Neon Fluorescent Pigment Powders

Technical Description

Conventional pigments produce color solely through selective absorption and reflection of incoming light — the visible color is a fraction of the total incident light. Fluorescent pigments add a second mechanism: they absorb energy from UV and short-wavelength visible light and re-emit it as fluorescence at a slightly longer wavelength within the visible spectrum. The combined output of reflected light plus emitted fluorescence produces a total luminance that can exceed 100% of the incident visible light at a given wavelength — which is why fluorescent colors appear to glow under daylight, and become dramatically more vivid under UV or blacklight conditions.

Most commercial fluorescent pigments are based on fluorescent dyes dispersed in a resin matrix, typically melamine-formaldehyde, sulfonamide-formaldehyde, or polyamide resin systems. The dye-in-resin structure gives the pigment its powder form and controls particle size, which is typically in the range of a few microns to around 10–20 µm for standard grades. The resin matrix also provides a degree of protection to the fluorescent dye, though lightfastness remains a known limitation of organic fluorescent systems — fluorescent pigments are generally less UV-stable than conventional inorganic pigments, and formulations intended for prolonged outdoor exposure should be designed with this in mind.

Fluorescent pigments are compatible with most solvent-based and water-based ink and coating systems, though compatibility with specific resins and solvents should be confirmed through formulation trials, as aggressive solvents can interact with the resin matrix. Heat stability varies by grade and should be confirmed from the TDS before use in high-temperature processing such as injection molding or powder coating cure cycles.

Key Features & Benefits

Product Pictures

Applications

Lightfastness, heat stability, and regulatory suitability vary by grade and application. Contact us with your specific requirements for grade-specific data.

Industry Solutions

Achieving high color intensity in printing and coating applications is straightforward with conventional pigments up to a point — beyond a certain loading level, adding more pigment produces diminishing returns and can negatively affect film properties. For applications where the design intent specifically requires a neon, high-energy color — safety markings, promotional print, event graphics, high-visibility apparel — conventional pigments simply cannot reach the brightness level required, regardless of loading. A second challenge specific to fluorescent pigments is consistency: the brightness and hue of fluorescent colors are more sensitive to batch variation in the dye-to-resin ratio than conventional pigments, and off-specification batches are immediately visible to the eye.

Kolortek Fluorescent pigments solve the brightness limitation by adding emitted fluorescence to reflected light, producing color output that conventional pigments cannot match. The practical implication for formulators is that the target color intensity is achievable at reasonable loading levels without overloading the formulation. Kolortek's fluorescent series covers the full neon color palette, allowing buyers to source all colors from a single supplier rather than managing multiple sources with potentially different resin matrix chemistries — which simplifies formulation consistency across a color range. With 20 years of effect pigment manufacturing experience, Kolortek maintains consistent dye loading and particle size distribution across production batches, which are the two variables that most directly affect color strength and brightness consistency in fluorescent pigment applications.

Color samples, grade-specific TDS including lightfastness and heat stability data, and pricing are available upon inquiry. Contact Kolortek's technical team with your target color, formulation system, and application environment for grade-specific recommendations.