have been stored for a long time, so as to obtain a uniform product. The percentage of use depends both on the final effect required and on the color of the pigment paste. Some colors are more opaque than others, others have more coloring power. In general, the optimal percentage varies from 0.1/0.2% when a transparent effect is to be obtained, up to 8/10% to obtain covering effects.

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