Colored coating compositions comprising a polymer binder and a sphere selected from porous metal oxide spheres formed from metal oxide particles and having an average porosity of from 0.10 to 0.90; polymer spheres formed from a multimodal distribution of polymer particles; or mixtures thereof, wherein the colored coating composition when dried, exhibits visible light absorbance at a wavelength range from 400 nm to 800 nm. The sphere has an average particle size diameter of from 1 micron to 5 microns, or from 3 microns to 5 microns and exhibits a structural color which may be angle-dependent or angle-independent.

Provided is a water-borne coating composition capable of forming a metallic coating film having high-design, and further capable of forming a coating film that exhibits good coating film properties. A water-borne coating composition set for forming a multilayer coating film, containing a first base coating composition that forms a first base coating film and a second base coating composition that forms a second base coating film, wherein the first base coating composition contains a first coating film-forming resin, a first curing agent, a first inorganic brightener, and a first hydrophobic association rheology control agent, the first inorganic brightener contains one or more species selected from the group consisting of silica, talc, calcium carbonate, kaolin, barium sulfate, and diatomaceous earth, the second base coating composition contains a second coating film-forming resin, a second curing agent, a second luster material, a second inorganic rheology control agent, a second hydrophobic association rheology control agent, and a second dispersant, and the second inorganic rheology control agent contains a layered material having a stacked structure of a large number of inorganic crystal layers stacked.

Provided is a water-borne coating composition capable of forming a metallic coating film having high-design, and further capable of forming a coating film that exhibits good coating film properties. A water-borne coating composition set for forming a multilayer coating film, containing a first base coating composition that forms a first base coating film and a second base coating composition that forms a second base coating film, wherein the first base coating composition contains a first coating film-forming resin, a first curing agent, a first inorganic brightener, and a first hydrophobic association rheology control agent, the first inorganic brightener contains one or more species selected from the group consisting of silica, talc, calcium carbonate, kaolin, barium sulfate, and diatomaceous earth, the second base coating composition contains a second coating film-forming resin, a second curing agent, a second luster material, a second inorganic rheology control agent, a second hydrophobic association rheology control agent, and a second dispersant, and the second inorganic rheology control agent contains a layered material having a stacked structure of a large number of inorganic crystal layers stacked.

A method for forming a multilayer coating film comprising the steps of: (1) applying a base paint (X) to a substrate to form a base coating film, (2) applying an effect pigment dispersion (Y) to the base coating film formed in step (1) to form an effect coating film, (3) applying a clear paint (Z) to the effect coating film formed in step (2) to form a clear coating film, and (4) heating the uncured base coating film, the uncured effect coating film, and the uncured clear coating film formed in steps (1) to (3) to thereby simultaneously cure these three coating films; wherein the effect pigment dispersion (Y) contains water, a black pigment (A), a vapor deposition metal flake pigment (B), and a rheology control agent (C).

The invention relates to coated effect pigments, wherein the coating comprises a binder which is suitable for powder paints. They comprise a crystalline and an amorphous fraction which is determined by C.sup.13 NMR MAS relaxation measurements, the relaxation of the .sup.13C cores being fitted as a biexponential relaxation according to the formula (II) and the degree of crystallinity c being in a range between 40 to 85%, and relaxation having a short average relaxation time T.sub.1.sup.S and a long average relaxation time T.sub.1.sup.l, and T.sub.1.sup.l being in a range of from 65 to 130 s. The effect pigments coated according to the invention have at least one endothermic peak with a maximum from a range of T.sub.max=100 to 150° C. and an enthalpy ΔH associated with said peak from a range of 15 J/g to 80 J/g in DSC at a feed speed of 5° C./min, the enthalpy being calculated relative to the amount of the binder. The binders are applied to the effect pigment by way of spontaneous precipitation.

The invention relates to coated effect pigments, wherein the coating comprises a binder which is suitable for powder paints. They comprise a crystalline and an amorphous fraction which is determined by C.sup.13 NMR MAS relaxation measurements, the relaxation of the .sup.13C cores being fitted as a biexponential relaxation according to the formula (II) and the degree of crystallinity c being in a range between 40 to 85%, and relaxation having a short average relaxation time T.sub.1.sup.S and a long average relaxation time T.sub.1.sup.l, and T.sub.1.sup.l being in a range of from 65 to 130 s. The effect pigments coated according to the invention have at least one endothermic peak with a maximum from a range of T.sub.max=100 to 150° C. and an enthalpy ΔH associated with said peak from a range of 15 J/g to 80 J/g in DSC at a feed speed of 5° C./min, the enthalpy being calculated relative to the amount of the binder. The binders are applied to the effect pigment by way of spontaneous precipitation.

Provided is a method for forming a multilayer coating film including the following steps (1) to (4): (1) applying a base paint (X) to a substrate to form a base coating film; (2) applying a specific effect pigment dispersion (Y) to the base coating film formed in step (1) to form an effect coating film with a specific dry film thickness; (3) applying a clear paint (Z) to the effect coating film formed in step (2) to form a clear coating film; and (4) heating the uncured base coating film, the uncured effect coating film, and the uncured clear coating film formed in steps (1) to (3) to simultaneously cure these three coating films.

Described herein is a process of preparing a structural colored coating film including steps of i) applying colloidal particles dispersed in a solvent mixture including at least two organic solvents onto a substrate to form a colloidal particles layer; ii) drying the colloidal particles layer to form a photonic crystal structure layer; iii) applying a coating composition including at least one thermally crosslinkable resin and at least one crosslinking agent onto the photonic crystal structure layer to form a coating; and iv) heat curing. Also described herein is an article having at least one structural colored coating film obtainable or obtained from the process.

Described herein is a process of preparing a structural colored coating film including steps of i) applying colloidal particles dispersed in a solvent mixture including at least two organic solvents onto a substrate to form a colloidal particles layer; ii) drying the colloidal particles layer to form a photonic crystal structure layer; iii) applying a coating composition including at least one thermally crosslinkable resin and at least one crosslinking agent onto the photonic crystal structure layer to form a coating; and iv) heat curing. Also described herein is an article having at least one structural colored coating film obtainable or obtained from the process.

An effect paint for automobiles, comprising water, a dispersant (A), cellulose nanofibers (B), and an effect pigment (C).