Common Application Issues of Solvent-Based Industrial Color Pastes

Solvent-based industrial color pastes are formulated by finely dispersing pigments, oil-based resins, and functional additives in organic solvents such as alcohols, esters, and ketones. In practical industrial coating applications, the quality, compatibility, and stability of color pastes play a critical role in determining the final appearance and protective performance of coatings—often just as important as resin selection or the main formulation itself.

To meet the diverse requirements of modern industrial coating systems, Kedi solvent-based industrial color pastes provide comprehensive and reliable color solutions across multiple industries and resin systems.

Typical applications:
Construction machinery, wind turbine blades, steel structures, vehicle topcoats (buses, trucks), outdoor facilities

Key performance requirements:

• Excellent weather resistance and UV durability

• Good compatibility and storage stability

• Outstanding dispersion stability to ensure uniform color development and high gloss finish

Typical applications:
Ship ballast tanks, heavy-duty machinery primers, industrial flooring, chemical storage tank linings, anti-corrosion primers

Key performance requirements:

• Excellent chemical resistance

• Strong corrosion protection; color pastes must not contain electrolytes or impurities that compromise anti-corrosion performance

• High compatibility with amine curing agents to avoid gelling, floating, or color separation

Typical applications:
Landmark steel structures, high-end architectural curtain walls (aluminum panels, aluminum profiles), ultra-long-term corrosion protection projects (25+ years durability)

Key performance requirements:

• Exceptional weather resistance matching the long service life of fluorocarbon resins

• High thermal and baking resistance

• Superior dispersion stability to ensure consistent color performance in high-durability resin systems

Typical applications:
Marine coatings below the waterline, offshore facilities, port machinery, water- and chemical-resistant coatings

Key performance requirements:

• Excellent water resistance and salt spray resistance

• Good compatibility with fast-drying systems without affecting drying speed

Typical applications:
General machinery, factory fences, wrought iron products, standard metal hardware

Key performance requirements:

• High color strength and decorative appearance

• Relatively limited durability compared to advanced systems

• Not suitable for long-term outdoor or humid environments

• Cost-effective solution for general-purpose applications

During the use of solvent-based industrial color pastes, most application problems are related to compatibility, dispersion stability, and processing performance. Below are the most frequently encountered issues and their underlying causes.

Due to the wide variety of resin systems used in solvent-based industrial coatings, incompatibility between color pastes and base resins—or significant differences in solvent polarity—can lead to problems such as floating, flooding, flocculation, and color separation.

Solution:
Selecting a universal solvent-based color paste with broad resin compatibility is essential. Compatibility testing before large-scale production is strongly recommended to ensure formulation stability.

Uneven color distribution in coated heavy machinery often occurs when pigment particles re-agglomerate after being added to the base paint. Once dispersion stability is disrupted, color strength decreases and gloss is negatively affected.

Solution:
Use high-quality color pastes with excellent dispersion stability and finely controlled particle size to maintain consistent color performance.

Early fading, yellowing, or chalking of outdoor coatings is typically caused by the use of pigments with insufficient weather resistance rather than formulation or application errors.

Solution:
For outdoor and long-term exposure applications, high-performance pigments (HPP) must be selected, such as:

• Phthalocyanine pigments

• Quinacridone pigments

• Iron oxide pigments

These pigments ensure long-term color durability and weather resistance.

As customized color requirements continue to increase, traditional manual color matching methods can no longer meet modern industrial demands for efficiency and consistency.

Solution:
The industry is shifting from experience-based approaches to data-driven color management, including:

• Color matching software

• Spectrophotometers

• Standardized formulation databases

• Automated dosing and mixing systems

These tools significantly improve color accuracy and production efficiency.

Many customers—especially those involved in overseas transportation—face challenges related to hazardous material storage and logistics for solvent-based products.

Solution:
Kedi offers solid color chips and environmentally friendly, high-flash-point solvent-based industrial color pastes, helping customers reduce safety concerns during storage and transportation.

Solvent-based and water-based industrial color pastes are essential components of modern industrial coatings. By professionalizing and standardizing pigment dispersion, they provide coating manufacturers with efficient, flexible, and high-quality color solutions.

Choosing a color paste with excellent compatibility, stable quality, and reliable performance is a key factor in producing high-quality industrial coatings with consistent appearance and long-term durability.