A method for increasing a detection distance of a surface of an object illuminated by near-IR electromagnetic radiation, including: (a) directing near-IR electromagnetic radiation from a near-IR electromagnetic radiation source towards an object at least partially coated with a near-IR reflective coating that increases a near-IR electromagnetic radiation detection distance by at least 15% as measured at a wavelength in a near-IR range as compared to the same object coated with a color matched coating which absorbs more of the same near-IR radiation, where the color matched coating has a ?E color matched value of 1.5 or less when compared to the near-IR reflective coating; and (b) detecting reflected near-IR electromagnetic radiation reflected from the near-IR reflective coating. A system for detecting proximity of vehicles is also disclosed.

A method of inkjet printing includes ink jetting an aqueous inkjet ink composition to form a white printed image on a substrate. The aqueous inkjet ink composition comprises particles of titanium dioxide that are present in an amount of at least 4 to 15 weight % and the particles have a 95.sup.th percentile particle size of less than 200 nm and a 50.sup.th percentile particle size of less than 130 nm. The titanium dioxide particles are dispersed within the aqueous inkjet ink composition using a dispersing polymer that is a styrene-(meth)acrylic acid polymer, styrene-maleic anhydride polymer, or styrene-maleic acid polymer and the weight ratio of the titanium dioxide particles to the dispersing polymer is from 19:1 to and including 2:1.

An aqueous, low-VOC/SVOC universal pigment preparation is provided, which contains (A) a pigment component; (B) a water-soluble additive containing at least one polyamine B, which is selected from the group consisting of polyvinylamines, poly-C.sub.2-C.sub.3-alkyleneimines, modified poly-C.sub.2-C.sub.3-alkyleneimines, melamines, modified melamines, poly-(C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkyleneether) amines, polyetheramine polyols, and modified polyetheramine polyols; (C) an additive based on lecithin and/or an anionic additive based on a phosphoric ester and/or phosphonic ester; and (D) optionally further additives customary for producing an aqueous pigment preparation. The aqueous pigment preparation is suitable for coloring coating materials like paints, varnishes or renders, preferably for point-of-sale tinting (POS) or in in-plant tinting systems.

A vehicle bond filler formulation is provided that includes a part A having curable resin and a monomer reactive diluent. A part B storage-separate, cure initiator package contains a free-radical cure initiator. At least one color changing dye adapted to change color upon mixing the part A and the part B and within 5 minutes of cure of the curable resin to a sandable condition is present in either the part A or a separate part C, a guide coat colorant, or a combination thereof. A process of for repairing a vehicle body is also provided that includes mixing a part A containing the at least one color changing dye with the part B to form an internal guide coat mixture applied to a substrate of the vehicle body in need of repair. The mixture cures causing the color changing dye to the terminal change color within 5 minutes of cure of the curable resin to a sandable condition.

A pigment dispersion liquid includes a pigment dispersant; and a pigment, in which the pigment dispersant is a graft type silicone polymer denoted by General Formula 1. In General Formula 1, R.sup.1 to R.sup.10, R.sup.15 and R.sup.16 represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group, an aryl group, or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; R.sup.11 and R.sup.12 represent an arylene group or an alkylene group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; Y and Z represent a single bond or a divalent organic linking group; A represents a group having a pigment adsorption portion; B represents a group having a structure denoted by General Formula 2; l and n represent an integer of greater than or equal to 1; m represents an integer of greater than or equal to 0; and k represents an integer of greater than or equal to 1. ##STR00001##

The present disclosure provides white pigment dispersions, which can include an aqueous liquid vehicle, and from 5 wt % to 70 wt % of a white metal oxide pigment dispersed by two co-dispersants. The metal oxide pigment can have an average particulate size from 100 nm to 1 m, and the co-dispersants can include both i) a short-chain anionic dispersant having a weight average molecular weight ranging from 1,000 Mw to 30,000 Mw, and ii) a non-ionic or predominantly non-ionic dispersant.

To provide an infrared-reflective pigment and infrared-reflective coating composition provided with both high infrared-light reflecting properties and high visible-light transparency. Provided is a flake-shaped infrared-reflective pigment, the infrared-reflective pigment 1 characterized by being provided with a layered body 13 having at least one metal thin-film layer 11 and at least two transparent dielectric layers 12, the film thickness of the dielectric layer 12 being (an integer multiple of /4n)10 nm, where is the wavelength of incident light in a visible-light peripheral region and n is the refractive index of the dielectric layer 12. Also provided is an infrared-reflective coating composition containing the infrared-reflective pigment 1.

Disclosed are imprinting ink compositions for use in imprinting techniques such as SCIL. The imprinting ink compositions comprise TMO nanoparticles stabilized by selected polymerization inhibitors that allow for the formation of a stable imprinting ink composition in which polymerization of the TMO nanoparticles is effectively suppressed and from which high refractive index patterned layers can be formed. Imprinting methods using such imprinting ink compositions, optical devices including patterned layers formed from such imprinting ink compositions and lighting devices, optical sensors and photovoltaic devices including such optical elements are also disclosed.

A wetting agent according to Formula (I):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from a branched alkyl group or linear alkyl group or a cycloaliphatic group or an aromatic group, each having 6 to 15 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 is selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.3 is selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.4 is selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.5 is selected from methyl or ethyl; x ranges from 0 to 5; y ranges from 0 to 10; z ranges from 1 to 10; with the proviso that when x ranges from 1 to 5, R.sup.2 is different from R.sup.3; and with the proviso that when x=0, R.sup.3 is different from R.sup.4. The wetting agent also imparts anti-foam properties to aqueous solutions while reducing surface tension.

An aqueous dispersion contains pigment colorant particles that are present in an amount of at least 5 weight % and up to and including 80 weight %; a dispersing polymer that is a hexyloxy benzoic acid polymer; and an aqueous medium. The weight ratio of the pigment colorant particles to the dispersing polymer is from 19:1 to and including 2:1. Such aqueous dispersions can be incorporated into aqueous inkjet ink compositions that can be used for forming opaque images such as white images using inkjet printing methods.