A particle and a composition including a plurality of particles are provided, wherein the particles are platelets exhibiting a planar geometry which is circular or which is made up of a number (x) of planar (y)-sided polygon(s), wherein x is from 1 to 20 and y is at least 3 wherein if x is greater than 1 then said planar (y)-sided polygons are fused along one or more sides thereof, wherein the width (W.sub.P) of the platelets (P) at their widest point is no more than about 250 pm and the thickness of the platelets (P) is in the range of 10 nm to 50 nm.

A colored special effect ink includes a special effect pigment and a colored pigment. The colored pigment is more hydrophobic than the special effect pigment, and the colored pigment is miscible in a solvent chosen from the group consisting of alcohols, ethers, esters, ketones, and water. The colored pigment optionally has a surface energy of less than 35 dynes/cm. A method for preparing the colored special effect ink and treating the colored pigment to form the colored special effect ink are also described.

An embossed effect pigment includes a metallic substrate in platelet form with embossed structure having a periodic pattern with diffractive elements, said substrate having been produced by PVD methods, wherein the substrate has an elemental metal content of 80% to 100% by weight, based on the substrate, and wherein the effect pigment has been treated with a leafing additive for surface modification. A method of manufacture of an embossed effect pigment includes suspending a metallic substrate in in at least one solvent, adding a leafing additive to the suspension including the metallic substrate in the at least one solvent and stirring the suspension including the leafing additive, and separating the embossed effect pigment from the at least one solvent.

This invention deals with effect pigment mixture comprising platelet-like aluminum effect pigments obtained by grinding of aluminum or aluminum based alloy shot and silvery pearlescent pigments, wherein the silvery pearlescent pigments are taken from the group consisting of: a) pearlescent pigments comprising a transparent substrate which is coated with a high-refractive index layer with n>1.8, which comprises or consists of an iron-oxide with Fe(II)-ions, b) pearlescent pigments comprising a transparent substrate which is coated with a high-refractive index layer with n>1.8, which comprises or consists of titanium suboxide or a pearlescent pigment comprising a substrate with a high-refractive index with n>1.8 layer, which comprises or consists of a titanium suboxide that is optionally coated with a high-refractive index layer with n>1.8, c) pearlescent pigments comprising a transparent substrate which is coated with a high-refractive index layer with n>1.8, which comprises or consists of titanium oxynitride, d) pearlescent pigments comprising a transparent substrate which is coated with a layer comprising carbon, wherein the carbon is enclosed in a particulate form in another metal oxide layer or is formed as a separate, individual layer, e) a transparent substrate coated with a first layer comprising or consisting of a mixture of the oxides of titanium, iron and at least one of cobalt and chromium and a second layer on the first layer, wherein the second layer comprises an oxide of titanium, and mixtures or combinations of the pearlescent pigments a) to e) or pearlescent pigments with mixtures or combinations of the various coating layers mentioned in the pearlescent pigments a) to e), wherein the weight ratio of the pearlescent pigment to the aluminum effect pigment is in a range of 0.4 to 5.0. The invention deals also with a coating formulation containing this effect pigment mixture.

There is disclosed a functional lamellar particle including an unconverted portion of the lamellar particle, wherein the unconverted portion includes a first metal, a converted portion of the lamellar particle disposed external to a surface of the unconverted portion, wherein the converted portion includes a chemical compound of the first metal; and a functional coating disposed external to a surface of the converted portion.

The invention relates to powder made of coated PVD metal effect pigment, highly concentrated suspensions of coated PVD metal effect pigment as well as the use thereof in powder lacquers and masterbatches. The powder according to the invention made of coated PVD metal effect pigments is characterized by a very good redispersibility and is outstandingly suitable in particular for the preparation of highly concentrated suspensions. Furthermore, it is very free flowing, substantially agglomerate-free and results in coatings with excellent metallic gloss.

The invention relates to copper-containing metal pigments, wherein the copper-containing metal pigments have an elemental copper content of at least 50 wt.-%, relative to the total weight of the uncoated copper-containing metal pigment, wherein the copper-containing metal pigments have at least one enveloping metal oxide layer and at least one enveloping chemically non-reactive plastic layer, wherein the sum of the amounts of the at least one chemically non-reactive plastic layer and of the at least one metal oxide layer lies in a range of from 10 to 50 wt.-%, relative to the weight of the uncoated metal pigment, and the weight ratio of the at least one metal oxide layer to the at least one chemically non-reactive plastic layer lies in a range of from 1:2 to 1:20. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing these pigments and the use thereof.

There is disclosed a functional lamellar particle including an unconverted portion of the lamellar particle, wherein the unconverted portion includes a first metal, a converted portion of the lamellar particle disposed external to a surface of the unconverted portion, wherein the converted portion includes a chemical compound of the first metal; and a functional coating disposed external to a surface of the converted portion.

The present invention relates to metallic luster pigments, to a process for production thereof and to the use of such metallic luster pigments.

A method of encapsulating pigment flakes with a metal oxide coating is provided. According to the method, pigment flakes are mixed with a solvent, a metal salt is added to the solvent, and a reducing agent is added to the solvent, so as to encapsulate the pigment flakes with a metal oxide coating.