A Pigment’s Role
Pigments are powders that are mixed into materials to impart color (see figure). A pigment’s color is due to its selective absorption/reflection of visible light. There are thousands of types of pigments and each has its unique shade based on its specific pattern of reflectance/absorptance of visible light. Likewise, each pigment has distinct IR-reflective characteristics. Shepherd’s Arctic® pigments reflect infrared light. As a result, color shades utilizing a combination of Arctic® pigments will exhibit greater Total Solar Reflectance (TSR) than the exact same color made with conventional pigments.
In addition to their reflective properties, pigments can differ in their weatherability, chemical resistance, and other durability criteria. Arctic pigments are Complex Inorganic Pigments (CICP), a class of pigments famous for their extreme resistance to the elements. They show almost no change in color after three decades of exposure to the South Florida sun (see figure). For this reason, they are the pigments of choice for products that are warranted against fading for 25 years or more.
