How Are Effect Pigments Manufactured?

Special effect pigments are the key ingredients in many cosmetic products, such as eyeshadows and highlighters. They also make a difference in the appearance of toiletries and shower gels. They are based on mica platelets that are coated with a layer of metallic oxides. This coating is what gives the effect pigment its colour and sheen.

The metal oxide layers are designed to reflect light in a different way than the surface of the mica flakes, producing an attractive and unusual appearance similar to pearls, fish scales or peacock feathers. The resulting colours can range from silver (white) to interference colors, earth tone colors and even golden yellows.

Mica based effect pigments are available with a wide range of particle size distributions, but the most important aspect is their structure and shape. They need to be flat and highly planar, and have a low refractive index to enable the metallic layers to interact with them as effectively as possible.

The coatings industry is facing a number of challenges that are driving the need for effect pigments, including customer demands for intensely chromatic and high sparkle finishes, increasing regulatory requirements and the move towards water-based formulations. The need for high hiding power, chemical-, moisture- and UV-resistance properties, and a robust finish are also important factors in the use of effect pigments.