What to Do When Multiple Pigments Cause Floating Color and Color Flooding- Suzhou Qingtian New Material Co., Ltd.

What to Do When Multiple Pigments Cause Floating Color and Color Flooding

2026/06/01

Dispersant | Pigment Stability

In solvent-based coatings and ink systems, mixing multiple pigments often triggers floating color, color flooding, and sedimentation — affecting color uniformity, batch consistency, and application performance.

Differences in particle density, particle size, and surface chemistry between pigment types can destabilize a multi-pigment system. The result: uneven color distribution, settling, and poor batch-to-batch reproducibility. For manufacturers supplying industrial, automotive, or decorative coatings, controlling these defects is a quality prerequisite.

Common Problems in Multi-Pigment Systems

Visible Floating Color & Color Flooding

After application, pigments migrate to different film layers, creating uneven color distribution visible at edges or under raking light.

Hard Pigment Settling

Higher-density pigments sediment during storage and form difficult-to-redisperse deposits at the container bottom.

Batch-to-Batch Color Deviation

Unstable pigment distribution during production causes the same formulation to produce different hues across production runs.

Dispersion Stability Breakdown

Pigments that appear well-dispersed after milling re-agglomerate during storage or application, reversing initial quality gains.

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short

Many formulators extend milling time or increase resin content to address floating color — but this rarely eliminates the root cause.

The key insight: Floating color is not only a particle fineness issue. It is fundamentally driven by the compatibility between different pigments and the stability of the surrounding matrix. Mechanical dispersion alone cannot maintain uniform pigment distribution over time when multiple pigments with contrasting surface energies coexist. A targeted additive approach is required.

The Solution

DH-5104 Anti-Floating Dispersant

DH-5104 is an anti-floating dispersant based on a special unsaturated carboxylic acid–silicone copolymer structure. It is engineered for solvent-based coating and ink systems where multiple pigments — including titanium dioxide and organic pigments — are used together. By adsorbing onto pigment surfaces, it equalizes surface energies of dissimilar pigments, reduces differential migration, and promotes uniform co-dispersion throughout the film-forming process.

Reduces floating color and Bénard cell formation
Improves dispersion stability of inorganic pigments including TiO₂
Reduces hard settling and sedimentation during storage
Enhances color uniformity and inter-batch consistency
Improves film appearance and coating quality
Compatible with alkyd, polyester, PU, epoxy and acrylic systems

Product	Chemical Basis	Compatible Systems	Addition Method
DH-5104	Unsaturated carboxylic acid–silicone copolymer	Alkyd / Polyester / PU / Epoxy / Acrylic solvent-based systems; Inks	Grinding stage or post-addition

How DH-5104 Works

Surface Adsorption

DH-5104 molecules anchor onto pigment particle surfaces, forming a protective stabilizing layer around each particle type.

Surface Energy Equalization

The copolymer structure equalizes the surface energies of dissimilar pigments, preventing differential migration between pigment species.

Stable Co-Dispersion

Pigments remain uniformly distributed throughout the film-forming process and during storage — delivering consistent color from batch to batch.

Key Takeaway

Floating color and color flooding are among the most disruptive defects in multi-pigment solvent-based systems. By incorporating DH-5104 anti-floating dispersant, formulators can improve pigment co-dispersion stability, minimize sedimentation, achieve consistent color across batches, and extend the effective shelf life of finished coatings — without changing the base formulation significantly.