The correspondence between macroscopic appearance and microscopic colors investigated by light and electron microscopy

Abstract

Plate-like effect pigments (with diameters between 5 – 40 μm and less than 1 μm thick) are widely used to create decorative appearance in coatings, prints, plastics and cosmetics. Thereby it is well-known that the particles of one and the same ensemble do not have the same microscopic color; the colors will deviate from particle to particle and also over the surface of individual particles itself. Since the effect pigment appearance depends on the microscopic color as well as on its local lateral distribution, it is important to elucidate the reasons for these local changes for typical interference pigments.