Process for the Preparation of Nacreous Pigments With Improved Gloss Properties, Products Thereof, and Compositions Using Said Pigments

1. A process for preparing nacreous pigments having improved gloss properties and based on mica platelets coated with metal oxides, comprising suspending mica platelets in a first aqueous medium comprising aluminum, silicon and titanium ions corresponding to the amount to be incorporated into the metal oxide layer and uniformly coprecipitating thereon titanium dioxide hydrate, silicon dioxide and aluminum hydroxide to form a uniform layer homogeneously containing about 0.1 to about 20 percent by weight of SiO.sub.2 and about 0.1 to about 20 percent by weight of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, wherein the uniform coprecipitation of the titanium, silicon and aluminum is achieved by suspending mica platelets in an aqueous solution of a pH of about 0.5-5, heating the solution to about 50.degree.-100.degree. C., adding a soluble titanium salt thereto and maintaining the solution pH substantially constant, and simultaneously adding SiO.sub.2 to the solution in the form of a soluble silicate salt, these additions being effected in the presence of aluminum ions in the solution, and then separating, washing, drying and calcining the coated mica platelets; suspending the coated mica platelets in a second aqueous medium containing titanium sulfate prior to the point at which the titanium solution has begun substantially to hydrolyze to hydrated titanium dioxide, further coating the suspended platelets by slow heating of the suspension, and then separating, washing and calcining the further coated platelets.

2. A process of claim 1 wherein the calcination is conducted at 500.degree.-1,000.degree. C.

3. A process of claim 1 wherein said suspension solution comprises an amount of sulfate ions 0.5-2 times the stoichiometric amount based on the amount of titanium ions in the solution.

4. A process of claim 1 wherein the titanium is present in said first aqueous medium as titanyl sulfate or TiCl.sub.4 and the aluminum is present as aluminum chloride or aluminum sulfate.

5. A process of claim 1 wherein said homogeneous coating contains a total amount of SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 of 0.2-30 percent by weight.

6. Nacreous pigments based on mica flakes prepared by the process of claim 1.

7. In a composition comprising a base ingredient and a nacreous pigment prepared by suspending mica platelets in a first aqueous medium comprising aluminum, silicon and titanium ions corresponding to the amount to be incorporated into the metal oxide layer and uniformly coprecipitating thereon titanium dioxide hydrate, silicon dioxide and aluminum hydroxide to form a uniform layer homogeneously containing about 0.1 to about 20 percent by weight of SiO.sub.2 and about 0.1 to about 20 percent by weight of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, wherein the uniform coprecipitation of the titanium, silicon and aluminum is achieved by suspending mica platelets in an aqueous solution of a pH of about 0.5-5, heating the solution to about 50.degree.-100.degree. C., adding a soluble titanium salt thereto and maintaining the solution pH substantially constant, and simultaneously adding SiO.sub.2 to the solution in the form of a soluble silicate salt, these additions being effected in the presence of aluminum ions in the solution, and then separating, washing, drying and calcining the coated mica flakes; the improvement which comprises suspending the coated mica platelets in a second aqueous medium containing titanium sulfate prior to the point at which the titanium solution has begun substantially to hydrolyze to hydrated titanium dioxide, further coating the suspended platelets by slow heating of the suspension, and then separating, washing and calcining the further coated platelets.