Disclosed is a method for preparing a pearlescent pigment by coating metal
oxides on the synthesized mica, involving the steps of grinding the synthesized
mica by agitating the mica with water in a water mixer to a particle size between
100 and 500 m and separating the mica, dispersing the separated particles
of the synthesized mica in water and adding acid thereto to adjust pH between 1
and 4, adding the metal oxide precursors and a basic aqueous solution thereto while
maintaining said pH range until the desired color is attained, and thereby forming
at least one hydrous metal oxide layer on the particles of the synthesized mica,
and filtering, water-washing, drying and calcining the synthesized mica coated
with the metal oxide layer. The method may further involve the step of further
pulverizing the synthesized mica roughly ground in a water mixer by using a conventional
wet pulverizer so that less than 100 m of the synthesized mica may be used
as a base material. The suitable surfactants can be used in a water mixer as well
as a conventional wet pulverizer. The pearlescent pigment prepared according to
the present invention has excellent luster and chroma, since a coating layer of
metal oxides is smooth and the dispersibility of the particles is excellent.
