Expanding the Durable Color Envelope with NTP Yellow and RTZ Orange

Developing Pigments that Meet Durability and Opacity Requirements

Achieving high-performance color in demanding applications has historically required compromise. In the middle yellow, formulators have often been forced to choose between the brightness of organic pigments and the durability and opacity of inorganic alternatives. Shepherd Color’s NTP Yellow and RTZ Orange technologies were developed to eliminate this trade-off, delivering a new benchmark in balanced pigment performance.

NTP Yellow

NTP Yellow (C.I. Pigment Yellow 227) is a highly-engineered inorganic pigment, based on Niobium Tin Pyrochlore, designed to bridge the longstanding gap between chromaticity and durability. Traditional inorganic pigments are valued for their excellent opacity, heat stability, and resistance to weathering, but they typically lack the clean, vibrant color associated with organic pigments. Conversely, organic pigments provide high chroma but often fall short in long-term stability and hiding power.

Shepherd Color’s NTP Yellow 10P150 overcomes these limitations. It is chemically inert, non-migratory, and highly resistant to heat, UV exposure, and chemical attack. Its ability to combine strong chromaticity with excellent opacity and durability makes it a unique solution for coatings, plastics, and other high-performance applications where color retention and coverage are critical.

NTP Yellow

RTZ Orange

Complementing this mid-shade yellow is Shepherd Color’s RTZ Orange technology, available as Orange 10P340 for plastics and Orange 10C341 for coatings. Based on Rutile Tin Zinc chemistry, these pigments extend the same performance balance into the orange-red region of the color space. Rutile tin zinc pigments are known for their excellent opacity, lightfastness, and resistance to environmental degradation, making them well-suited for demanding outdoor applications.
RTZ Orange pigments provide a chromatic orange with strong redness, offering formulators a powerful tool for adjusting “a*” values in color matches. At the same time, they maintain the core benefits of complex inorganic pigments, including exceptional weatherability, heat stability, and chemical resistance.

RTZ Orange

A Winning Recipe

Together, NTP Yellow 10P150 and RTZ Orange (10P340 and 10C341) enable a broader and more durable color design space than previously possible. These pigments allow coatings and plastics manufacturers to achieve vibrant, stable shades without relying on less durable organic systems or sacrificing opacity.

By combining advanced pigment chemistry with proven inorganic durability, Shepherd Color continues to push the boundaries of what is achievable in high-performance color, thus helping customers develop longer-lasting, more vibrant products for the most demanding environments.

NTP Yellow & RTZ Orange

Interested in learning more? Find your color here or request a sample!