Potentials of Nigerian calcined kaolin as paint pigment

Pigment is one of the main components in paint formulation which is dominated with the use of titanium dioxide, due primarily to three important physical characteristics; which are high refractive index, high opacity and chemical inertness. However, due to increasing demand of this important pigment and the attendant increase in price, it has become imperative to develop cheaper alternative source with similar properties. One such alternative is calcined kaolin. Knowing fully that not all kaolin deposits can be calcined to meet the peculiar requirements, this paper therefore highlights the potentials of some Nigeria kaolin deposits that can be calcined and utilized as alternatives to titanium dioxide in paint formulation. The paper also highlights the other pigments used in the coating industry, their advantages, disadvantages and their national and international market trends. Key words: Pigments, calcined kaolin, titanium dioxide, refractive index, opacity.