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.

Disclosed herein are coatings having enhanced reflectivity for electromagnetic radiation, as well as a process for producing the coatings.

Disclosed herein are coatings having enhanced reflectivity for electromagnetic radiation, as well as a process for producing the coatings.

Disclosed herein are retroreflective pigments and paints including the retroreflective pigments.

The invention relates to an encapsulated metal particle comprising a core encapsulated in a shell, wherein the core comprises a metallic substance, and wherein the shell comprises a insulating substance. The invention also relates to a polymer composition comprising a plurality of the encapsulated metal particles, a mixture comprising a plurality of encapsulated metal particles and plurality of polymer particles, and the use of the encapsulated metal particle as an additive for increasing the thermal conductivity and/or radio frequency (RF) conductivity of a matrix substance such as an adhesive.

A method is disclosed for producing flakes of a first material, the method comprising: a) supporting two supply cylinders of the first material and a fatiguing rod assembly, that includes at least one textured fatiguing rod, so that each fatiguing rod is sandwiched between the two cylinders, each fatiguing rod having a diameter smaller than an initial diameter of the two supply cylinders and being made of a second harder material; b) urging the surfaces of the two supply cylinders into contact with each fatiguing rod; and c) causing the supply cylinders and the fatiguing rod(s) to rotate while making rolling line contact with one another; wherein the supply cylinders and each fatiguing rod are urged against one another with sufficiently high contact pressure to modify the surface of the supply cylinders by fatigue and result in separation of flakes from the surfaces of the cylinders.

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 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.

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.

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.