Acetoacetylated suspensions in pigment applications

This invention provides a process for forming an acetoacetarylide-based pigment, comprising: (a) reacting a diketene with an amine to form an acetoacetarylide slurry; (b) separating the acetoacetarylide as a solid from the acetoacetarylide slurry; (c) adding the acetoacetarylide solid to a homogenizer; (d) homogenizing the acetoacetarylide in the presence of water and one or more additives to form an acetoacetarylide slurry; (e) pumping the acetoacetarylide slurry to a reaction tank; (f) adding an alkali or alkaline metal base to the slurry; (g) adding an acid to form a precipitate of the acetoacetarylide; and (h) reacting the precipitate with an azo compound, thereby forming a pigment. This invention also includes the pigments and intermediates thereto formed by the above processes.