my country’s pearlescent pigments have broad application prospects and industry concentration needs to be improved

Pearlescent pigment can show a certain metallic luster and is an optical effect pigment. Pearlescent pigments have the advantages of acid and alkali resistance, high temperature resistance, not easy to change color, and good dispersion. They are widely used in the fields of cosmetics, coatings, packaging supplies, plastics and rubber. According to different substrates, pearlescent pigments can be divided into two categories: mica-based pearlescent pigments and inorganic-based pearlescent pigments.

According to the “2022-2027 China Pearlescent Pigment Market Analysis and Development Prospects Research Report released by the Industrial Research Center, pearlescent pigment raw materials Including metal oxide precursors, synthetic mica, natural mica, etc. Among them, natural mica accounts for nearly 60.0% of the production cost of pearlescent pigments. Natural mica has the advantages of low price and high temperature resistance, and is the main raw material of pearlescent pigments. Our country has a vast territory and rich mica resources. Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Hebei, Jilin and other places are the main mica producing areas in my country. Benefiting from sufficient supply of raw materials and low production costs, my country’s pearlescent pigment production continues to increase. In 2021, my country’s pearlescent pigment output reached 229,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 27.6%.

Pearlescent pigments have a wide range of applications, including cosmetics, coatings, plastics, inks, etc. The coating field is the largest demand side for pearlescent pigments, with demand accounting for 30.0%. Pearlescent pigments have excellent performance and are suitable for UV curing, water-based, oil-based and powder coatings. In 2021, the demand for pearlescent pigments in the coating field will reach 69,000 tons. In the field of plastics, pearlescent pigments can be mixed with plastic resin to make various packaging materials. In the field of ink, pearlescent pigments can add metallic color to ink products and have a certain decorative effect. Driven by market demand, my country’s pearlescent pigment market continues to expand, and will exceed 6 billion yuan in 2021.

Mica-based pearlescent pigments are the mainstream products in my country’s pearlescent pigment market, accounting for 75.0% of the market. Mica-based pearlescent pigments can be subdivided into two types: natural mica-based and synthetic mica-based. The production cost of natural mica-based pearlescent pigments is low, but the raw material purity is poor, and it is mainly used in the manufacturing of mid-to-low-end products. Synthetic mica-based pearlescent pigments are an emerging product with the advantages of high color density and high raw material purity, and are expected to gradually replace them. Natural mica-based pearlescent pigment, but the production cost of this product is relatively high.

Competition in my country’s pearlescent pigment market is relatively fragmented, and the scale of production enterprises is small. Seven Color Pearlescent, Kuncai Technology, and Ouke New Materials are the leading pearlescent pigment companies in my country, among which Kuncai Technology ranks first in my country in terms of production capacity. Industry analysts said that pearlescent pigments have excellent performance and are widely used in coatings, plastics, inks and other fields. As local companies produce, R&D technology continues to innovate, and the application scope of pearlescent pigments in my country will be further expanded. Synthetic mica-based pearlescent pigments have the advantages of high color density and are expected to become the mainstream product in my country’s pearlescent pigment market.