Abstract: The present invention relates to pigments, the particles of which generally have a length of from 2 ?m to 5 mm, a width of from 2 ?m to 2 mm, and a thickness of from 20 nm to 2 ?m, and a ratio of length to thickness of at least 2:1, wherein the particles contain a core of SiO2 or a silicon/silicon oxide obtained by heating SiOy flakes with 1.1?y?1.8 in an oxygen-free atmosphere at a temperature of at least 400° C., which core has a narrow distribution of particle sizes and two substantially parallel faces, the distance between which is the shortest axis of the core, and a material layer having a high index of refraction a metal oxide; a process for their production and their use in paints, ink-jet printing, for dyeing textiles, for pigmenting coatings (paints), printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, glazes for ceramics and glass.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for forming flakes, especially metal flakes. The method comprises producing a heated stream of molten material, feeding the stream in a substantially vertically downward direction, receiving the downwardly directed stream and forming flakes therefrom, and effecting a change in the temperature of the stream subsequent to the production thereof whereby flakes of a desired thickness are obtained. The present invention is applicable to any metal which melts when heated and is capable of being formed into flakes. Examples of metals are Al, Cu, Mo, V, Ag, Cr, Zr, Nb, Ni, Fe, Co, Ti, Au, Pd, W, Hf, Rh, Ir, Pt, Cd or alloys thereof, such as chromium-nickel, iron-nickel, iron-chromium and nickel-cobalt, wherein Cu, Ag, Ti, or Al, or alloys thereof are preferred and Al, or Ag, or alloys thereof are most preferred.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pigments, the particles of which generally have a length of from 2 ?m to 5 mm, a width of from 2 ?m to 2 mm, and a thickness of from 20 nm to 2 ?m, and a ratio of length to thickness of at least 2:1, wherein the particles contain a core of SiOy with 0.70?y?1.8, especially 1.40?y?1.8, having two substantially parallel faces, the distance between which is the shortest axis of the core, comprising (a) a material, especially a metal oxide, having a high index of refraction; or (a) a thin semi-transparent metal layer; a process for their production and their use in paints, ink-jet printing, for dyeing textiles, for pigmenting coatings (paints), printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, glazes for ceramics and glass.

Abstract: The present invention relates to platelet-shaped pigments that comprise a layer obtained by calcining TiO2/SiOy or TiO2/metal, especially TiO2/AI (0.03?y?1.95, especially 0.03?y?1.8, more especially 0.70?y?1.8), and to the use thereof in paints, textiles, ink-jet printing, cosmetics, coatings, plastics, printing inks, in glazes for ceramics and glass, and in security printing. The pigments according to the invention are distinguished by a high gloss and a very uniform thickness, as a result of which very high color purity and color strength are obtained.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of organic material comprising an organic substrate and at least one dielectric layer consisting of one or more oxides of a metal selected from groups 3 to 15 of the periodic table, which comprises the steps of: (a) suspending the organic material in an aqueous solution of fluorine scavenger; (b) adding an aqueous solution of one or more fluorine containing metal complexes which are the precursors of the desired metal oxide coating; and (c) subjecting said suspension to microwave radiation to deposit the metal oxide onto said organic material, wherein steps (b) and (c) can optionally be repeated using different fluorine containing metal complexes to produce one or more metal oxide layers. The substrate can be optionally dissolved with solvent to yield free metal oxide or mixed metal oxides that have a plane-parallel structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pigments, comprising (A) optionally a layer consisting of a metal, (B) at least one layer, which is located between the layers (A) and (C), if a layer (A) is present, and consists of the metal, silicon (Si) and oxygen (O), and (C) optionally a layer consisting of SiOz with 0.70?z?2.0 on layer (B), a process for the production of the pigments and their use in ink-jet printing, for dyeing textiles, for pigmenting coatings, paints, printing inks, plastics, cosmetics, glazes for ceramics and glass.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a plane-parallel structure (a platelet-shaped body, or flake), comprising at least one dielectric layer consisting of one or more oxides of a metal selected from groups 3 to 15 of the periodic table, which comprises the steps of: (a) applying a thin film of the dielectric material on a flexible belt, by passing the belt through an aqueous solution of a fluorine scavenger and one or more fluorine containing metal complexes which are the precursors of the desired metal oxide coating; and subjecting said solution to microwave radiation to deposit the metal oxide onto said flexible belt, wherein step (a) can optionally be repeated using different fluorine containing metal complexes to produce one or more metal oxide layers or a gradient of concentration of 2 different metal oxides across the thickness; (b) separating the resulting layer from the flexible belt as plane-parallel structures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pigments whose particles have a length of from 2 ?m to 5 mm, a width of from 2 ?m to 2 mm and a thickness of from 50 nm to 1.5 ?m and a ratio of length to thickness of at least 2:1, the particles having a core of a metallically reflecting material having two substantially parallel faces, the distance between which is the shortest axis of the core, comprising (a), optionally, on one parallel face of the core, an SiOy layer wherein 0.95<y?2.0, (b), on the SiOy layer, an SiOx layer wherein 0.03<x?0.95, and (c), on the SiOx layer, an SiOz layer wherein 0.95<z?2.0, to a method for the production thereof, and to the use thereof in paints, textiles, ink-jet printing, cosmetics, coating compositions, plastics, printing inks and in glazes for ceramics and glass. The pigments without an SiOy layer produce brilliant colours. The pigments with an SiOy layer are opaque and exhibit brilliant colours with a metallic appearance.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to SiOy flakes with 0.70?y?1.95, especially 0.70?y?1.80, very especially 1.0?y?1.8, comprising reactive centres, a process for their production, and their use for providing chemically modified SiOy flakes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to SiOz flakes, especially porous SiOz flakes, wherein 0.70?z?2.0, especially 0.95?z?2.0, comprising a polymer additive in the pores, which provides enhanced (long term) efficacy. Further aspects of the invention are a process for their preparation and a polymer composition containing such SiOz flakes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to process for the production of plane-parallel platelets, comprising the steps: a) vapour-deposition of a separating agent onto a carrier to produce a separating agent layer, b) vapour-deposition of at least one product layer onto the separating agent layer, and c) dissolution of the separating agent layer in a solvent and production of a suspension in which the at least one product layer is present in the form of plane-parallel platelets, wherein the separating agent is selected from the group consisting of anthracene, anthraquinone, acetamidophenol, acetylsalicylic acid, camphoric anhydride, benzimidazole, benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid, biphenyl-2,2-dicarboxylic acid, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfone, dihydroxyanthraquinone, hydantoin, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid monohydrate, 4-hydroxycoumarin, 7-hydroxycoumarin, 3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid, isophthalic acid, 4,4-methylene-bis-3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid, naphthalene-1,8-dicarb

