Coatings World interviewed select manufacturers of high-performance pigments to gain insight into the current state of the market. The participants were Mark Ryan, market and product manager, The Shepherd Color Company; Jennifer Coates, strategic marketing manager – Americas Coatings, Susonity; and Falko Orlowski, EVP sales and marketing, Trust Chem U.S./Canada.

CW: How did the high performance pigments market fare in 2025?

Susonity: We always see demand for high-performance pigments because consumers value innovation and interesting products that bring unique effects. This enables them to differentiate their products in the marketplace. High-performance pigments bring the ability to differentiate. 

Trust Chem: The high-performance pigments (HPP) market performed strongly in 2025, driven by regulatory push and demand upgrading. According to industry observations, demand growth was particularly robust in the Asia-Pacific region, led by China and India, where automotive coatings and engineering plastics expanded rapidly. The coatings segment remained the largest application, boosted by the electric vehicle market and infrastructure construction. Meanwhile, stricter environmental regulations continued to phase out conventional pigments, accelerating substitution toward high-performance and eco-friendly solutions. Overall, the market showed resilient mid-single-digit volume growth despite cost pressures.

CW: Considering the higher cost associated with these types of pigments, what are the main advantages of using them?

Susonity: Effect pigments bring value through differentiation and added perceived value for customers. This value goes beyond color, by transforming coatings into high-impact surfaces through visual effects, functional performance, and
design flexibility. 

They deliver unmatched depth, sparkle, flop, and color travel – bringing movement and dynamic appearance that help brands stand out and capture customer attention. 

In addition, effect pigments support a wide range of on-trend finishes, from silky-smooth textures to semi-solid looks, across a wide range of applications, including liquid, powder, and industrial coatings. They also provide functional benefits such as laser marking capability, improved UV and weather resistance, and IR/heat reflectivity. 

Trust Chem: Despite their higher upfront cost, high-performance pigments offer four key advantages:

1) Regulatory compliance: Strict control of hazardous substances helps customers meet demanding standards. 

2) Superior durability: Excellent weather, heat, and migration resistance ensures long-term color stability in outdoor signage, automotive paints, and engineering plastics and
printing ink.

3) Better efficiency: High color strength and advanced surface treatment technologies improve formulation flexibility and production throughput.

CW: What high performance pigments and special effect pigments have your company recently launched and what are their primary applications?

Shepherd Color: We actually don’t have any new products, but we just recently have gotten back the 10-year weathering studies for our NTP Yellow and RTZ Orange. These pigments are highly chromatic with excellent opacity and are exhibiting excellent weathering properties. This trifecta of bright color, one coat hiding, and demonstrated outdoor durability make them the clear choice for high-performance coatings.

Susonity: Susonity recently introduced several new innovations in effect pigments. Iriodin^® 9627 SW RDR is a radar-compliant, mica-based pigment that delivers excellent hiding power and a bright silver-grey color appearance with a bluish tinge and outstanding brightness. Its fine particle size distribution enables a metal-like appearance while supporting radar suitable
coating formulations. 

In addition, Susonity launched Xirallic^® NXT Leopard White – it’s the cleanest and brightest expression of its Living Sparkle^® technology – offering maximum sparkle energy with an almost neutral, elegant appearance. This highly versatile pigment supports a wide range of styling directions, from glossy to matte finishes, as well as both chromatic and
achromatic designs. 

Lastly, Susonity introduced Iriotec^® 9872, a newly TSCA approved heat-reflecting pigment designed for high light transmission and IR-reflection – allowing sunlight in while helping keep heat out. 

Susonity continues to expand our portfolio in synthetic and natural micas to evolve with market needs. 

Trust Chem: Leveraging our proprietary core technologies, we have been continuously advancing in the field of high-performance organic pigments. Recently, we have focused on and launched products represented by carbazole violet pigments (P.V.23) and high-purity pigments for applications in coatings, inks, and plastics, especially high-end automotive coatings and architectural coatings. These products utilize world-leading continuous production processes, achieving fully enclosed manufacturing. This has greatly improved color fastness and yield. The products are now in trial production and have received very positive market feedback. 

CW: How are rising raw material costs and the energy crisis in the Middle East impacting your business?

Susonity: Susonity is monitoring this situation closely. We are continuing our production without interruption and are maintaining a consistent flow of raw materials. Our products are produced in the US, Asia, and Germany and therefore do not have direct impact from these factors. However, we are seeing increased transit times, limited shipping capacity, and higher costs across the industry. 

We are working continuously to minimize this impact on our customers and remain committed to ensure a reliable supply. 

Trust Chem: Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have indeed created challenges for the entire fine chemical industry. On one hand, surging international oil prices have pushed up petrochemical feedstock costs; on the other, logistics disruptions on major shipping routes have strained supply chains and significantly increased transportation costs. 

Facing these challenges, Trust Chem has demonstrated strong operational resilience through our global footprint, robust supply chain management, and leading technical strength, effectively buffering external shocks. CW