A unique, highly dramatic effect of METALURE®
Liquid Black – made possible by a special elaborate
metallization process. After chrome is evapo-
rated on a film and wound on rolls, at the end
the metallized layer is reduced to pigment size
and then can be added to paints and coatings.
“T URNING MOLECULES AROUND”
ECKART, the effect pigment specialist in the ALTANA Group, has success-
fully proved its innovativeness with METALURE® Liquid Black – and created
the necessary added value for our customers.
Complete light absorption makes objects look matte-black.
Now ECKART has managed to find the optimal compromise between
absorption and metallic reflection. The unique effect
pigment METALURE® Liquid Black combines a deep black appearance
with high metallic gloss.
For the patented effect pigment, ECKART uses chrome,
which, coupled with an elaborate metallization process, enables a
deep-dark, jet-black mirror effect. “We discovered this highly
dramatic effect when we dealt intensively with the question of
how to achieve new effects with the smallest pieces of metal
and thus expand the color space,” says Dieter Prölß, head of
Technology and Process Development at ECKART.
The Idea: Chrome Instead of Aluminum
Before the invention of METALURE® Liquid Black, the PVD (physical
vapor deposition) standard pigment portfolio was based on
aluminum. The metal is evaporated in semi-transparent layers on
a film, removed, and subsequently reduced to the desired pigment
size. However, the pigments should not only become more
and more brilliant, but also darker for a silvery shine and ever
28 Creating Added Value at ALTANA