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

The invention relates to i) a multilayer material; ii) a process for preparing said multilayer materials; iii) a cosmetic composition comprising one or more multilayer materials; iv) a process for treating keratin materials, notably human keratin materials such as the skin; v) the use of multilayer material for screening out ultraviolet (UV) rays. Said multilayer material has an odd number N of layers: .square-solid.comprising at least three layers, each layer of which consists of a material A or of a material B different from A, said successive layers A and B being alternated and two adjacent layers having different refractive indices; .square-solid.for which the thickness of each layer obeys the mathematical formula (I) below: [x/y/(αx/y).sub.a/x] in which formula (I): x is the thickness of the inner and outer layer; y is the thickness of the layer adjacent to the inner layer αx or the outer layer x; α is an integer or fraction and α=2±0 to 15%, preferably α=2±0 to 10%, more preferentially α=2±0 to 5%, the intermediate odd layers (αx) have a double thickness±0 to 15% of the thickness of said outer layers x; and a represents an integer greater than or equal to 0, connected to the number of alternated layers N such that a=(N−3)/2; it being understood that: .square-solid.preferably, x has a different thickness from y; .square-solid.when several layers are of thickness x, this means that each layer has a thickness x±0 to 15%, preferably±0 to 10%, more preferentially±0 to 5%; .square-solid.when several layers are of thickness y, this means that each layer has a thickness y±0 to 15%, preferably±0 to 10%, more preferentially±0 to 5%; and .square-solid.when several layers are of thickness α x, this means that each layer has a thickness α x±0 to 15%, preferably±0 to 10%, more preferentially±0 to 5%.

The invention relates to a nail varnish composition comprising: a) an embossed effect pigment comprising a metallic substrate in platelet form with embossed structure having a periodic pattern with diffractive elements, said substrate having been produced by PVD methods, and optionally at least one coating applied to the substrate, wherein the substrate has an elemental metal content of 80% to 100% by weight, based on the substrate, and wherein the effect pigment has been treated with a leafing additive for surface modification, b) at least one hydrocarbon resin as binder, c) at least one solvent or solvent mixture and d) optionally further auxiliaries. The invention further relates to a process for producing the nail varnish composition.

A sheet, including a substrate having a surface, wherein the surface includes a first marking that defines a boundary of a hollow flake, and a second marking that defines a boundary of a solid flake; wherein the first marking and the second marking are each, independently, configured to protrude from a plane of the surface or depress down from the plane of the surface; and wherein the first marking surrounds the second marking is disclosed. A complementary set of flakes, and a method of making the complementary set of flakes are also disclosed.

An article including a reflector having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a first selective light modulator layer external to the first surface of the reflector; a second selective light modulator layer external to the second surface of the reflector; 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 each of the first and second selective light modulator layers include a host material is disclosed herein. Methods of making the article 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 transparent, electrically semiconducting interference pigments having high color strength, and in particular to flake-form interference pigments which comprise an oxygen-deficient layer of TiO.sub.2-x, to a process for the preparation of such pigments, and to the use of the pigments prepared in this way.

An embossed effect pigment includes a metallic substrate in platelet form with embossed structure having a periodic pattern with diffractive elements, said substrate having been produced by PVD methods, wherein the substrate has an elemental metal content of 80% to 100% by weight, based on the substrate, and wherein the effect pigment has been treated with a leafing additive for surface modification. A method of manufacture of an embossed effect pigment includes suspending a metallic substrate in in at least one solvent, adding a leafing additive to the suspension including the metallic substrate in the at least one solvent and stirring the suspension including the leafing additive, and separating the embossed effect pigment from the at least one solvent.

A diffractive pigment blend or composition is provided which includes a plurality of groups of all-dielectric diffractive pigment flakes. The pigment flakes of each group each include one or more dielectric layers for providing a background color, at least one of which includes a diffractive structure for providing a diffractive effect. Each group of pigment flakes provides a different diffractive effect, and the diffractive pigment blend or composition provides a combined diffractive effect that is a combination of the different diffractive effects. The combined diffractive effect may be a neutral white diffractive effect or may include a reversal in color travel.

The present invention relates to non-metallic interference pigments, in particular laminar interference pigments, which comprise a thin high-refractive layer and an outermost layer that contains crystalline carbon in the form of graphite and/or graphene. The invention also relates to a method for producing such pigments and the use of the thus produced pigments.