IP Library Patent Application 11574002
Patent Application
App. No. 11/574,002

Electrically Conductive Pigments Having a Ferromagnetic Core, the Production Thereof, and the Use Thereof

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Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/574,002
Abstract

The invention relates to electrically conductive pigments, wherein the pigments exhibit a ferromagnetic core and at least one electrically conductive coating, and the electrically conductive coating is or comprises a metal or a metal alloy or the electrically conductive coating is or comprises electrically conductive polymers or plastics materials containing electrically conductive polymers. The invention further relates to a process for the production of said electrically conductive pigments, and to the use of said electrically conductive pigments.

Claims (81)

1 . Electrically conductive pigments,

characterized in that

the pigments exhibit a ferromagnetic core and at least one electrically conductive coating, wherein the electrically conductive coating is or comprises a metal or a metal alloy or wherein the electrically conductive coating is or comprises electrically conductive polymers or plastics materials containing electrically conductive polymers.

2 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein the ferromagnetic core is in the form of a platelet or is spherical.

3 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the ferromagnetic core contains or consists of one or more metals or metal complexes, selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, gadolinium, alloys containing the aforementioned metals, d-FeOOH, EuS, CrO 2 , Cu 2 MnAl, and mixtures thereof.

4 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 wherein

said ferromagnetic core consists of or contains iron.

5 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 ,

wherein

the ferromagnetic core of iron is produced from carbonyl iron grit by wet milling and preferably has a thickness of less than 150 nm.

6 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the metal is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, nickel, silver, and mixtures and alloys thereof which contain these metals.

7 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the electrically conductive polymers are selected from the group consisting of polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyphenylene, polyaniline, polyacetylene, and mixtures thereof.

8 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the thickness of the coating is from 5 to 200 nm and preferably from 10 to 100 nm.

9 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the size of the pigments is from 2 to 500 μm and preferably from 5 to 200 μm.

10 . Electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the overall thickness of the coated pigments is from 80 to 550 nm and preferably from 100 nm to 350 nm.

11 . A process for the production of electrically conductive pigments,

wherein

at least one coating of at least one electrically conductive material is applied to a ferromagnetic starting pigment, wherein said electrically conductive material is or comprises a metal or a metal alloy or wherein said electrically conductive material is or contains electrically conductive polymers or plastics materials which contain electrically conductive polymers.

12 . A process for the production of electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the ferromagnetic starting pigment contains or consists of one or more metals or metal complexes, which are selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, gadolinium, alloys containing the aforementioned metals, d-FeOOH, EuS, CrO 2 , Cu 2 MnAl, and mixtures thereof.

13 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the starting pigments are iron pigments.

14 . The process as defined in claim 13 ,

wherein

the iron pigments are obtained by grinding carbonyl iron powder.

15 . The process as defined in claim 13 ,

wherein

the iron pigments are obtained by PVD deposition of an iron film onto a flat support material followed by comminution of the iron film.

16 . The process as defined in any one of claims 13 ,

wherein

the iron pigments are degreased prior to the application of the electrically conductive coating.

17 . The process as defined in claim 16 ,

wherein

the degreasing is carried out by treating the iron pigments with sodium hydroxide in an organic solvent, preferably ethanol.

18 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the electrically conductive material is applied by a chemical wet-process by currentless deposition with or without a reducing agent.

19 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the conductive material is applied to the iron pigments from the vapor phase in a fluidized-bed process.

20 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the conductive material is first applied by currentless deposition in the absence of a reducing agent followed by reduction with a reducing agent.

21 . The process as defined in claim 18 ,

wherein

the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrazine, aldehydes, methanol, ethanol, sugar, phosphinate, formaldehyde, and mixtures thereof.

22 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the metal or the metal alloy is selected from the group consisting of rhodium, nickel, silver, mixtures, and alloys thereof.

23 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the electrically conductive polymers are selected from the group consisting of polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyphenylene, polyaniline, polyacetylene, and mixtures thereof.

24 . The process as defined in claim 11 ,

wherein

the electrically conductive pigments are spherical and/or in the form of platelets.

25 . A pigment mixture,

wherein

the pigment mixture comprises a mixture of platelet-type and spherical electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 .

26 . The use of electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 in electrically conductive coatings and/or electrically conductive objects.

27 . The use of electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 in coatings or objects to effect shielding from electromagnetic radiation.

28 . The use of electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1 in intelligent switches or coatings, in which, by application of a magnetic field and/or an electric field, the electrically conductive pigments can be oriented in a desired direction

29 . An object,

characterized in that

the object contains and/or comprises electrically conductive pigments as defined in claim 1

30 . An object as defined in claim 29 ,

wherein

the object is a security element, security document, security object, or transparent material.

31 . The use of a pigment mixture as defined in claim 25 in electrically conductive coatings and/or electrically conductive objects.

32 . The use of a pigment mixture as defined in claim 25 in coatings or objects to effect shielding from electromagnetic radiation.

33 . The use a pigment mixture as defined in claim 25 in intelligent switches or coatings, in which, by application of a magnetic field and/or an electric field, the electrically conductive pigments can be oriented in a desired direction

34 . An object,

wherein

the object contains and/or comprises electrically conductive pigments as defined in a pigment mixture as defined in claim 25.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 5, 2008
From: ECKART GMBH & CO. KG
To: ECKART GMBH
Reel/Frame 020897/0231 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2007
From: SCHUSTER, THOMAS, DR.; WEISS, HARALD, DR.
To: ECKART GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 019389/0449 →