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°.

An apparatus is disclosed for producing flakes, the apparatus comprising: a) a support structure for supporting each of two supply cylinders, made of a first material from which flakes are to be produced, and a fatiguing rod assembly including at least one fatiguing rod made of a second material, each fatiguing rod having a diameter smaller than an initial diameter of the two supply cylinders; b) a compression mechanism for urging the surfaces of the two supply cylinders into contact with each fatiguing rod, and c) a drive mechanism for causing the supply cylinders to rotate while making rolling line contact with each fatiguing rod.

The contact pressure between the supply cylinders and each fatiguing rod is set sufficiently high to modify the surface of the supply cylinders by fatigue and result in separation of flakes of the first material from the surfaces of the supply cylinders.

An inorganic paint pigment may include a fluid matrix, and paint flakes carried within the fluid matrix. Each paint flake may include a common aluminum layer having a first major surface and a second major surface opposing the first major surface, a first plasmonic aluminum reflector layer carried by the first major surface, and a second plasmonic aluminum reflector layer carried by the second major surface.

An inorganic paint pigment may include a fluid matrix, and paint flakes carried within the fluid matrix. Each paint flake may include a common aluminum layer having a first major surface and a second major surface opposing the first major surface, a first plasmonic aluminum reflector layer carried by the first major surface, and a second plasmonic aluminum reflector layer carried by the second major surface.

A thin film structure including a reflector layer; and a hybrid layer including an organic colored material and at least one of an organic filler and an inorganic filler; wherein a concentration of the at least one of an organic filler or an inorganic filler is in a range of from about 3 wt. % to about 30 wt. %. A method of making a thin film structure is also disclosed.

A thin film structure including a reflector layer; and a hybrid layer including an organic colored material and at least one of an organic filler and an inorganic filler; wherein a concentration of the at least one of an organic filler or an inorganic filler is in a range of from about 3 wt. % to about 30 wt. %. A method of making a thin film structure is also disclosed.

The disclosure relates to a composition containing a base material and metal effect pigments (1) contained in the base material, wherein the metal effect pigments (1) are provided with a three dimensional shape selected from the following group: cube, pyramid having triangular outer surfaces, and tetrahedron. Furthermore, metal effect pigments (1) and a method for producing metal effect pigments (1) are provided.

The disclosure relates to a composition containing a base material and metal effect pigments (1) contained in the base material, wherein the metal effect pigments (1) are provided with a three dimensional shape selected from the following group: cube, pyramid having triangular outer surfaces, and tetrahedron. Furthermore, metal effect pigments (1) and a method for producing metal effect pigments (1) are provided.

A method for manufacturing platelet-shaped effect pigments includes the steps of a) providing a carrier substrate; b) applying aqueous washing ink droplets to the carrier substrate in first regions forming a first motif; c) applying a reflective coating to the carrier substrate such that a reflective coating is deposited on the carrier substrate in the form of a regular contiguous grid in second regions forming a second motif outside the first regions forming the first motif, wherein the first regions form the first motif and have the washing ink droplets form regular islands within the regular contiguous grid, and a reflective coating is deposited above the washing ink droplets in the first regions forming the first motif; and d) removing the washing ink droplets in the first regions together with the reflective coating present thereon and isolating the removed reflective coating in the form of platelet-shaped effect pigments.

A method for manufacturing platelet-shaped effect pigments includes the steps of a) providing a carrier substrate; b) applying aqueous washing ink droplets to the carrier substrate in first regions forming a first motif; c) applying a reflective coating to the carrier substrate such that a reflective coating is deposited on the carrier substrate in the form of a regular contiguous grid in second regions forming a second motif outside the first regions forming the first motif, wherein the first regions form the first motif and have the washing ink droplets form regular islands within the regular contiguous grid, and a reflective coating is deposited above the washing ink droplets in the first regions forming the first motif; and d) removing the washing ink droplets in the first regions together with the reflective coating present thereon and isolating the removed reflective coating in the form of platelet-shaped effect pigments.