Abstract: The present invention relates to platelet-shaped pigments comprising (a) a layer obtained by calcination of a layer comprising SiOz wherein 0.03?z?2.0 and a metal, to a process for the production thereof, and to the use thereof in paints, text ink-jet printing, cosmetics, coating compositions, plastics, printing inks and in glazes for ceramics and glass. The aforementioned process makes available platelet-shaped pigments having a high degree of planeparallelism and a defined thickness in the range of ±10%, preferably ±5%, of the average thickness.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a plane-parallel structure (a platelet-shaped body, or flake), comprising at least one dielectric layer consisting of oxides of one or more metal selected from groups 3 to 15 of the periodic table, which method comprises: (a) optionally applying a layer of release material on a substrate, (b) applying a composition comprising one or more precursors of one or more desired metal oxides to said release layer, or directly to a substrate with no layer of release material, (c) subjecting the one or more precursors of one or more desired metal oxides to microwave radiation to form a metal oxide layer on the substrate or on the layer of release material; and (d) separating the resulting metal oxide layer from the substrate as plane-parallel structures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to SiOz flakes, especially porous SiOz flakes, wherein 0.70?z?2.0, especially 0.95?z?2.0, comprising an organic, or inorganic antimicrobial compound, or composition, which provide enhanced (long term) antimicrobial efficacy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to luminescent SiOz, flakes, especially porous luminescent SiOz flakes, wherein 0.70?z?2.0, especially 0.95?z?2.0, comprising an organic, or inorganic luminescent compound, or composition, which can provide enhanced (long term) luminescent efficacy.

Abstract: The present invention relates to plane-parallel structures of silicon/silicon oxide (silicon/silicon oxide flakes), obtainable by heating plane-parallel structures of SiOy in an oxygen-free atmosphere at a temperature above 400° C., wherein 0.70?y?1.8, or plane-parallel structures of silicon/silicon oxide, obtainable by heating plane-parallel structures of SiOx in an oxygen-free atmosphere at a temperature above 400° C., wherein 0.03?x?0.95, a process for their production and their use for the production of interference pigments.

Abstract: A process for printing flat substrate, in which the said substrate is printed with ink composition including a) a basic dye together with b) an aliphatic carboxylic acid having 4–24 carbon atoms, c) a pigment, d) a binder resin and water, yields water-resistant prints having a high depth of shade and high chroma.

Abstract: A product produced in a PVD method is described, which consists of thin plane-parallel structures having a thickness in the range from 20 to 2000 nm and small dimensions in the range below one mm. Production is carried out by condensation of silicon suboxide onto a carrier passing by way of the vaporisers. The carrier is pre-coated, before condensation of the silicon suboxide, with a soluble, inorganic or organic separating agent in a PVD method. All steps, including that of detaching the product by dissolution, can be carried out continuously and simultaneously at different locations. As final step, the SiOy may be oxidised to SiO2 in an oxygen-containing gas at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of more than 200° C. or SiOy may be converted to SiC at the surface of the plane-parallel structures in a carbon-containing gas at from 500° C. to 1500° C. The products produced in that manner are distinguished by high uniformity of thickness.

Abstract: A process for printing flat substrates, in which the said substrate is printed with an ink composition comprising a) a basic dye together with b) an aliphatic carboxylic acid having at least four carbon atoms, and water, yields water-resistant prints having a high depth of shade and high chroma.

Abstract: The invention relates to coloured gloss pigments having specific particle dimensions comprising a transparent core of a silicon oxide of the composition SiO0.03 to SiO0.95 and, optionally, further coatings of silicon dioxide, carbon, a partially transparent metal and/or a dielectric of high refractive index, to a coating method suitable therefor wherein metallic silicon is vapour-deposited in the presence of a low oxygen partial pressure, to the use of such gloss pigments in pigmenting plastics, surface coatings, printing inks and cosmetic compositions, and also to pigmented compositions comprising such gloss pigments.