Bright metal flake
US6013370A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/31678
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A rigid and brittle bright metal flake is formed of a central layer of a reflective material supported on both sides by dielectric layers. In a preferred embodiment, the metal layer is aluminum having a thickness of about 100 nm and the dielectrics are either silicon dioxide or magnesium fluoride, each having a thickness of about 100 nm. The result is a very thin three-layered metal flake about 300 nm thick that exhibits a uniaxial compressive strength of about 8 times a corresponding uniaxial tensile strength. As a result, the metal flake is then afforded the benefits of rigidity and brittle fracture during the manufacturing and applicational processes which ultimately provides favorable planar and specular reflectance characteristics in the visible wavelength range.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.