ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY NEAR INFRARED REFLECTING HYBRID PIGMENTS

• US 20110123792A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mayan Pigments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mayan Pigments, Inc.
• Inventors: Niewold, Lori
• Granted Patent: US 8,123,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/221
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/84 by UV- or VIS- data
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/60 Optical properties, e.g. expressed in CIELAB-values
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/62 L* (lightness axis)
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/63 a* (red-green axis)
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/64 b* (yellow-blue axis)
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/42 Clays
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/00 Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 ; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component

Abstract

A hybrid pigment composition is provided including a pigment or a dye and a fibrous clay. The pigment composition has higher reflectance in a near infrared region than a visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The fibrous clay can be selected from palygorskite, sepiolite, and mixtures thereof. The hybrid pigment composition is tunable to provide high reflectance at a desired wavelength in the near infrared region.

Claims

1. A hybrid pigment composition comprising a pigment or a dye and a fibrous clay, wherein the pigment composition has higher reflectance in a near infrared region than a visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

2. The hybrid pigment composition of claim 1, wherein the fibrous clay is selected from palygorskite, sepiolite, and mixtures thereof.

3. The hybrid pigment composition of claim 1, wherein the hybrid pigment composition is tunable to provide high reflectance at a desired wavelength in the near infrared region.

4. The hybrid pigment composition of claim 1, wherein said composition further comprises at least one additional dye or pigment.

5. The hybrid pigment composition of claim 4, wherein the at least one additional dye or pigment comprises at least one of the following:

carbon black, indigo, an indigoid, and a thioindigoid.

6. An article comprising the hybrid pigment composition of claim 1 as a colorant.

7. The article of claim 6, wherein the article is a roofing material.

8. The article of claim 6, wherein the article is a molded polymer component.

9. The article of claim 6, wherein the article has a metameric index of less than about 1.

10. The article of claim 9, wherein the article is clothing or textiles.

11. The article of claim 9, wherein the article is a motor vehicle component.

12. A polymer composition comprising the hybrid pigment composition of claim 1 as a colorant.

13. A coating composition comprising the hybrid pigment composition of claim 1 as a colorant.

14. The coating composition of claim 13, wherein the coating composition is a paint.

15. An article coated with the coating composition of claim 13.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is a motor vehicle, aircraft, or boat.

17. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is military hardware.

18. A method of cloaking an article comprising:

providing an article to be cloaked; and

coating the article with a hybrid pigment composition comprising a pigment or a dye and a fibrous clay, wherein the pigment composition has higher reflectance in a near infrared region than in the visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

19. The method of cloaking an article according to claim 18, wherein the coating composition is painted on the article.