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.

The present invention relates to pigments which comprise a substrate and an iron(II) silicate-containing coating applied thereto, to a process for the preparation of these pigments, and to the use thereof.

A new material efficiently attenuating transmission of near-infrared light is provided. A provided near-infrared-shielding material includes a plurality of flaky particles, wherein each of the plurality of flaky particles includes a flaky substrate and a single-layer film formed on a principal surface of the flaky substrate, and the near-infrared-shielding material has a light reflectance of 40% or more between wavelengths of 800 nm and 1400 nm. The flaky substrate is, for example, a glass flake. The glass flake has an average thickness of, for example, 0.6 m or less. The single-layer film includes, for example, titanium oxide and has an average thickness of, for example, 80 nm to 165 nm.

Non-conductive pigments, coatings, films, articles, methods of manufacture thereof, and methods of use thereof are provided. The non-conductive pigment comprises a flake comprising at least four layers comprising alternating low index of refraction layers and high index of refraction layers. A difference in an average index of refraction between adjacent layers as measured over a wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm is at least 1.5. In certain examples, the high index of refraction layers have a Q value of at least 0.930, such as, at least 0.950 or at least 1.000. The pigment has an average visible specular reflectance of at least 80% and the pigment exhibits and the flake has a bandwidth of at least 300 nm between an upper wavelength and a lower wavelength at which a specular reflectance drops below 50%.

Interference pigments based on SiO.sub.2 flakes coated with crystallites of alpha-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3. Also, a process for the preparation of interference pigments that comprise SiO.sub.2 flakes coated with a crystallite of alpha-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, by a wet-chemical process in a fluidised bed, by a CVD process, by a PVD process, or by any combination of said processes. Also, the use of interference pigments based on SiO.sub.2 flakes coated with crystallites of alpha-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, in particular in paints, coatings, industrial and automobile paints, ceramic materials, plastics and cosmetic formulations.

There is disclosed a method including chemically converting a first material of a lamellar particle into a compound of the first material. The step of chemical conversion can be performed by a reactant, and the reactant can be in a form of at least one of a solid state, a liquid state, a vapor state, and a plasma state.