On the morning of June 29, 2020, Anhui Province held its 2019 Science and Technology Awards Conference, unveiling the list of winners—both projects and individuals—who were recognized for their outstanding contributions to science and technology in 2019. Among the recipients, the project titled "Research and Development of Key Technologies and Industrialization of High-Performance Water-Based Aluminum Pigments," jointly developed by Hefei Xuyang Aluminum Pigment Co., Ltd. in collaboration with Hefei University of Technology and Anhui University, was awarded the Second Prize of the Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.

The Anhui Provincial Science and Technology Award is the highest honor bestowed by the provincial government upon individuals and organizations in the province's science and technology community. Presented annually, it recognizes outstanding contributions made in areas such as technological inventions, applied research and development, social welfare initiatives, and major engineering projects. In recent years, Xuyang Group has placed great emphasis on technological R&D, embracing "Revitalizing the enterprise through science and technology, serving the nation with industrial strength" as its new corporate mission. The company has continuously strengthened the construction of two key platforms: the "Anhui Provincial Metal Slurry Engineering Technology Research Center" and the "Anhui Provincial Functional Metal Slurry (Powder) Polymer Composite Materials Industry Innovation Strategic Alliance." Guided by the goal of driving enterprise growth through innovation and market demand, Xuyang has established a robust innovation system that seamlessly integrates industry, academia, and research. Meanwhile, the company has actively spearheaded cutting-edge scientific research on a series of forward-looking, high-impact projects, including "Water-Based Metal Slurry," "Aluminum Pigments for Plastic-Free Spray Processes," and "High-Performance Multifunctional Metal Slurries." These efforts have yielded significant achievements, such as numerous industry standards, patents, and provincial-level awards for technological progress. As a result, Xuyang has further enhanced its independent innovation capabilities and core competitiveness, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements and sustained growth in the metal slurry industry.
01 Key Technology Research and Industrialization of High-Performance Water-Based Aluminum Pigments
As the primary raw material for metal coatings and metallic inks, the industrial production of aluminum pigments dates back over 100 years. With the advancement of industry and growing environmental awareness among people, the development and production of low-pollution, non-toxic, and dust-free aluminum pigment products have gained significant attention. Replacing organic solvents with water has become an inevitable trend in the coatings industry, driving intense focus on the research and development of water-based aluminum pigments.

To meet the growing demand for water-based aluminum pigments, research in developed countries such as Europe and North America started relatively early. These studies primarily focus on producing waterborne aluminum pigments by employing passivation films, various phosphate coatings, and polymer-based encapsulation methods. However, the resulting water-based aluminum pigment products often suffer from a noticeable reduction in gloss, which somewhat limits their practical applications.
Xuyang Group, in collaboration with Hefei University of Technology and Anhui University, has jointly developed a high-performance water-based coating and modification technology for aluminum pigments. This breakthrough addresses the industry's longstanding challenges: the tendency of flaky aluminum particles to react and clump together in aqueous systems, leading to poor dispersion and compromised performance. As a result, the company has achieved green production of water-based aluminum pigment products while maintaining key performance attributes such as superior gloss.
02 Introduction to Water-Based Aluminum Pigment Products
Water-based aluminum pigments include waterborne aluminum silver paste and waterborne silver powder. The waterborne aluminum silver paste consists of 50%–75% aluminum and 25%–50% alcohol-ether solvents, while the waterborne silver powder contains more than 97% non-volatile components (aluminum and organic silicon) and no more than 3% solvent. To prevent these water-based aluminum pigments from reacting with water, acids, or alkalis, they must undergo special surface treatment when used in water-based resin systems.

Currently, the methods for preparing water-based aluminum silver paste on the market are mainly divided into four categories: 1. The addition of corrosion inhibitors method; 2. Passivation methods using chromic acid, phosphoric acid, modified resins, and their salts; 3. Inorganic silica coating method; 4. Inorganic-organic double-layer coating or hybrid coating method.