Glassflake Ltd:

Moonshine® effect pigments

Product & Company Overview
Leaders in glass flake pigment technology
Table of contents:

1. Our company and products

2. Effect pigments

3. Moonshine® range of pigments

4. Regulatory

5. Moonshine® pigments in cosmetics

6. Product innovation
Moonshine® Effect Pigments

• Based on borosilicate flakes with an average thickness of 1.2 microns

• Coated with either high refractive index metal oxides or combinations
of it to create strong interference or metallic colours giving outstanding
brilliance resulting in intense lustre and brightness

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Pearlescent Pigments – Interference Effect
Metallic pigments:

Borosilicate flake
effect pigments
Pearlescent pigments:

Borosilicate flake

The interference effect is caused by light division and light recombination at thin films.

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Pearlescent Borosilicate Pigments
The colour achieved is related to the thickness of the deposited layer of metal
oxide.

Silver white yellow Red Blue Green

1st order 1st order 2nd order 2nd order

90-110 nm 110-130 nm 130-150 nm

TiO₂ 40-70 nm 70-90 nm

Glass

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Glass flake borosilicate effect pigments – substrate coating types

Metal oxide / metal coating

Borosilicate flake 1.2µm

Coating type
TiO2 = silver and interference colours
Fe2O3 = earth tone colours
TiO2/ Fe2O3 = golden colours
Ag = metallic

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Structure of metal oxide coated borosilicate pigment

P1
Metal oxide (TiO2) n1
P2

Borosilicate flake n2

P2
n3
P3

• Three layers with different refractive index;

n1 = 2.7
n2 = 1.52
n3 = 2.7
• Four phase boundaries
P1/ TiO2 /P2/Borosilicate/ P3 / TiO2 / P4

Inference colour depends only on the thickness of upper and lower metal
oxide coatings.
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Pearlescent Pigments – Interference Effect

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Light waves – Interference Effect

Constructive Destructive

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Light waves – Interference Effect

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Comparison to other substrates; interference strength

2 𝑛2
  2 −𝑛 1 2
 
𝑛 2 2+𝑛 12

Substrate N1 (TiO2) n2(substrate) R(0o) max

Mica 2.7 1.60 23%

Synthetic Mica 2.7 1.54 25%

Bismuth Oxychloride 2.7 2.15 5%

Borosilicate 2.7 1.52 28%

Silica flake 2.7 1.46 30%

The higher the R(0o) max the stronger the interference effect

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Comparison to other substrates;

Synthetic Mica

Borosilicate

Mica Aston Chemicals

Differences between Mica and Glass

The laminate structure of the particle Glass flake has a homogenous particle
creates imperfections in the particle thickness
thickness. Refractive Index 1.52
Refractive Index 1.6 They are achromatic, highly transparent
Mass yellow colour tone, semitransparent

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Differences between Mica and Glass
Cross section view of mica in comparison to glass flake based pigments

The stepped surface of the mica particle creates light scatter. Additionally mica contains
impurities that cause discoloration of the mass tone. Glass flake borosilicate based
pigments make for much improved reflection and refraction of light.

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Glass flake & Moonshine® flaking process

Substrate Coating Process

Coating application Coating finish

Glass flake
Production Defined pH Defined pH
Calcination
Optional
Metal salt Defined T Aqueous Defined T secondary
Def. atm. Def. atm. coating

Melted
Flake Deposition
Quality Packaging and
from raw Glass Metal PVD
generation Process Control Shipping
materials

Mineral
Rotary
Optional
Elevated pH
Oxide Batch Metal salt Crystallization Deposition Flaking
Defined T
Def. atm.
Calcination

Rotary Process process

Process

Repeat as necessary Process

Diameter

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 Particle Thickness distribution - SEM measurement
Lt# 002130913
100%

90%

80%

70%
Sample of 510 measurements
D10 899nm
Cumaltive frequency

60%
D50 1280nm
D90 1450nm
50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

Thickness (nm)

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Moonshine® Standard Particle Size Diameters
Regulatory - General

• Borosilicate glass flakes are engineered inert chemically resistant

substrates
• Coating technology is the same process as for other effect
pigments
• Use is not restricted in cosmetics
• No Allergens
• No CMR

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Regulatory - Heavy Metal Analysis I
ICP-MS (double focusing mass spectrometer)
Current regime; total digestion with HF or HF/ Nitric acid with Microwave digester.

