Metallic coatings containing metallic flakes with optical coatings are provided. The metallic flakes can be coated with multiple optical layers or a photonic crystal layer. The metallic flakes can also be coated with a pigment layer.

The present disclosure provides an optical film, a structural colored pigment, and a method for preparing an optical film. The optical film includes a multilayer film. The multilayer film includes films with high refractive indexes and films with low refractive indexes alternately arranged in a multilayer manner, and a middle film. Some of the films with the high refractive indexes and some of the films with the low refractive indexes are disposed on a side of the middle film, constituting first other films. Optical thicknesses of films having a same refractive index in the optical films and an optical thickness of the middle film are all different or partially different.

Disclosed herein is an effect pigment having a layer stack which comprises a highly reflective metallic flake having a first major interface and opposed to this first interface a second major interface, and at least one side surface and directly adjacent on one or of both of these major interfaces a layer of a semiconducting material having an average atomic composition of: a) Si.sub.(1-x)Sn.sub.x, wherein 0<x<0.90 or b) Ge.sub.(1-y)Sn.sub.y, wherein 0<y0.80 or c) Si.sub.(1-m-n)Ge.sub.mSn.sub.n, wherein 0<m<1.00, 0<n<1.00 and with the proviso that m+n<1.00.

The present invention relates to an effect pigment comprising as a substrate a glass flake with a coating, said coating comprising at least one layer of at least one high refractive material, said material having a refractive index of at least 1.8, and/or at least one layer of at least one semitransparent metallic material, wherein said glass flakes comprising the following composition: 65-75 wt.-% silicon oxide, preferably SiO.sub.2 2-9 wt.-% aluminum oxide, preferably AI.sub.2O.sub.3 0.0-5 wt.-% calcium oxide, preferably CaO 5-12 wt.-% sodium oxide, preferably Na.sub.2O 8-15 wt.-% boron oxide, preferably B.sub.2O.sub.3 0.1-5 wt.-% titanium oxide, preferably TiO.sub.2 0.0-5 wt.-% zirconium oxide, preferably ZrO.sub.2 based on the weight of said glass flakes. The invention relates also to a method for producing the effect pigments as well as to the use of said effect pigments. The invention further relates to coating formulations based on the effect pigments.

The present invention relates to five-layered pigments based on multi-coated platelet-shaped substrates which comprise a layer sequence comprising (A) a layer of SnO.sub.2 having a layer thickness of 0.1-50 nm, (B) a high-refractive-index coating consisting of TiO.sub.2 in the rutile modification having a layer thickness of 10-800 nm, (C) a colorless coating having a refractive index n1.8 having a layer thickness of 20-800 nm, (D) a high-refractive-index coating consisting of SnO.sub.2 having a layer thickness of 0.1-50 nm, (E) a layer of TiO.sub.2 in the rutile modification having a layer thickness of 10-800 nm,
and optionally (F) an outer protective layer,
and to the use thereof in paints, coatings, powder coatings, printing inks, security printing inks, plastics, ceramic materials, glasses, as dopants for the laser marking of papers and plastics, in cosmetic formulations and for the preparation of pigment preparations and dry preparations.

The present invention is related to brilliant black pigments comprising a flaky aluminum oxide substrate having a coating comprising a layered structure composed of a hematite and a magnetite layer, to a process for the production of said pigments, as well as to their use.

The present invention relates to silver-coloured effect pigments having a strong sparkle effect based on Al2O3 flakes and to the use thereof in paints, button pastes, automotive paints, automotive refinish paints, powder coatings, printing inks, security printing inks, plastics, ceramic materials, glasses, paper, for coating seed, in security applications, as dopant for the laser marking of plastics and papers, as additive for the laser welding of plastics, in cosmetic formulations and for the preparation of pigment preparations and dry preparations.

The present invention relates to weather-resistant pearlescent pigment, comprising a coated or uncoated platelet-shaped substrate which is selected from the group consisting of synthetic mica platelets, glass platelets, SiO.sub.2 platelets, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 platelets, synthetic boehmite platelets, BiOCl platelets and mixtures thereof, a chromophoric coating with at least one highly refractive metal oxide, and a top layer, wherein the top layer comprises the following layer sequence:
a) a first layer made of tin oxide and/or tin hydroxide and/or hydrated tin oxide, b) a second cerium-containing layer which comprises cerium oxide and/or cerium hydroxide and/or hydrated cerium oxide, c) an organic-chemical coating applied to the cerium-containing layer which contains oligomeric silanes or consists of them, wherein the oligomeric silanes have one or more amino groups and the oligomeric silanes are chemically bonded with the cerium-containing layer. The invention further relates to a process for the production and use of these pearlescent pigments.

Frits or frit mixtures with pearlescent pigments for materials, such as ceramic glazes, which are stable above 1000 C.

The present invention relates to a golden interference pigment which is suitable, in particular, for printing processes, to a process for the preparation of a pigment of this type, and to the use thereof.