A multilayer thin film that reflects an omnidirectional structural color having a reflective core layer; an amorphous-phase TiO.sub.2 dielectric layer extending across the reflective core layer; a metallic absorbing layer extending across the dielectric layer; and a dielectric outer layer extending across the metallic absorbing layer. The multilayer thin film reflects a single narrow band of visible light when exposed to broadband electromagnetic radiation, and a color shift of the single narrow band of visible light is less than 30 measured in Lab color space when the multilayer thin film is exposed to broadband electromagnetic radiation and viewed from angles between 0 and 45 relative to a direction normal to an outer surface of the multilayer thin film.

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.

An article including a magnetic-containing layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first; a first reflector layer external to the first surface of the magnetic-containing layer; a second reflector layer external to the second surface of the magnetic-containing layer; a first selective light modulator layer external to the first reflector layer; a second selective light modulator layer external to the second reflector layer; a first absorber layer external to the first selective light modulator layer; and a second absorber layer external to the second selective light modulator layer; wherein at least one of the first and second selective light modulator layers comprises at least one of a curing agent, and at least one coating aid is disclosed. Methods of making the disclosed article are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for producing metal effect pigments based on aluminum platelets which are provided with a metal oxide coating, said method comprising the following steps: (a) providing the aluminum platelets in an organic solvent so as to form a corresponding dispersion and adding at least one metal oxide precursor compound while the metal oxide precursor compound is dissolved, and b) decomposing the metal oxide precursor compound in the organic solvent so as to form the metal oxide coating on the aluminum platelets. The present invention further relates to metal effect pigments that can be obtained by the method according to the invention as well as to the use of the metal effect pigments according to the invention.

The present invention provides a magnetic multilayer pigment flake and a magnetic coating composition that are relatively safe for human health and the environment. The pigment flake includes one or more magnetic layers of a magnetic alloy and one or more dielectric layers of a dielectric material. The magnetic alloy is an iron-chromium alloy or an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy, having a substantially nickel-free composition. The coating composition includes a plurality of the pigment flakes disposed in a binder medium.

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.

A method of forming a thin film device includes coating a web with a multi-layer thin film; and applying a mechanical force to release the multi-layer thin film from the web. Additional methods of forming a thin film device are disclosed.

An effect pigment preparation comprises an effect pigment, a dispersive additive, and a passivating agent. The preparation is dry, the pigment comprises about 84% or more of the mass of the preparation, the dispersive additive comprises up to 15% of the mass of the preparation, and the number of theoretical layers of the passivating agent is from about 2 to about 12. The effect pigment preparation is non-dusting and can be easily stirred into aqueous, solvent, or UV curing-based liquid coatings formulations.

Provided are a coating film that has high radio wave permeability and low haze in addition to excellent infrared light reflectivity and visible light permeability, and an article comprising such a coating film. The coating film is a coating film produced using a coating composition, wherein the coating composition comprises flat pigment particles and a resin component, the flat pigment particles comprise a laminate of dielectric layers and a metallic thin film layer, the dielectric layer and the metallic thin film layer are stacked alternately in the laminate, and the dielectric layers are outermost layers of the laminate, an aspect ratio of the flat pigment particles is 10 to 400, a pigment surface density of the flat pigment particles in the coating film is 50% to 300%, and a film thickness of the coating film is 1 m or more. The article comprises the coating film.

A LiDAR reflecting dark colored pigment includes a core layer formed from a reflecting material and a first layer formed from a first absorber material or a first dielectric material extending across the core layer. A second layer formed from a second absorber material different than the third absorber material extends across the first layer and a third layer formed from a third absorber material or a second dielectric material extends across the second layer. The third absorber material is different than the second absorber material. The LiDAR reflecting dark colored pigment reflects less than 10% of incident visible electromagnetic radiation and more than 60% of incident near-IR electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between and including 850 nm and 950 nm for all incident angles of the visible and near-IR electromagnetic radiation between and including 0 and 45. A color reflected by the multilayer stack has a lightness in CIELAB color space less than or equal to 40.