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Agenda

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Registration and welcome refreshments
Session I: Opening Plenary- Market Outlook
Chair's Opening Remarks
Members of the Pigment and Color Science Forum Advisory Board and TiO2 World Summit Advisory Board
White, Black & Color Pigments for a Brave New World
# Tariffs and trade restrictions
#  Economic growth, price inflation & investment climate
#  Supply/demand trends in the major end-use sectors
#  Value-chains, raw materials & by-products
#  Recap on recent industry events
#  New projects & new industry entrants
#  Uncertainties, risks & opportunities in planning for the future
Reg Adams | Chief Executive, Artikol
Panel: How the TiO2 & Pigment Industries are Adjusting to Our New Business Reality
With everything from Tariff wars to continued supply chain disruption to continued industry  consolidation in both colored pigments & TiO2, how can companies prepare for the coming months and survive? 

Speakers include: 
  • Robert Gibney, Consultant, Ex. Iluka, Tronox
  • Gerry Colamarino, Managing Director, TiPMC Solutions LLC
Networking Break
Session II: Innovation
Keynote/Fireside: End User View on the Challenges & Opportunities the Pigments Industry is Facing to Drive Increased Innovation
Closing Analytical Gaps in Particle Size Measurement
Numerous techniques are available to measure the particles size in pigments and fillers, yet some materials remain inadequately characterized, particularly when conventional light scattering or sedimentation methods fall short. The PowMaster particle analyzer addresses these limitations by measuring the mass, diameter, and packing density of single particles without relying on any optical detection methods. This approach ensures the size analysis is unaffected by materials chemical composition or optical properties. We present three existing “analytical blind spots”, discuss their theoretical and practical origin and solve them.

1) Fumed and precipitated silica consists of highly aggregated particles with very low particle densities, which is the main reason why diameter results vary greatly between different techniques. We use the PowMaster to measure this aggregate density, and present a theoretical framework to predict the size results from dynamic light scattering and sedimentation analysis. The theoretical calculations are compared with experimental data and agree well.

2) Core-shell particles like silica-coated titanium dioxide can release some of their coating due to mechanical stress, which impacts their properties negatively. We measured the amount of delaminated coating particles and characterized their size and density. This data indicates why sedimentation analysis cannot detect the delamination process.

3) Magnetic pigments like Iron(II,III)oxide (pigment black 11) or manganese ferrite (pigment black 26) reagglomerate rapidly. Without a stable dispersion, laser diffraction particle sizing yields artificially large diameter values that are poorly reproducible. We show how a rapid dispersion of the particles air can prevent reagglomeration and enable a precise analysis of the particles’ size and structure.

This is especially important for pigment black 26, as there are several producers that are currently developing new grades of this pigment.
Dr. Franz Friebel | Founder and CEO, femtoG
Networking Lunch
Session III: Innovation pt. 2
Chair's Opening Remarks
Structural Color: From Birds to Materials
Most colored materials owe their color to the absorption of light. In nature we often see a different type of coloration, known as structural color: certain wavelengths are transmitted, while others scatter and constructively interfere. Structural colors are common in birds and particularly in blue feathers, which consist of disordered arrays of pores that scatter light. I will discuss the science of structural color and how to make synthetic systems that mimic the bird feathers -- that is, materials that show structural colors that are indistinguishable from traditional, absorption-based pigments.
Vinothan N. Manoharan | Wagner Family Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Physics, Harvard University
Bioinspired Structural Colorants: from Microfluidic Chromatophores to Scalable Photonic Structures
Recent advances in structurally colored materials enable a new generation of adaptive pigments and photonic coatings. In this presentation, I will show how bio-inspired design principles, paired with scalable fabrication, allow precise tuning of structural color for real-world use. I will introduce a microfluidic process that assembles colloidal photonic capsules whose vivid hues stay angle-independent even when bent or stretched. I will then describe cephalopod-inspired microspheres and microcapsules that can toggle reversibly between pigmentary and structural color, providing two distinct coloration modes. Moving beyond passive Bragg-stack films, our recent work adds active control. An electrophoretic platform couples the natural pigment xanthommatin with ordered colloidal arrays to create electric-field–addressable color pixels. Separately, capsules with shells of polymer-grafted plasmonic nanoparticles act as fully reversible mechanochromic strain sensors. I will link nanoscale architecture to optical response and highlight manufacturing-friendly routes such as emulsion-templated assemblies and capillary rise infiltration. These advances deliver a versatile palette of dynamic structural colors poised for applications in reflective displays, adaptive camouflage, soft strain sensing, and anti-counterfeiting.
Daeyeon Lee | Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor , Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering University of Pennsylvania
Networking Break
Ultra-Thin Effect Pigments Technology: Latest Developments & Applications in the Red Color Space
Ultra-thin metallic effect pigments are well known for their improved hiding power, brightness and metallic appearance, enabling coatings of bright and high chromatic color shades. Schlenk has taken on the technically demanding challenges and has now successfully created a unique effect pigment in the red color space using the sophisticated ultra-thin pigment (UTP) technology. However, a precise control of the layered structure in the nanoscale is crucial for tailor-made coloristic properties comprising exceptionally unique color saturation, chroma and color travel control in the red color space. We will show how state of the art research methods during pigment synthesis facilitate this task. Due to its hazard-free powder delivery form the resulting bright and chromatic pigment offers completely new design opportunities in the red color space.
Dr. Frank J. Maile | Vice President - Technical Marketing & Product Management, SCHLENK Metallic Pigments GmbH
Leveraging High Chroma Effect Pigments in Novel Automotive Stylings
The integration of high chroma effect pigments has revolutionized automotive color design enabling vibrant, dynamic finishes that captivate consumers and make vehicles stand out in a competitive market. Traditionally, organic pigments are favored for their chromatic hues and aesthetic appeal in automotive color stylings. While the exclusive use of effect pigments in automotive color designs can create visually stunning and unique finishes, it also presents challenges in terms of color saturation and application complexity. Effect pigments offer additional advantages in ease of dispersion, high durability, and superb bleed and migration properties. This presentation explores how newly developed effect pigments offer exceptional color intensity, brightness, sparkle and gloss, allowing designers to reach new color spaces and achieve impressive visual effects with a decreased requirement for conventional absorption pigments.
 
