Clariant used the ASTA CSS 2016 & Seed Expo to unveil their new Agrocer White 006 Dispersion pigment. As a leader in specialty chemicals, Clariant has created this new color using titanium dioxide to enhance the coverage of seeds and to be compatible with seed treatment pesticide formulations. The new addition makes the seventh important colorants for seed coatings offered by the company.

“It adds opacity, it gives better hiding power, it can also make the colors look more vibrant, and you can get very nice shades,” said Clariant Market Segment Manager for Special Applications Mark Self during an interview at the expo this week. “What we’re also talking with different companies about is brand differentiation and marketing strategies … where they can make their colors look different.”

Clariant’s exhibit at the expo had samples showing in living color how the addition of the white pigment makes all the difference in coloring black seeds. “When the black seeds are colored with traditional colors, it’s very hard to see,” Self explained. “But you add just a very small amount of white, the coating pops out.”

It was first time exhibiting at the ASTA CSS event for Clariant which is a large global specialty chemicals corporation located in Switzerland and formed in 1995 as a spin-off from Sandoz. Clariant’s global technical manager for seed coloration Andreas Wacker says they have been a global leader in the seed colorant business for many years. “It’s a growing industry,” said Wacker. “Seed treatment is the area within agrichemicals which is growing the fastest.”

Learn more about Clariant in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/astacss-16-clariant.mp3″ text=”Interview with Mark Self and Andreas Wacker, Clariant”]

ASTA CSS 2016 Photo Album