Pigmentvolumen

Pigmentvolumen, commonly referred to in English as pigment volume concentration (PVC), is a material-property parameter used in paints, coatings, and pigment-containing composites. It denotes the fraction of the dry film volume that is occupied by pigment particles, as opposed to binder and other additives. PVC is defined as PVC = Vp / (Vp + Vb), where Vp is the pigment volume and Vb the binder volume. If using masses and densities, PVC can be calculated as PVC = (mp/ρp) / (mp/ρp + mb/ρb), with mp and mb the masses of pigment and binder and ρp and ρb their densities. Values are often expressed as a percentage.

Significance: PVC influences key properties of the coating, including hiding power, opacity, color strength, gloss, hardness, and flexibility. A higher PVC means more pigment relative to binder, which generally improves opacity and color strength but can reduce adhesion, impact resistance, and film integrity. A lower PVC yields higher binder content, improving film formation, gloss, and mechanical properties but reducing hiding power.

Applications: PVC is used by formulators to design coatings with desired performance. It also helps explain relationships between pigment loading, film porosity, and drying behavior. Measurement typically relies on formulation data and densities; direct microscopic measurement is uncommon in routine practice.

Limitations: PVC assumes uniform, non-porous solids and does not by itself specify particle shape, packing, or porosity, which also affect optical and mechanical performance.

See also: pigment volume concentration; coating formulation; solids content.