Embossed effect pigment and method of manufacture of embossed effect pigment

An embossed effect pigment comprising a metallic substrate in platelet form with embossed structure having a periodic pattern with diffractive elements, the 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, wherein the leafing additive has the formula:

• (R—O)x—P(O)(OR1)(3-x)
• wherein x=1 or 2, R is a linear or branched alkyl radical having a carbon chain ranging from C8 to C20 and R1 is H,
• the embossed effect pigment having been produced by a process comprising:
• suspending the metallic substrate in at least one solvent,
• adding the leafing additive to the suspension comprising the metallic substrate and the at least one solvent and stirring the suspension including the leafing additive,
• separating the embossed effect pigment from the at least one solvent, wherein the amount of the leafing additive on the embossed effect pigment is in a range of 15 to 50 wt. %, based on the metallic substrate.

A method treating an embossed metallic substrate, the substrate being in platelet form with embossed structure having a periodic pattern with diffractive elements, the 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, the method comprising:

• suspending the embossed metallic substrate in at least one solvent to form a suspension;
• adding a leafing additive to the suspension, wherein the leafing additive has the formula:
• (R—O)x-P(O)(OR1)(3-x)
• wherein x=1 or 2, R is a linear or branched alkyl radical having a carbon chain ranging from C8 to C20 and R1 is H;
• stirring the suspension, whereby the embossed metallic substrate undergoes surface modification to result in an embossed effect pigment;
• and
• separating the embossed effect pigment from the at least one solvent;
• wherein the amount of the leafing additive on the embossed effect pigment is in the range of 15 to 50 wt. %, based on the weight of the metallic substrate.