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.

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 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 reflector layer; a selective light modulating layer external to the reflector layer; and functional molecules present in at least one of the selective light modulating layer, in a functional layer external to a surface of the selective light modulating layer, in the selective light modulating layer near an external surface, in the selective light modulating layer near the reflector layer, and in a functional layer external to the reflector layer. A method of making an optical device is also disclosed.

An optical device includes a reflector layer having a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface; a third surface, and a fourth surface opposite the third surface; and a first selective light modulator layer external to the first surface of the reflector layer; in which at least one of the third surface and the fourth surface includes an azimuthal modulator layer. A method of making an optical device is also disclosed.

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.

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.

A silicate-coated body has a substrate, silica and/or a silica modified product adhered to a surface of the substrate, and a first silicate coating at least part of the substrate via the silica and/or the silica modified product.

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.