AIC 100 Silver Pearl Pigment

A silver pearl effect pigment: mica at 70 to 74% coated with titanium dioxide at 26 to 30%. A silver-white, odourless, free-flowing powder. Typical values: particle size 10 to 60 µm by laser diffraction, pH 6 to 10 in 10% aqueous suspension, density 2.9 to 3.1 g/cm³, bulk density 10 to 30 g per 100 ml, oil absorption 55 to 75 g per 100 g, loss on drying 0.5% or less at 105 °C. Heavy metals: lead below 10 ppm, antimony below 2 ppm, arsenic below 1 ppm by ICP-MS.

Pearlescent and metallic-effect finishes in coatings, inks and plastics where a soft silver lustre is wanted rather than the hard mirror effect of an aluminium pigment.

A clean silver-white pearl effect. The published heavy metal data makes it straightforward to use where restricted-substance requirements apply. The wide pH tolerance of 6 to 10 suits both waterborne and solvent systems.

Pearl pigments are platelets, and the effect depends entirely on those platelets lying flat and staying intact. High-shear dispersion breaks them and destroys the lustre — stir in gently at the let-down stage rather than grinding. Coverage is lower than an aluminium pigment and the effect is softer: where a bright metallic finish is wanted, the AIC aluminium silver pastes are the correct choice. Particle size runs to 60 µm, so it is not suited to fine screen meshes or very thin films.