Bright metal flake based pigments

Abstract

A flake-based pigment is provided having improved specular reflectance characteristics in the visible wavelength range. The flake-based pigment has a plurality of core flake sections each formed of a central reflector layer and dielectric support layers on opposing sides of the reflector layer. The resulting core flake section is a very thin three-layered structure that exhibits a uniaxial compressive strength much greater than a corresponding uniaxial tensile strength. This structure provides the benefits of rigidity and brittle fracture during manufacturing and application processes, which ultimately provides favorable planar and specular reflectance characteristics for the pigment in the visible wavelength range. A variety of outer coating layers can be formed around the core flake sections, such as various dielectric and absorber layers having thicknesses dependent upon the desired optical characteristics of the pigment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.