In-Depth Analysis of the Current Development Status and Future Trends of the Organic Pigment Industry in 2025

The introduction: The Chinese organic pigment industry is in a critical transition period from "scale expansion" to "value enhancement." Structural imbalances, technological barriers, and environmental pressures pose short-term challenges, but the expansion of high-end downstream application fields and the deepening of global layout open up new growth opportunities for the industry.

The Chinese organic pigment industry is currently undergoing a critical transition from "scale expansion" to "value enhancement." Structural imbalances, technical barriers, and environmental pressures pose short-term challenges, but the expansion of downstream high-end application fields and the deepening of global layout open up new growth opportunities for the industry.According to the report released by China Research and Consulting Co., Ltd.2025-2030 In-depth Analysis and Development Prospect Forecast Report of China's Organic Pigment IndustryAnalysisIn the future, the industry will exhibit characteristics of "steady growth in total volume, structural optimization, and technological breakthroughs": the proportion of high-performance and environmentally friendly products will continue to rise, and the dual-driven pattern of traditional fields and emerging applications will be further consolidated.

The sustainable development of the industry relies not only on technological iteration and market expansion but also on balancing economic benefits and environmental responsibility in green transformation. By adhering to the dual drive of "technological innovation and green development," China is forging a "new quality productivity" in organic pigments amidst global competition. As demonstrated by the breakthroughs of Rainbow Chemical in the field of bio-based pigments, every optimization of molecular structures and every innovation in production processes inject new meaning into "Made in China," adding a touch of Chinese color to global industrial civilization.

Organic pigments are a class of insoluble colorants composed of organic compounds. Their core characteristic lies in selectively absorbing and scattering light through the conjugated systems in their molecular structure, resulting in stable and vivid colors. Unlike dyes, organic pigments are dispersed in media in the form of micron-sized particles and are insoluble in water or organic solvents. This physical property gives them unique advantages in fields such as inks, coatings, and plastics. For example, phthalocyanine pigments form a highly stable planar structure through the coordination of copper ions with the tetrazaporphyrin ring, providing excellent lightfastness and heat resistance. Azo pigments, on the other hand, rely on the conjugation effect of the azo group (-N=N-) to achieve a spectrum coverage from orange to red.

From the perspective of molecular engineering, the essence of performance optimization for organic pigments is the precise regulation of their chemical structure. By introducing halogen atoms, expanding aromatic rings, or modifying crystalline forms, their weather resistance can be significantly enhanced. For example, chlorinated phthalocyanine blue exhibits a greener and more vivid hue compared to the basic type, and nano-dispersion technology can surpass the optical limits of traditional pigments, increasing the color gamut coverage to NTSC 110%. This "molecular-level customization" capability makes organic pigments a core material in the industrial color field.

1. In-depth Analysis of the Current Development Status of the Organic Pigment Industry

The Reshaping of the Global Capacity Landscape

China, with its complete industrial chain and advantages of large-scale production, has become the core supplier of organic pigments globally, accounting for over 60% of production capacity. However, behind this position lies a structural contradiction: classic organic pigments (such as azo pigments) face overcapacity and price wars due to low technical barriers, resulting in an average industry gross profit margin falling below 15%; meanwhile, high-performance products (such as electronic-grade phthalocyanine) rely heavily on imports, with a self-sufficiency rate of less than 40%, and the import price is five times that of domestic mid- to low-end products. This paradox of "low-end surplus and high-end shortage" reflects the urgency for industry transformation.

2. The "dual-track system" of technological competition

International giants maintain a monopoly in the high-end market through patent barriers and technology licensing. For example, Japan's DIC holds a 70% market share in high-performance pigments for automotive coatings, with a gross profit of over 30,000 yuan per ton; although Germany's Huber has undergone bankruptcy restructuring, its 13,000-ton high-performance capacity was acquired by India's Sudarshan and continues to dominate the European high-end ink market. In contrast, Chinese companies are breaking through with a "full industry chain + technology crossover" approach: Liyuanhua Group has collaborated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop corn starch-based pigments, reducing carbon footprints by 40% and passing Coca-Cola's packaging tests; Qicai Chemical's nano-grade phthalocyanine blue has an 8-level weather resistance (international standard is 7) and has entered the BYD supply chain with cost advantages.

The "compulsive effect" of environmental regulations.

The EU's "Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability" and the revision of the domestic "Emission Standards of Volatile Organic Compounds for the Coatings Industry" are driving the transition of solvent-based pigments to water-based alternatives. By 2025, the market share of water-based organic pigments is expected to reach 58%, while lead-containing pigments will exit the market due to EU bans, leading to a 38% increase in the export of China's environmentally friendly products. This policy-driven technological iteration is reshaping the industry ecosystem.

4. "Demand Fission" in Emerging Markets

The rise of new energy vehicles, electronic displays, and the biopharmaceutical field has opened up new avenues for organic pigments. High-purity pigments for power battery separators need to meet a purity requirement of 99.999%, and only three companies globally have the capability to supply them. The pigments for CPI films used in foldable smartphones must meet stringent standards of over 90% light transmittance and less than 1.5% haze. Meanwhile, the market size for thermochromic pigments used in wearable devices is growing by 92% annually, becoming a new blue ocean for the industry. These demand shifts are driving the industry to transition from "general-purpose" to "customized" solutions.

5. "Localized Innovation" in Internationalization Strategy

The globalization strategy of Chinese enterprises has upgraded from "product export" to "technology output." Lianhua Group has established a research and development center in India to develop weather-resistant pigments suitable for the local climate; Qicai Chemical has acquired a pigment distributor in Brazil and established a localized sales network, with the market share in South America expected to rise to 15%. This model of "overseas factories + technology cooperation" is breaking through the channel blockade of international giants.

II. Future Trends Outlook of the Organic Pigment Industry

1. High Performance: From "Following" to "Leading"

In the next five years, the industry will focus on breaking through "bottleneck" technologies for high-performance pigments. For example, Zhejiang Longsheng has developed a nano-level phthalocyanine blue pigment, which has improved coloring strength by 40% and has been applied to the paint of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan. Namei New Materials' quantum dot organic pigments have achieved a color gamut coverage rate of NTSC 110%, realizing import substitution in the Mini LED backlight field. These technological breakthroughs will drive the share of Chinese companies in the high-end market from 38% to 60%.

2. Greening: From "Compliance" to "Leadership"

The "dual carbon" goals and circular economy concept are reshaping industry production models. Wanhua Chemical's supercritical CO₂ extraction technology reduces VOC emissions by 90% and has received the "Green Factory" certification from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Zhejiang Runtu's pigment recycling plant can extract pigments from dyeing wastewater with a purity of 98% at only 60% of the cost of new materials. This green technology revolution will enable recycled pigments to account for over 40%, creating new industry barriers.

3. Intelligentization: From "Manufacturing" to "Smart Manufacturing"

The widespread adoption of smart manufacturing technology is enhancing operational efficiency within the industry. Shuangle Co., Ltd. has established the industry's first "dark factory," where the AI vision inspection system has increased the product qualification rate to 99.8%, and the energy consumption per unit output has decreased by 22%. Shiming Technology's intelligent color matching system has reduced the color adjustment cycle from 48 hours to 2 hours, and the inventory turnover rate has tripled. This digital transformation will drive the industry's capacity utilization rate to exceed 85%.