A method for operating a coating system for producing layer systems includes the steps of: (i) coating a layer system in a coating facility; (ii) determining a spectral actual measuring plot for the layer system in an optical measuring system; (iii) determining an actual data set by fitting a simulation target measuring plot to the actual measuring plot; (iv) determining actual layer parameters as computed actual layer parameters from the simulation target measuring plot by simulation of the layer system using the actual data set; (v) outputting the actual data set and the computed actual layer parameters at least to a decision system; (vi) providing quality requirement data; and (vii) deciding on an approval of the layer system in the decision system on the basis of a comparison of at least the actual data set, the computed actual layer parameters and. the quality requirement data. A coating system for producing layer systems is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method of forming a coating for deposition to non-metallic surfaces, comprising the steps of applying (120) a semiconductor material to a substrate to form a semiconductor material layer and simultaneously or subsequently applying (140) metallic material or additional semiconductor material, wherein the metallic material or additional semiconductor material is introduced into the semiconductor material layer in a targeted manner to tailor the optical properties of the coating.

A jet-black coating that resists wear; first, at least one DLC layer with a high degree of hardness is applied to a component and then a gradient layer, whose density decreases in the direction toward the surface, is applied to this DLC layer. By means of the refraction index progression that this produces in the gradient layer, the gradient layer functions as a reflection-reducing layer.

Provided is a decorative article including a black hard coating film which is excellently inhibited from suffering a deterioration of appearance quality such as a scratch due to use thereof, and which has excellent decorativeness. The decorative article according to the present invention is a decorative article including: a base; and a black hard coating film which is formed on the base, and which includes diamond-like carbon, wherein the hydrogen content of a surface, reverse to a surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is more than the hydrogen content of the surface, closer to the base, of the black hard coating film; and the hydrogen content of the surface, reverse to the surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is 30.0 to 75.0 atm %.

The present invention relates to a pigment mixture based on at least two components A and B, where component A is a mixture of flake-form and spherical substrates which is covered with one or more inorganic layers and/or organic layers,
and component B comprises crystalline or amorphous particles selected from the group of the metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal oxyhalides, Prussian Blue or mixtures thereof,
and to the use thereof in paints, coatings, printing inks, security printing inks, plastics, ceramic materials, glasses, in cosmetic formulations, as tracer, as filler and for the preparation of pigment preparations and dry preparations.

A surface coating for high-grade white and/or gray goods, i.e. items for domestic, sanitary and/or automotive use, in particular housing elements of corresponding devices and machines, as well as decoration, for example those housing elements which specifically have metallic applications and/or elements is disclosed. The surface coating is applied on a metallic or metalized surface structure and has hydrophobic property and/or oleophobic property. The surface coating is defined by a thickness which is less than a structure depth of the surface structure. The height of the surface roughness of the surface structure can thus extend significantly beyond the thickness of the surface coating, so that the surface structure promotes blurring of undesired residues in a kind of intrinsic capillary/channeling effect. Because of the blurring the contour of a soiling is obscured until finally it becomes wholly indistinguishable.

The present invention relates generally to a coated jewelry article or a coated component of a jewelry article, comprising a jewelry article or a component of a jewelry article, a first metallic coating, and a second metallic coating.

The present invention relates generally to a coated jewelry article or a coated component of a jewelry article, comprising a jewelry article or a component of a jewelry article, a first metallic coating, and a second metallic coating.

A method of forming a diamond composite body and the diamond composite body. A first single crystal diamond body is provided, which contains nitrogen and has a uniform strain such that over an area of at least 1×1 mm, at least 90 percent of points display a modulus of strain-induced shift of NV resonance of less than 200 kHz, wherein each point in the area is a resolved region of 50 μm.sup.2. The first single crystal diamond body is treated to convert at least some of the nitrogen to form at least 0.3 ppm nitrogen-vacancy, NV.sup.−, centres. A CVD process is used to grow a second single crystal diamond body on a surface of the first single crystal diamond body. The second single crystal diamond body has an NV concentration less than or equal to 10 times lower than the NV.sup.− concentration in the first single crystal diamond body.

An item including a substrate and a coating having a colour with an interference effect for the decoration and/or the protection of the item, the coating including: a first opaque layer covering at least partially at least one surface of the substrate; a stack of at least two semi-transparent layers deposited by an ALD method covering the first layer; the stack having a thickness depending on the colour with an interference phenomenon of the coating.