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 invention is directed to electrically conductive particles comprising a metallic core, a dielectric layer encapsulating said metallic core, and a silver containing outer-layer, wherein said metallic core comprises or consists of elemental metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, iron, nickel, zinc, and alloys, and mixtures thereof, said dielectric layer comprises at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide, organic polymer, and mixtures thereof, wherein said silver containing layer is a continuous and opaque layer, wherein a silver ion coordinating layer is arranged between said dielectric layer and said silver containing layer and, optionally a further outer surface modification layer in amount of 0 to 3 wt.-%, based on the total weight of the electrically conductive particles. The invention is also directed to a composition and an article comprising the electrically conductive particles as well as to a method for producing said electrically conductive particles.

The present invention relates to a coloured effect pigment, comprising a substrate made of aluminium or an aluminium alloy which is optionally coated with one or more passivation layers, and an aluminium-doped iron oxide layer.

The invention relates to a surface-modified effect pigment comprising particular additives and to the production thereof. The present invention further provides a nail varnish composition comprising a) at least one effect pigment that has been surface-modified with a starting material (additive), where the effect pigment comprises a substrate in platelet form and optionally at least one coating applied to the substrate, b) at least one hydrocarbon resin as binder, and c) at least one solvent or solvent mixture, where the starting material (additive) for surface modification of the effect pigment is at least one compound taken from the group consisting of phosphoric ester-containing, phosphonic ester-containing, phosphonic acid-containing, fatty acid-containing and/or silane-containing compounds or mixtures thereof.

Nano-thick flakes that are either flat, and specularly-reflective in visible light or that have microroughness intentionally controlled to disperse or interfere with visible light. Coatings and inks utilizing such flakes. Method for fabrication of such flakes in partial vacuum includes the repeated multiple times deposition of a release layer over a substrate surface and a flake layer over the release layer to form a multilayer structure further reduced to individual flakes. Reactive metal is passivated inline with the deposition of the flake layer for superior corrosion resistance. Chemically-functional materials are optionally added to the release material to transfer their functionality to the surface of flake layer to create unique functional properties on a flake surface before the multilayer structure is removed from the substrate.

Nano-thick flakes that are either flat, and specularly-reflective in visible light or that have microroughness intentionally controlled to disperse or interfere with visible light. Coatings and inks utilizing such flakes. Method for fabrication of such flakes in partial vacuum includes the repeated multiple times deposition of a release layer over a substrate surface and a flake layer over the release layer to form a multilayer structure further reduced to individual flakes. Reactive metal is passivated inline with the deposition of the flake layer for superior corrosion resistance. Chemically-functional materials are optionally added to the release material to transfer their functionality to the surface of flake layer to create unique functional properties on a flake surface before the multilayer structure is removed from the substrate.

The invention relates to a metal effect pigment including a metallic substrate in platelet form and a coating applied thereto, wherein the coating includes a spacer layer. The invention further relates to a process for production of and to the use of the metal effect pigment.

The invention relates to an offset printing ink containing platelet-shaped aluminum pigments with an average thickness h.sub.50 ranging from 15 to 80 nm, binders, and solvents. The invention is characterized in that the platelet-shaped aluminum pigments are produced using a PVD method and are at least partly coated with a leafing additive, and the offset printing ink has a viscosity of 4 to 15 Pa s, measured on a sample which is temperature-controlled at 25 C. by means of a rotation viscometer with a cone/plate geometry under a shear stress of 185.9 Pa. The invention further relates to a method for producing a high-gloss printed metal image on a substrate, having the following steps: a) optionally applying a primer onto the substrate; b) applying an offset printing ink according to the invention onto the primer layer or onto the substrate, thereby forming a high-gloss printed layer B, and c) optionally applying additional color layers C onto the layer B.

The invention relates to an offset printing ink containing platelet-shaped aluminum pigments with an average thickness h.sub.50 ranging from 15 to 80 nm, binders, and solvents. The invention is characterized in that the platelet-shaped aluminum pigments are produced using a PVD method and are at least partly coated with a leafing additive, and the offset printing ink has a viscosity of 4 to 15 Pa s, measured on a sample which is temperature-controlled at 25 C. by means of a rotation viscometer with a cone/plate geometry under a shear stress of 185.9 Pa. The invention further relates to a method for producing a high-gloss printed metal image on a substrate, having the following steps: a) optionally applying a primer onto the substrate; b) applying an offset printing ink according to the invention onto the primer layer or onto the substrate, thereby forming a high-gloss printed layer B, and c) optionally applying additional color layers C onto the layer B.

The invention relates to a powder paint comprising at least one base powder paint and at least one effect powder paint having effect pigments, said effect pigments being dispersed in a melt made from transparent effect powder paint. The invention also relates to a method for producing said type of powder paint and to an effect powder coating containing said type of powder paint.