"Effect pigments are becoming increasingly popular in many different markets,” says Marilyn White, executive director of The Mix, a color forecasting company. “Consumers want colors that are novel, bright and reflect their independence.” She noted that two automotive OEMs have highly chromatic bright blues based on FIREFLAKE in their 2003 color palettes.
The problem of mutual interference -- a dulling effect that occurs when particles block each other’s reflectivity -- is eliminated because the pigment and colorant are contained in a single flake. Moreover, the colored aluminum flakes tend to align themselves horizontally in the film, with each flake acting as a tiny mirror, enhancing the depth and sparkle of the finished coatings. This high reflectivity and richness, combined with colored aluminum’s other benefits, has created a great deal of excitement among industry insiders, who see an almost infinite potential for colored aluminum.