Interview to Ignasi Martorell, Account Manager Coatings, Division Merck Merck Chemicals in Spain
April 24, 2009
What has it meant for you to participate at the European Coatings Show?
The European Coatings Show is one of the largest relating to the world of the paintings where meet the main partners and suppliers in the market. Merck is an excellent showcase in which present to customers and the market in general its wide range of products and the latest innovations in effect pigments.
At the show presented the new generation of pigments of effect of the Pyrisma range which includes 8 new pigments. Tell me a little of this new range, and how these 8 pigments, i.e., the process has been made.
The new Pyrisma effect pigments, are based on the pigments of interference (reflection of color). Trying to base and coatings applied to the pigments is possible to increase the sharpness and the cleaning of color with these 8 pigments offering hitherto unattainable chromatic possibilities.
During the European Coatings Show we have introduced new pigments Pyrisma, which is characterized by its saturation and cleaning of color; Iriodin 327 Fine Star Gold, a new pigment gold with great colour saturation that offers a brightness that rather resembles the real gold with all the advantages of mica pigments. We have also tabled Miraval 95311 WR Scenic White, an effect of white glowing with treatment of protection abroad, and Xirallic WNT Micro Silver, characterized by its fine texture combined with a powerful glow.
What benefits or added value brings the new range Pyrisma on other ranges from Merck pigments?
The new Pyrisma pigments provide a greater range of colors, because with only 8 pigments we cover more than 95% of the color spectrum, increasing saturation and the current color space, which translates into the possibility of making new colors of effect until now impossible. Cleaning and saturation of the color extends ostensibly the chromatic possibilities.
Tones range from yellow to green, passing through the red, magenta, violet, Indigo, blue, turquoise and green. Which colors have greater difficulty making and why?
All Merck effect pigments are produced by applying coatings of titanium dioxide (Guy2) and oxides of iron on different types of substrates. The difficulty in obtaining these pigments is the achievement of a good (quality of substrate) basis and in the complexity of the coatings applied. For this reason, an exhaustive control of all the manufacturing process guarantees to achieve color and desired effect, as well as the consistency of colour among the different manufacturing batches.
In which sectors are these pigments?
The Pyrisma range has been developed with the highest demands of application to the outside, but not therefore confined to external applications. Its high quality allow their implementation in all sectors and systems on the market, from automotive to architecture, passing through the painted plastic, etc.
For the creation of these colors have been used the 'Concept of space of colour Merck' tool. What it is exactly?
The acquisition of the new color effects has been possible thanks to the tool space concept of colour Merck (based on calculations colorimetric that help locate a pigment of effect in a chromatic space), and developed for pigments that have at least one layer of interference. Thanks to the knowledge of pigments, demanding control of the whole process of manufacturing and technology, Merck offers these 8 new pigments of interference from high-tech that are characterized by being appropriately located at the ends of color to cover the most chromatic surface. Another possibility that offers this new concept, is the making pigment mixtures, coming to get a multitude of color of combination effects.
The automobile sector is the largest plaintiff or there are other segments such as sports or entertainment whose demand has grown more lately?
The car is one of our main markets, but we must also include everything that is associated with sport, electronics and other markets that require and seek motivation through color. Effect colors can convey sensations differentiate a product from another. With the combination of colors and effects we can get from a sporting and dynamic feeling to another relaxing and refined, providing a unique character to an object through color.
What is the trend in the sector of the pigments? What market demand?
The market is very demanding and changing. Motivates us the fact that the great potential of our pigments can cover the wide range of needs of the market, when combined with other pigments or colors, offers an unlimited range of effects and combinations. Currently combine intense and clean colors with effects mates, soft and silky. One of the trends in the sector of pigments is directed to the colors of nature, but with some effect reflection of color in concrete, more or less intense, depending on the market and target audience. Currently also influenced the ethnic, technological concepts and local influences. Textures, brightness, mates and reflexes combine actively to reflect a particular concept. Sometimes working on already known colors, but incorporating minor modifications to update it and differentiate it from the previous one.
Merck Chemicals has participated in the new color of the Audi Q5-Black Violet, tell us about this project and this new color...
In the world of pigments and color you should generally work very close to your customers and be very attentive to the market in general. One of our most successful tasks is to collaborate with our clients from the beginning of an idea up, as in this case, see the effort of working together in a car. In this case, the combination of two of our pigments, Xirallic and Colorstream fit perfectly with the idea of dynamism and sportsmanship of the new Audi Q-5.
What other pigments have designed launch later?
Of course, from Merck we are still working on new projects with our clients. New developments are based on needs that our clients we communicate and where Merck actively collaborates.
