Pigment including a coating of nanoparticles
A pigment including a pre-flake; and a coating of nanoparticles present on a surface of the pre-flake, wherein the nanoparticles can be present in the coating in an amount greater than about 40% by volume is disclosed. A method of making a pigment is also disclosed.
1. A pigment, comprising:
a pre-flake; and
a coating of colored nanoparticles present on a surface of the pre-flake, the colored nanoparticles including at least one colorant chosen from dyes, organic pigments and inorganic pigments, the inorganic pigments being chosen from lead; mercury; arsenic; metal oxides chosen from titanium dioxide, copper oxide, iron oxide and chromium oxide; mixed metal oxides; metal sulfides; metal carbonates; chromates; molybdates; lapis lazuli; hermatite; corundum; rutile titanate; tin zinc titanate; pseudobrookite; spinel; perovskite; pyrochlores; bismuth vanadates; and mixtures thereof, wherein the colored nanoparticles are present in the coating in an amount greater than about 40% by volume.
2. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake has a thickness ranging from about 10 nm to about 3 microns.
3. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake has an average particle size ranging from about 3 microns to about 100 microns.
4. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake includes a material chosen from transparent materials, semi-transparent materials, and reflective opaque materials.
5. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake includes a material chosen from glass, silica, titania, alumina, natural mica, synthetic mica, and bismuth oxychloride.
6. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake is a metal, a non-metal, or a metal alloy.
7. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake includes a material chosen from silicon, germanium, and molybdenum.
8. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is a dye.
9. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the colorant includes at least one pigment.
10. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have an average particle size of less than about 700 nm.
11. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the coating has a thickness ranging from about 20 nm to about 2 microns.
12. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the coating is on at least one surface of the pre-flake.
13. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the coating is on all surfaces of the pre-flake.
14. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles are chemically modified to provide acid-base interaction.
15. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the pre-flake provides a diffractive effect.
16. The pigment of claim 6 , wherein the pre-flake has a magnetic property.
17. The pigment of claim 1 , wherein the colorant is an organic pigment.
18. A pigment, comprising:
a pre-flake; and
a coating of nanoparticles present on a surface of the pre-flake, the coating comprising multiple layers of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are present in the coating in an amount greater than about 40% by volume,
wherein the multiple layers of nanoparticles comprise a high index layer including first nanoparticles and a low index layer including second nanoparticles, the first nanoparticles being inorganic high index dielectric particles and the second nanoparticles being inorganic low index dielectric particles.