Andre Bendo | Technical Industry Manager, Sun Chemical
Developing the Future of Black Materials: Turning Waste Biomass into an Alternative to Carbon Black
Chair's Closing Remarks
Evening networking reception
Chair's Opening Remarks
Session IV: New Ways of Doing Things
Planet & Profits: Sustainability Gets Down to Business
Most prefer making a living without destroying the planet or making people sick, but achieving those laudable goals means putting business first. In the eight years since Jane Palmer founded Nature Coatings, she has positioned the bio-based black pigment company for success in an ever-evolving market for sustainability. Today, American and global color and pigment companies must prioritize the needs of customers and consumers like never before. Jane will show how sustainable solutions can still be successfully adopted for the benefit of both the planet and profits.
Jane Palmer | Founder and CEO , Nature Coatings Inc
Presentation to be Announced
Using AI in the Color Industry: An Interactive Look at How AI Can Be Used By Colored Material Companies
In 2023 Mark Ryan presented at the SPE-CAD RETEC on the use of AI in the color industry and specifically how LLMs can be used. This presentation will examine the advances in AI tools relative to color materials market in an interactive manner.
Mark Ryan | Market and Product Manager, The Shepard Color Company
Networking Break
Session V: Color Design and Measurement
Measuring Flake Pigment Orientation in Coatings
The color and appearance effect of flake pigments in coatings are influenced by the orientation of the flakes, ideally parallel to the coating surface.  Measurement of the flake orientation is often deemed synonymous with the macroscopically measured flop index, using a multiangle spectrophotometer.  However, many flake and coatings characteristics can affect the flop index, and it remains of interest to microscopically quantify the flake orientation.  Achieving a statistically relevant representation of the alignment of the flakes can be a challenge from both technical and time-efficiency standpoints.  Results on automated measurement of flake angle distributions will be presented.
Eldon Decker | Sr. Research Associate, PPG Industries, Inc.
Advances in Digital Color Capture and Representation
In the fast-paced world of product design, there's a universal challenge to stay ahead of trends while efficiently bringing products to market. X-Rite has addressed this with innovative solutions benefiting automotive brands and industrial designers alike. The PANTORA application simplifies digital material creation, offering a standardized platform for storing and sharing complex material data to streamline design workflows. The AxF format ensures compatibility and collaboration across platforms. Join us to explore how PANTORA and AxF can transform your approach to material design and 3D visualization
Thomas Meeker | 3D Solution Architect, X-Rite | Pantone
Presentation to be Announced
Networking Lunch
Session VI: Closing Plenary- What's Next?
Chair's Opening Remarks
Snapshot Panel: What are End Users Looking for From the industry?
End use and brand owner companies give you insights into what they are working on in the coming years & what they need from the supply chain to achieve their goals. 
 

Speakers include:

Nick Vetter, Senior Scientist, P&G

Cynthia Templeman, Principal Engineer, Toyota Motor North America R&D

Rachel Schwen, Advanced Product Development Specialist, 3M

PANEL: What Comes Next?
What have been the key learnings from the plenary and breakout sessions across the conferences and what can they tell us about what success looks like in the future colored & white pigment industries?

Members of the Pigment and Color Science Forum and TiO2 World Summit Advisory Boards
Chair's Closing Remarks and Close of Conference
Members of the Pigment and Color Science Forum Advisory Board and TiO2 World Summit Advisory Boards