Selecting carbon black through its colloidal behaviour is a headline topic in the Inks Academy 2026 programme. The event, scheduled for 28 October in Milan, includes a technical session on carbon black market dynamics and optimizing carbon black selection for inks and coatings through colloidal properties.
The agenda highlights that pigment black selection is not limited to tinting strength or price. Particle-surface interactions with resin, solvent or water, together with dispersant choice and process energy, can influence viscosity, stability, gloss, undertone and the uniformity of the final film.
What do colloidal properties control?
Particle and aggregate size, surface area, surface chemistry and wetting quality help determine how carbon black is distributed in an ink or coating system. A poor match may increase dispersion energy or lead to instability, settling and changes in visual performance.
The practical message for formulators
Grades should be compared in the actual binder, solvent and production conditions. Supplier data provide a starting point, but milling trials, viscosity, storage stability and film-quality testing remain essential to the final decision.
Gohar Farayand editorial conclusion: Giving this subject the opening technical slot underlines the growing importance of data-led carbon black selection for industrial inks and coatings.
Image: AI-assisted editorial illustration; it does not depict the source’s actual event or laboratory.
Announced event date: 2026-10-28
Primary source: Paint & Coatings Italy