Nanothick flakes that are either flat and specularly-reflective in visible light or that have microroughness intentionally controlled to disperse or interfere with visible light. Coatings and inks utilizing such flakes. Method for fabrication of such flakes in partial vacuum includes the repeated multiple times deposition of a release layer over a substrate surface and a flake layer over the release layer to form a multilayer structure further reduced to individual flakes. Reactive metal is passivated inline with the deposition of the flake layer for superior corrosion resistance. Chemically-functional materials are optionally added to the release material to transfer their functionality to the surface of flake layer to create unique functional properties on a flake surface before the multilayer structure is removed from the substrate.

Disclosed is an aqueous pigment dispersion including water and a base metal pigment, in which the base metal pigment is a base metal pigment which is surface-treated with a fluorine-based compound, and when performing an X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis of a base metal pigment surface, a concentration of a fluorine element is 21 atm % to 35 atm %.

A pigment dispersion liquid is a pigment dispersion liquid for a solvent-based ink including a base metal pigment and an organic solvent, in which the base metal pigment is subjected to a surface treatment by a fluorine-based compound, and in which the concentration of a fluorine element is from 8 atm % to 35 atm % when an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the surface of the base metal pigment is performed.

The present invention relates to flaky aluminum oxide and a preparation method thereof, and more particularly, to a flaky aluminum oxide which is suitably used as a substrate for a pearlescent pigment or the like, and to a preparation method thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide copper nanoparticles that suppress the oxidation of copper, have an average particle diameter of 10 nm or less and therefore undergo a remarkable reduction in the melting point, are highly dispersible, can be sintered at a low temperature, allow the removal of the protective layer during low-temperature sintering at 150 C. or less, and can be suitably used as a conductive copper nanoink material; and to also provide a method for preserving copper nanoparticles, whereby the copper nanoparticles can be stably preserved at room temperature for a long period of time, and can be transported.

The present invention provides copper nanoparticles each having a central portion comprising a copper single crystal, and a protective layer surrounding the central portion; (1) the copper nanoparticles having an average particle diameter of 10 nm or less; (2) the protective layer containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of C.sub.3-6 primary alcohols, C.sub.3-6 secondary alcohols, and derivatives thereof; and (3) the protective layer having a boiling point or thermal decomposition point of 150 C. or less.

Disclosed herein is an aqueous base metal pigment dispersion liquid, including: a base metal pigment surface-treated with a fluorine-based compound; and water as a part of a solvent, in which the aqueous base metal pigment dispersion liquid further includes one or more solvents having a specific dielectric constant of greater than or equal to 30 and less than or equal to 50 and one or more solvents having a specific dielectric constant of less than 30, as measured by an alternate current-type dielectric constant measurement device at a temperature of 23 C. and a frequency of 10 kHz, as the solvent, as the solvent, and in which the sum of the solvents having a specific dielectric constant of greater than or equal to 30 and less than or equal to 50 is more than or equal to 5 mass % and less than or equal to 50 mass % and the sum of the solvents having a specific dielectric constant of less than 30 is more than or equal to 5 mass % and less than or equal to 20 mass %, when the total amount of the solvents is 100 mass %.

The invention relates to aqueous, cationically stabilized primary dispersions comprising dispersed polymer particles that have a Z-average particle diameter of 5 to 500 nm and are obtainable by emulsion polymerization of at least one olefinically unsaturated monomer (A), wherein the emulsion polymerization takes place in the presence of one or more emulsifiers (E) having the following general formula: R.sup.1(R.sup.2)(R.sup.3), where: R is a moiety that contains at least one aromatic group and at least one aliphatic group, has 15 to 40 carbon atoms, and contains at least one functional group selected from hydroxy groups, thiol groups, and primary or secondary amino groups and/or comprises at least one carbon-carbon multiple bond; and R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are, independently of each other, identical or different aliphatic moieties having 1 to 14 carbon atoms. The invention also relates to a method for producing the primary dispersions, coating agents comprising the primary dispersions, use of the primary dispersions to produce electrocoats, and conductive substrates that have been coated with the coating agent compositions.

A metal pigment composition of the present disclosure is a coloring composition or a composition to be used for preparation of the coloring composition and includes: a metal pigment; a polyoxyalkyleneamine compound; and a liquid medium component, the metal pigment includes metal particles, the metal particles are surface-modified with a surface treatment agent, and the surface treatment agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by the following formula (1) and a compound represented by the following formula (2)
(A-RO).sub.aP(O)(OH).sub.3-a(1)
(A-R)P(O)(OH).sub.2(2).

Described herein is a process for producing an effect pigment paste including at least steps (1) and (2), namely producing a mixture including at least one effect pigment (a) and at least one polymer (b) in a liquid medium (c) (step (1)), and dispersing the mixture obtained after step (1) to obtain the effect pigment paste (step (2)), where step (2) is performed using a shaker and the effect pigment paste obtained after the performance of step (2) has ended is free of grinding media. Also described herein are an effect pigment paste producible by this process, containing an amount of effect pigment of at least 5% by weight, based on the total weight of the effect pigment paste, and a method of using a shaker for dispersing of effect pigments for production of an effect pigment paste.

A composition including a first color shifting pigment flake population having a first D50 particle size; and a second color shifting pigment flake population having a second D50 particle size that is different from the first D50 particle size, wherein the first color shifting pigment flake population and the second color shifting pigment flake population have a similar face color and color shift is disclosed. An article including the composition is included. A method of making the composition and a method of making the article are also disclosed.