Patent Picks—Radiation-Diffraction Colorants, Fluorescent Pigments and More

By: Rachel L. Grabenhofer

Posted: March 14, 2012

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Method for separating carotenoids
US Patent Application 20120059192
Publication date: March 8, 2012
Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation

According to this patent, carotenoids are natural pigments that are useful as food additives, cosmetic ingredients, pharmaceutical agents and the like. Examples of carotenoids include astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, β-carotene, phoenicoxanthin, adonixanthin, echinenone, asteroidenone and 3-hydroxyechinenone. The present invention describes a method for collecting a carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium at high yield. Specifically, described is a method comprising a step of precipitating a concentrate containing the carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium under acidic conditions and collecting the carotenoid from the obtained precipitate.

Radiation diffraction colorants
US Patent 8133938
Publication date: March 13, 2012
Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

This invention relates to Bragg diffracting colorants produced from core-shell particles. There is a need for durable goniochromatic materials that can be produced in particulate form and that are suitable for use as colorants with minimal haze. Thus, a radiation diffraction material comprising an ordered periodic array of particles held in a polymeric matrix is disclosed wherein the particles each comprise a core surrounded by a shell of a non film-forming composition that is different from the matrix. Methods for using the material are also disclosed.

The special effect colorants of the present invention can be used in a wide variety of coating compositions, such as paints, inks, nail polish and other cosmetics. These include waterborne and solvent-borne liquid coating compositions, powder coating compositions, powder slurry compositions and electrodeposition compositions. They can be used in clear coatings or added to other pigments and/or dyes in colored coatings. Compatibility of the colorants with a variety of polymer types has been observed.