Alloy color effect materials and production thereof
AssigneeEngelhard Corporation
InventorsJames D. Christie, Daniel S. Fuller, Curtis J. Zimmermann
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Abstract
A color effect material is composed of a plurality of encapsulated substrate platelets in which each platelet is encapsulated with copper, zinc, an alloy of copper, or an alloy of zinc first layer which acts as a reflector to light directed thereon, a second layer encapsulating the first layer in which the second layer provides an optically variable reflection of light impinging thereon and a third layer encapsulating the second layer and being selectively transparent to light directed thereon.
Claims25
A color effect material comprising a platelet-shaped substrate encapsulated with:
- (a) a first layer selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, an alloy of copper, and an alloy of zinc, wherein said layer is highly reflective to light directed thereon;
- and
- (b) a second layer encapsulating the first layer and providing a variable pathlength for light dependent on the angle of incidence of light impinging thereon;
- and
- (c) a third layer selectively transparent to light directed thereon.
A method of making a precious metal color effect material comprising:
- (a) coating a platelet-shaped substrate with a first layer selected from the group consisting of copper, zinc, an alloy of copper, and an alloy of zinc, wherein said first layer is highly reflective to light directed thereon;
- (b) encapsulating the first layer with a second layer providing a variable pathlength for light dependent on the angle of incidence of light impinging thereon;
- and
- (c) encapsulating the second layer with a third layer selectively transparent to light directed thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.