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.

A colored metallic pigment according to the present invention is a colored metallic pigment including at least a metallic pigment, an amorphous silicon oxide film layer formed on a surface of the metallic pigment, a metallic-particle-supporting layer formed on a surface of the amorphous silicon oxide film layer, and metallic particles formed on a surface of the metallic-particle-supporting layer, characterized in that the metallic-particle-supporting layer is formed of one or both of a metal layer and a metal oxide layer composed of a metal oxide other than silicon oxide, the metallic particles are formed to directly cover a part of the surface of the metallic-particle-supporting layer, and the amorphous silicon oxide film layer has a thickness of more than 500 nm.

A method of forming a titania-coated inorganic particle comprising the steps of: (a) agitating a mixture of inorganic particle and organic solvent; (b) adding titania precursor dropwise into the mixture of step (a) under agitation; and (c) adding catalyst to the mixture of step (b) thereby converting said titania precursor to titania which then forms a coating on said inorganic particle; wherein steps (a) to (c) are performed at neutral pH and ambient temperature.

A platelet-shaped magnetic effect pigment is provided for use in a printing ink, and includes a layer construction with a magnetic layer and at least one optical functional layer, such that the magnetic layer is based on a magnetic material having a column-shaped nanostructure and the magnetic columns respectively have a largely uniform preferential magnetic direction deviating from the platelet plane.

A bright pigment according to the present invention includes: a glass flake; a titanium oxide layer formed over the glass flake; and fine gold particles deposited on the titanium oxide layer or placed between the glass flake and the titanium oxide layer. The titanium oxide layer has a thickness of 150 nm or more, and a reflected color of the bright pigment is a blue to green color represented by a C* value of 15 or more and a h value of 150 to 300 in a L*C*h color system.

Flaky particles have a particle size distribution in which a value of D90/D10 is 2.0 or more and 3.0 or less, D10 is 4.7 m or more and 25 m or less, and D50 is 17 m or more and 40 m or less, where D10 is defined as a particle diameter at 10% of a cumulative volume from a smaller particle diameter, D50 is defined as a particle diameter at 50% of the cumulative volume from the smaller particle diameter, and D90 is defined as a particle diameter at 90% of the cumulative volume from the smaller particle diameter, and the flaky particles have a particle projected area distribution in which the following (i) or (ii) is satisfied: (i) when D50 is 17 m or more and less than 30 m, A10 is 100 m.sup.2 or more; and (ii) when D50 is 30 m or more and 40 m or less, A10 is 200 m.sup.2 or more, where A10 is defined as a projected area of a particle in a 10th percentile of the total number of particles in ascending order of particle projected area.

The present invention provides an interference pigment that develops interference colors even on light-colored bases. An interference pigment 1 of the present invention includes: a flaky inorganic substrate 10; a transparent metal layer 20 that coats the inorganic substrate 10; and a metal oxide layer 30 that coats the metal layer 20.

The present invention relates to pigments, comprising a plate-like substrate of perlite, and (a) a dielectric material, especially a metal oxide, having a high index of refraction; and/or (a) a metal layer, especially a thin semi-transparent metal layer; a process for their production and their use in paints, ink jet printing, for dyeing textiles, for pigmenting coatings (paints), printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, glazes for ceramics and glass.

An article includes a reflector having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface; and a first selective light modulator layer external to the first surface of the reflector; wherein the third surface of the reflector is open. A method of making an article is also disclosed.

A colorant including a mixture of pigments is disclosed. The pigments have a similar coloration but different resistance to corrosion. The mixing ratio is selected to optimize the corrosion resistance against color brightness, and/or acidic corrosion resistance against alkali corrosion resistance of the colorant.