Paint, Resin & Polymer Compounding worked example

Pigment Loading Cost at 21% pigment loading: a worked example

What does the result look like when pigment loading reaches 21%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. you need the pigment material cost of a formulation before quoting a batch or comparing a higher loading against a cheaper extender

The inputs for this scenario

  • Batch weight: 8,000 lb (unchanged)
  • Pigment price: 2.4 $ / lb (unchanged)
  • Pigment loading: 21 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 18)
  • Fixed grind and additive cost: 150 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Pigment material cost = batch weight * pigment price * pigment loading) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,182 $ for total pigment cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.52 $ / lb for pigment cost per pound of batch.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4,032 $ for pigment material cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 150 $ for fixed grind and additive cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where pigment loading sits at 18% and the headline result is 3,606 $, this scenario comes in 15.97% above the baseline at 4,182 $.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when pigment loading is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. It captures pigment and fixed grind cost only, not the resin, solvent, driers, or the energy and mill wear consumed during dispersion, so it is a component cost, not a fully loaded batch cost.

Results at a glance

  • Total pigment cost: 4,182 $ (headline result)
  • Pigment cost per pound of batch: 0.52 $ / lb
  • Pigment material cost: 4,032 $
  • Fixed grind and additive cost: 150 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Pigment Loading Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.