The present invention relates to particles comprising a core, in particular a magnetic core, and a first coating of a first shell material, wherein a second coating of a second shell material is applied to the surface of the first coating facing away from the core, the second shell material is different from the first shell material and has a higher refractive index than the first shell material.

Disclosed is a composite white pigment having mixed together white pigments having different colorimeter values from each other by comprising substrates having various sizes and/or TiO2 having various thicknesses. The composite white pigment, according to the present invention, comprises: a first white pigment comprising a substrate and a white metal oxide layer formed on the substrate; and a second white pigment comprising a substrate and a white metal oxide layer formed on the substrate, and having a different colorimeter value from that of the first white pigment.

The present invention relates to pearlescent pigments, to a process of manufacturing such pearlescent pigments based on a wet oxidation step as well as to the use of such pearlescent pigments.

The present invention relates to pigment compositions with improved and adjustable sparkling effect comprising

A) a platelet-like perlite; and
B) an effect pigment;
and a process for their production and their use in paints, ink-jet printing, for dyeing textiles, for pigmenting coatings (paints), printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, glazes for ceramics and glass. The pigment compositions show an improved sparkle effect; in particular an attractive high sparkle intensity.

A bright pigment of the present invention is a bright pigment including flaky particles and a metal oxide layer covering each surface of the flaky particles. The metal oxide layer has a thickness variation coefficient (standard deviation of thickness of the metal oxide layer/average thickness of the metal oxide layer) of 20% or less. The bright pigment preferably contains a sodium component, and the sodium component is Na.sub.2O. The content of Na.sub.2O in the flaky particles is 3% by mass or more and less than 9.5% by mass. The bright pigment preferably has a specific surface area of 5.0 m.sup.2/g or less.

The invention relates to an absorbent 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 absorbent effect pigment.

An optical device includes a colored reflector layer having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface; and a selective light modulator layer external to the first surface of the colored reflector layer. A method of making an optical device is also disclosed.

A method for forming a multilayer thin film having a crystalline metal oxide layer, the method including: encapsulating at least one encapsulated layer of the multilayer thin film in a wet chemical composition by wet chemical methods; and crystallizing the wet chemical composition by microwave hydrothermal treatment to form a crystalline metal oxide layer encapsulating the at least one encapsulated layer of the multilayer thin film.

Disclosed in the present invention are near-infrared reflecting functional pigment, paint, and panel, especially, used for a vehicle pigment or the like. The pigment according to the present invention comprises: a platelet-like substrate; a first metal oxide layer coated on at least a portion of the substrate and having a refractive index of 1.8 or larger, and a second metal oxide layer coated on at least a portion of the first metal oxide layer and containing an absorbent material, wherein the pigment reflects on average at least 30% of an IR electron beam of 850-950 nm.

A pigment, including a flake including a metal core having a first surface and a second surface, a first dielectric layer interfacing with a first surface of the metal core, and a second dielectric layer interfacing with a second surface of the metal core; a first inorganic layer encapsulating the flake; and an organic layer encapsulating the first organic layer is disclosed. A colorant composition including the pigment is also disclosed. A method of making the pigment, and a method of making a colorant composition are also disclosed.