4th August 2020
Glassflake Ltd has developed an innovative manufacturing process which enables accurate control of glass composition and flake morphology, creating optimised glassflake performance for an expanding range of applications.
The unique manufacturing process allows for the production of Nanoflake, as low as 100nm thickness. Utilising the sub-micron capabilities and process consistency, Nanoflake can be produced with superior aspect ratios; the reduced thickness leads to greater flake stacking and overlapping, parallel to the substrate surface, at significantly lower loading levels which results in enhanced barrier and mechanical performance.
Traditional glassflake can be loaded up to 25-wt% in heavy duty protective coatings, whereas improvements in barrier performance have been reported as low at 1-wt% loading for Nanoflake.
The high surface area of Nanoflake can also enhance cohesion with a resin or polymer, resulting in superior mechanical reinforcement. Furthermore, the flat platelet structure provides isotropic reinforcement and dimensional stability. These property improvements can be exploited in fire protective coatings and plastics, architectural and exterior coatings which are exposed to cyclic environmental conditions, structural composites and moulded parts with intricate geometries.
In addition, high specification Nanoflake substrates are also used to produce pearlescent Moonshine® effect pigments. These pigments are composed of high refractive index coatings on transparent substrates; pearlescent effects are created by the overlapping of multiple light waves that have been reflected by varying layers of pigment. However, with decreasing substrate transparency there is a reduction in both pearlescent and interference effects. As a result, Nanoflake is an ideal effect pigment substrate due to the neutral mass tone, smooth and uniform surface, combined with highly planar dimensions.
The Moonshine® Astral Effect series is based on flakes with an average thickness of 350nm which results in a greater number of light reflecting layers of pigment, enhancing pearlescent effects and coverage at lower pigment loadings.
For more information on our Moonshine® effect pigments, please click here.