Methodology follows;
USEPA 3051:1998
USEPA 30512:1996 both based on soil analysis
IEC 62321:2008
Or internal test methods.
Detection limits to 2ppm

There is no industry wide methodology, not all pigments are tested equally!

It is not commercially feasible to produce a glass(flake) completely free of heavy metals, however,
careful selection of mineral oxide raw materials ensure that they are minimised to below the
normal thresholds.

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What is PuraFlake

Purer flake with better incorporation characteristics:

• Much thinner flake available due to advanced spun technology by

Glassflake
• Ultra low heavy metal content
 Spun technology – advanced thinner nanoscale product

PuraFlake – easily incorporated into the formulation due to its morphology

Result – is improved skin feel/slip

D10 5 microns
D90 40 microns
Specifically designed ultra low heavy metal
flake
350 nm

Supplied coated and uncoated

Coating type: Dimethicone (2%wt) treated for hydrophobic surface properties

Ultra low heavy metals

Test method:
heavy metals (full digestion HF/ Nitric acid), ICP-MS
analysis
As < 2 ppm
Ba (total) < 50 ppm
Cd < 2 ppm
Co < 2 ppm
Cr < 20 ppm
Hg < 1 ppm
Ni <10 ppm
Pb < 5 ppm
Sb < 2 ppm
Se < 5 ppm
 
 Formulating with Puraflake® cosmetic fillers

• Ultra thin glass flakes

– 350nm micron average thicknesses

– Small particle diameter fractions
– Functional coatings
• Dimethicone ( silicone)

• high purity composition

• Improved skin feel
• High transparency/ with inherent rainbow effect

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Moonshine® effect pigments: Product overview

Current range:
• Effect series - Metal oxide range
White, Blue, Violet, Gold, Red, Green, Bronze,
Copper, Russet and Metallic Gold

• Ultra effect series - Metal oxide / organic colour

• Meta effect series - Metal coated range

Silver, Silver/Gold

• Colour travel series – multi layer metal oxide range

Moonshine® Application Areas

Cosmetic:
Cosmetics Personal Care
• Lip colours • Hair care products
• Eye make-up • Bath soaps and gels
• Nail polishes • Skin lotions and creams
• Face and body make-up
 Formulating with Moonshine® Lip gloss
Raw Material Pink Orange
Polybutene 1400 41.600 41.600
Versagel M 500 11.530 11.530
Cosmol 222 To 100 To 100
Lipwax PZ80-20 0.730 0.730
Laurydone 0.390 0.390
P. P 0.100 0.100
B. H. T. 0.050 0.050
Jells 14.400 14.400
Aerosil R972/L. P Base (14%) 22.130 22.130
Moonshine® GFESW 0.500 0.500
C19-012 (50%) 0.050
C70-5270 0.050
C69-002 0.010
100.000 100.000

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Formulating with Moonshine® - Gems'tone Eye Shadow

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Formulating with Moonshine® Luminishing Serum – Aston
Chemicals

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Formulating with Moonshine® NuPLastic Eyeliner with
Moonshine Pearls

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Guide formulations; cosmetics

• Transparency allows for use with background colour

• Sparkle effects with larger PSD

• Effects achieved at low loadings

• Chemically stable and inert

• Heavy metals within the thresholds

• Improved skin feel

• Rainbow of colours , more enhanced than other substrates

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Glassflake is a market leader in product & process
innovation.

Thank you

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