Laser additive and its use in polymer materials

1. Pigments comprising a particle containing niobium-doped titanium dioxide and a layer encapsulating the niobium-doped titanium dioxide containing particle, the encapsulating layer comprising at least a calcium compound wherein the calcium compound is CaO or a mixture of CaO with CaCO 3 and/or CaTiO 3 .

2. Pigments according to claim 1 , characterised in that the encapsulating layer in addition to the calcium compound contains at least one further metal oxide, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ce, Si, Al, Zn and V.

3. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the percentual weight content of the at least one calcium compound in the encapsulating layer is at least 80% by weight, based on the weight of the encapsulating layer.

4. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the pigments are subject to a thermal treating step under reducing conditions prior to the use thereof.

5. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the pigments each consist of a core being composed of a niobium-doped titanium dioxide particle and of an encapsulating layer being located directly on top of the core.

6. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the pigments each consist of a core being composed of a substrate particle having a layer of niobium-doped titanium dioxide directly located on the substrate particle, and of an encapsulating layer being located directly on top of the core.

7. Pigments according to claim 6 , characterised in that the substrate particle consists of a silicatic material, of titanium dioxide, of titanium dioxide doped with Al, Si, Zr or Mn, of alumina, silica, carbon, graphite, iron oxide, barium sulfate and/or of a pearl pigment.

8. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the niobium-doped titanium dioxide has a percentage molar proportion of niobium of 0.05 to 15%, based on the molar mass of titanium.

9. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the encapsulating layer has a thickness in the range of from 0.5 to 1000 nm.

10. Pigment according to claim 5 wherein the percentual weight content of the encapsulating layer, based on the weight of the core, is in the range of from 1 to 30% by weight.

11. Pigments according to claim 1 wherein the pigments have a particle size in the range of from 0.01 to 100 nm.

12. A method of absorbing laser light comprising exposing pigments according to claim 1 within a polymer composition to laser light.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the pigments are present in a polymer composition in a proportion in the range of from 0.001 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer composition.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the polymer composition comprises at least one polymer compound, the laser absorbing pigment, and one or more of solvents, fillers, additives and/or colorants.

15. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the polymer compound is a thermoplastic, a thermoset, an elastomer or a silicone.

16. Polymer composition, comprising at least one polymer compound and a pigment according to claim 1 .

17. Polymer composition according to claim 16 , characterised in that the pigment is present in the polymer composition in a proportion of 0.001 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer composition.

18. Polymer composition according to claim 16 wherein the polymer compound is a thermoplastic, a thermoset, an elastomer or a silicone.

19. Laser markable article consisting of a corpus having a surface, characterised in that the corpus or at least a part of the surface thereof comprises a polymer composition according to claim 16 .

20. Laser markable article according to claim 19 , characterised in that the corpus has a laser marking on the surface.