The present disclosure is directed to titanium dioxide-containing, polycarbonate-based thermoplastic compositions that contain metal oxide-containing mica. The metal oxide-containing mica may be provided in very low amounts. The titanium dioxide-containing polycarbonate-based thermoplastic compositions are suitable for reflectors. The addition of mica results in improved reflectance values as compared to the same mixtures without mica component.

The present invention relates to gold-colored effect pigment including a nonmetallic substrate in platelet form and a coating applied thereto, wherein the coating includes at least one spacer layer. The invention further relates to a process for production of and to the use of the gold-colored effect pigment.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ultraviolet and/or near-infrared shielding agent composition for transparent material using silicon compound-coated silicon-doped zinc oxide particles that are controlled in properties in an ultraviolet region and/or a near-infrared region. The present invention provides an ultraviolet and/or near-infrared shielding agent composition for transparent material used for a purpose of shielding ultraviolet rays and/or near-infrared rays, the ultraviolet and/or near-infrared shielding agent composition for transparent material featuring that the ultraviolet and/or near-infrared shielding agent contains silicon compound-coated silicon-doped zinc oxide particles, with which surfaces of silicon-doped zinc oxide particles that are zinc oxide particles doped with at least silicon are at least partially coated with a silicon compound.

The present invention is a method of producing silicon compound coated oxide particles in which at least a part of a surface of a metal oxide particle is coated with a silicon compound, wherein wettability and color characteristics are controlled by controlling a ratio of SiOH bonds contained in the silicon compound coated oxide particles. By the present invention, silicon compound coated oxide particles having controlled wettability such as hydrophilicity, water repellency or oil repellency, and controlled color characteristics of either reflectivity, molar absorption coefficient or transmittance can be provided.

An asymmetric pigment including a first Fabry-Perot structure; and a second Fabry-Perot structure; wherein the first Fabry-Perot structure and the second Fabry-Perot structure have a similar hue angle within +/45 degrees is disclosed. Other asymmetric pigments are also disclosed as well as methods of making the disclosed pigments.

The use of an effect pigment (a) comprising an aluminum-based substrate and an iron oxide coating having a red 1.sup.st order interference color in combination with a colored absorption pigment (b) for producing a coating having enhanced coloristic properties, in particular enhanced chroma, lightness and hiding power, is provided. The pigment combination of (a) and (b) is suitable for coloring plastics, a fiber, a film and a coating composition such as a paint, a printing ink, a varnish or a powder coating, preferably an automotive, an architectural or an industrial coating composition.

The present invention relates to silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles, with which surfaces of fine metal particles, composed of at least one type of metal element or metalloid element, are at least partially coated with a silicon compound and a ratio of SiOH bonds contained in the silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles is controlled to be 0.1% or more and 70% or less. By the present invention, silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles that are controlled in dispersibility and other properties can be provided by controlling the ratio of SiOH bonds or the ratio of SiOH bonds/SiO bonds contained in the silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles. By controlling the ratio of SiOH bonds or the ratio of SiOH bonds/SiO bonds, a composition that is more appropriate for diversifying applications and targeted properties of silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles than was conventionally possible can be designed easily.

A thermoplastic composition comprising: a polymer material; and a passivated inorganic chromophore comprising an inorganic chromophore and a passivation layer, wherein the inorganic chromophore has the formula: AM1-xM?xM?yO3+y, wherein A, M, M?, M?, x, and y are as provided herein, and wherein the passivation layer is derived from a passivation material comprising a polysiloxane having at least one functional group that is hydride, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, epoxy, carboxy, amino, or a combination thereof.

The present invention provides a glitter pigment, including: a glass flake; a titanium oxide layer formed over the glass flake; and fine gold particles deposited on the titanium oxide layer, wherein the fine gold particles include fine gold particles P2 having a particle diameter of 20 nm or more and less than 50 nm, and in a square region 2 m on a side on a surface of the titanium oxide layer on which the fine gold particles are deposited, the number of the fine gold particles P2 is 9 or more and less than 100 and an average of distances between the fine gold particles P2 is 130 nm or more and less than 500 nm, each of the distances being a distance from one of the fine gold particles P2 to another fine gold particle P2 nearest to the one.

An article including a thin film interference pigment; and a coating including a selectively absorbing nanoparticle is disclosed. The article can exhibit increased chromaticity as compared to the thin film interference pigment alone. Methods of making the article are also disclosed.