The present invention relates to effect pigments which are based on flake-form substrates having a circular form factor of 1.2-2 and are coated with at least one high-refractive-index layer, and to the use thereof, inter alia in paints, coatings, printing inks, plastics and in cosmetic formulations.

The present invention relates to effect pigments which are based on flake-form substrates having a circular form factor of 1.2-2 and are coated with at least one high-refractive-index layer, and to the use thereof, inter alia in paints, coatings, printing inks, plastics and in cosmetic formulations.

The present invention provides a coating film which has luster of conventional metallic coating films, while being capable of taking on a pale color, and which has a unique design. A coating composition which contains a coating film-forming resin and a pigment, wherein: the pigment contains a scale-like vapor deposition metal pigment; a cured coating film of this coating composition has a sparkle intensity (Si) of 5 or more at the incident angle of 45°, a sparkle area (Sa value) of 10 or more, a graininess value (G value) of from 5 to 10, and a color saturation C* of 5 or less at the incident angle of 45° and at the light reception angle of 45°.

The present invention provides a coating film which has luster of conventional metallic coating films, while being capable of taking on a pale color, and which has a unique design. A coating composition which contains a coating film-forming resin and a pigment, wherein: the pigment contains a scale-like vapor deposition metal pigment; a cured coating film of this coating composition has a sparkle intensity (Si) of 5 or more at the incident angle of 45°, a sparkle area (Sa value) of 10 or more, a graininess value (G value) of from 5 to 10, and a color saturation C* of 5 or less at the incident angle of 45° and at the light reception angle of 45°.

The present invention is directed to a chromatic effect light reflective unit (1; 1a-1g). The unit (1; 1a-1g) comprises a reflective layer (10) having at least one reflective surface (11), and a chromatic diffusion layer (20) having a first surface (21) proximal to the reflective surface (11) and a second surface (23), opposite and substantially parallel to the first, configured to be illuminated by incident light, wherein the chromatic diffusion layer (20) comprises a nano-pillar (70) or nano-pore (30) structure in a first material having a first refractive index (n1), immersed in a second material having a second refractive index (n2) other than the first (n1), in which the first and second materials are substantially non-absorbing or transparent to electromagnetic radiations with wavelength included in the visible spectrum, wherein the ratio (n.sub.M/n.sub.m) between a higher refractive index (n.sub.M) and a lower refractive index (n.sub.M) chosen between the first (n1) and the second (n2) refractive indexes is comprised between 1.05 and 3, wherein the nano- pillars (71) or nano-pores (31) have a development along a main direction not parallel to the first surface (21) and the second surface (23) of the chromatic diffusion layer and the nano- pillars (70) or nano-pores (30) structure is characterized by a plurality of geometric parameters comprising a pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.p), a pillar length or pore length (1.sub.p) along said main development direction, and a surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and/or a structure (30,70) porosity (P.sub.p) and wherein the pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.p) is comprised between 40 nm and 300 nm, the length (l.sub.p) along the main development direction is comprised between 300 nm and 40 .Math.m (300 nm < l.sub.p < 40 .Math.m) and at least one between the surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and the structure (30,70) porosity (P.sub.p) is configured to provide a higher regular reflectance for wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of red with respect to wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of blue and a higher diffuse reflectance for wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of blue than wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of red.

The present invention is directed to a chromatic effect light reflective unit (1; 1a-1g). The unit (1; 1a-1g) comprises a reflective layer (10) having at least one reflective surface (11), and a chromatic diffusion layer (20) having a first surface (21) proximal to the reflective surface (11) and a second surface (23), opposite and substantially parallel to the first, configured to be illuminated by incident light, wherein the chromatic diffusion layer (20) comprises a nano-pillar (70) or nano-pore (30) structure in a first material having a first refractive index (n1), immersed in a second material having a second refractive index (n2) other than the first (n1), in which the first and second materials are substantially non-absorbing or transparent to electromagnetic radiations with wavelength included in the visible spectrum, wherein the ratio (n.sub.M/n.sub.m) between a higher refractive index (n.sub.M) and a lower refractive index (n.sub.M) chosen between the first (n1) and the second (n2) refractive indexes is comprised between 1.05 and 3, wherein the nano- pillars (71) or nano-pores (31) have a development along a main direction not parallel to the first surface (21) and the second surface (23) of the chromatic diffusion layer and the nano- pillars (70) or nano-pores (30) structure is characterized by a plurality of geometric parameters comprising a pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.p), a pillar length or pore length (1.sub.p) along said main development direction, and a surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and/or a structure (30,70) porosity (P.sub.p) and wherein the pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.p) is comprised between 40 nm and 300 nm, the length (l.sub.p) along the main development direction is comprised between 300 nm and 40 .Math.m (300 nm < l.sub.p < 40 .Math.m) and at least one between the surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and the structure (30,70) porosity (P.sub.p) is configured to provide a higher regular reflectance for wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of red with respect to wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of blue and a higher diffuse reflectance for wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of blue than wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of red.

Provided is a method for forming a multilayer coating film that is capable of forming a multilayer coating film that has pearly luster with excellent blackness and high reflectance of an infrared laser. The method for forming a multilayer coating film includes applying a carbon black pigment-containing first colored paint (X) to form a first colored coating film; applying a second colored paint (Y) containing a pigment (A) that is a transparent or translucent base material coated with a metal oxide to form a second colored coating film; applying a clear paint (Z) to form a clear coating film; and heating the first colored coating film, the second colored coating film, and the clear coating film separately or simultaneously to cure these films, wherein the first colored coating film has a lightness L*(45°) of less than 20, the multilayer coating film has a lightness L*(45°) of less than 20, and the multilayer coating film has a diffuse reflectance of 10% or more at a wavelength of 905 nm.

Provided is a method for forming a multilayer coating film that is capable of forming a multilayer coating film that has pearly luster with excellent blackness and high reflectance of an infrared laser. The method for forming a multilayer coating film includes applying a carbon black pigment-containing first colored paint (X) to form a first colored coating film; applying a second colored paint (Y) containing a pigment (A) that is a transparent or translucent base material coated with a metal oxide to form a second colored coating film; applying a clear paint (Z) to form a clear coating film; and heating the first colored coating film, the second colored coating film, and the clear coating film separately or simultaneously to cure these films, wherein the first colored coating film has a lightness L*(45°) of less than 20, the multilayer coating film has a lightness L*(45°) of less than 20, and the multilayer coating film has a diffuse reflectance of 10% or more at a wavelength of 905 nm.

Described herein are a curable coating composition including at least one Michael donor (A) having at least one thiol group, at least one Michael acceptor (B) and at least one specific catalyst (C), a method of using the curable coating composition as a clear coating in a process to prepare a multilayer coating and a multilayer coating obtained from said process. Also described herein is a kit-of-parts including at least two separate containers C1 and C2, where the specific catalyst (C) is contained in container C1 and/or C2. Finally, described herein is a method of using specific salts of carboxylic acids as catalyst in a reaction between a Michael donor (A) having at least one thiol group and a Michael acceptor (B).

Described herein are a curable coating composition including at least one Michael donor (A) having at least one thiol group, at least one Michael acceptor (B) and at least one specific catalyst (C), a method of using the curable coating composition as a clear coating in a process to prepare a multilayer coating and a multilayer coating obtained from said process. Also described herein is a kit-of-parts including at least two separate containers C1 and C2, where the specific catalyst (C) is contained in container C1 and/or C2. Finally, described herein is a method of using specific salts of carboxylic acids as catalyst in a reaction between a Michael donor (A) having at least one thiol group and a Michael acceptor (B).