Discover Eco Friendly Glitter: The Bio-Glitter
Since prehistoric times, glitter has been made from many different materials including stones such as malachite, and mica, as well as insects and Glass. Uses for glitter include clothing, arts, crafts, Cosmetics and body paint.
Glitter Colour Effects
Glitter effects can be grouped into three main groups; Metallic, Iridescent/Opalescent and Holographic. They all utilise different types of light physics in their creation.
1. Metallic Effect Glitters: Technical Light Effect Term – ‘Specular Reflection’
Metallic effect glitters; silver, golds, reds, greens, blues etc. The effect is created by
reflecting light. The glitter particles act as little mirrors, each one reflecting light. Within the structure of the glitter is an extremely thin layer of aluminium, 2500 times thinner than a human hair.
The sole purpose of this layer is reflecting light. Transparent coloured coating are applied to either side of the glitter particle to give colour metallic effects. Metallic glitters are opaque, ie they conceal anything underneath the glitter as the aluminium layer reflects light.
2. Opalescent and Iridescent Effect Glitters: Technical Light Effect Term – ‘Refraction & Reflection’
Opalescent and iridescent glitters exhibit effects where colour can only be seen when viewed from a particular angle. This effect is know as a colour travel effect, where the colour observed changes depending upon which angle the glitter is viewed. Opalescent and Iridescent glitters utilise the manipulation of light through refraction and reflection to
achieve this effect.
In an iridescent glitter, light is refracted and essentially spun back on itself back. Iridescent glitters are created by micro layering more than one hundred alternate layers of two different type of plastics with complementary refractive indexes.
The microlayer film is created by using hi-tech plastic extrusion techniques of the two colourless synthetic plastic polymers. Iridescent glitters are transparent, unlike metallic and holographic which have a reflective aluminium layer and are opaque.
Refractive index is the value given relating to a materials’ ability to bend light when light enters it. Refection is the effect seen when light is bent moving from one medium into another, for example from air into water.
These types of plastic glitter do not contain any pigment or aluminium layer and are completely transparent. The intensity of the iridescent effect is increased by using these types of glitters against a dark or black background.
Bioglitter™ PURE products are opalescent effect glitters, a reinvented version of iridescent effect plastic glitters. Due to the physical properties and chemistry of the natural and plant derived raw materials used in Bioglitter ™, it is not possible to re-create the structure of
a plastic iridescent effect glitter (as illustrated above) using naturally derived raw materials.
Therefore, we have had to take a completely different approach and recreate the effect in a novel way . Bioglitter™ PURE is a new type of glitter, unique to Ronald Britton Ltd. Like plastic iridescent glitters, Bioglitter PURE products do not contain aluminium, they are also transparent and work in a similar same way to plastic iridescent glitters in that the colour effect becomes stronger stronger against a dark background.
However, as the structure of Bioglitter PURE is completely different they exhibit a completely new and exiting appearance unique to Bioglitter PURE. The Bioglitter™ PURE product family, consists of three colour ranges of increasing strength of effect.
The first-generation, launched in 2019, is an interesting ‘Natural’ colour range. In 2020 we launched the stunning ‘Opal’ colour range, these glitters produce a ‘mother of pearl’ or opalescent effect. Also in 2020 we introduced the ‘Vivid’ colour range, a strong aluminium
free metallic effect glitter with an almost opaque appearance.
Being aluminium free they offer the added benefit of providing extra resistance in waterbased applications that are either acid, alkali or contain high levels of surfactant. The aluminium layer in a metallic or holographic effect glitter is attacked and loosed its reflective properties in these environments. An example of these types of environments are soaps and detergents.
Recreating the iridescent intensity without the ability to create a microlayer structure is a challenge. However, with further development, we hope to offer future generations of Bioglitter™ PURE that become ever closer to the effects that are currently achieved with plastic iridescent glitters.
3. Holographic Effect Glitters: Technical Light Effect Term – ‘Diffuse Reflection’
Holographic effect glitters exhibit a spectacular rainbow effect, created by splitting light into its individual component parts. Each glitter particle acts as little prism splitting light. The structure of a holographic glitter is similar to a metallic glitter in that it has a very thin aluminium layer to reflect, with the addition of a microscopic structural pattern to diffract the light.
In nondiffuse direct light, for example, direct sunshine or LED lights, these products really excel, producing an eye-catching kaleidoscope of dazzling colour. As holographic glitters contain an aluminium layer, like metallic glitters 2500 times thinner than a human hair,
they are opaque, diffusing and reflecting the light that hits them.
Bioglitter™ HOLO products are holographic effect glitters, indistinguishable in appearance from holographic effect plastic glitters.
Why Is Bioglitter Needed?
• The world is facing a major issue with plastic pollution and although glitter is a small fraction of this, it is a contributing factor. Defined as a microplastic, ‘plastic’ glitter takes hundreds of years to degrade in natural environments.
• Because of its small size and utilisation in a diverse range of single-use applications (cosmetics, cards, clothing and crafts to name a few) a composting facility is very unlikely to be where glitter ‘ends up’.
• Glitter can find its way into wastewater from bathing, washing-up art materials or washing clothing for example, which after water treatment can then end up in our lakes and rivers. Once in the natural environment, plastic glitter, like other microplastics, can cause physical harm to small organisms and end up entering the food chain.
• Glitter is unlikely to end up in compost, therefore a compostable glitter does not fix the problem. The key to success is the removal of polymeric material in plastic glitter that does not biodegradequickly and safely in natural, fresh water environments.
• Bioglitter™ is the first of its kind and sets the standard in eco-friendly glitters. It is designed to biodegrade quickly and safely in natural freshwater environments. Ronald Britton Ltd uses TÜV ‘OK biodegradable Water’ certification as a simple and clear means of communicating this fact to our customers.
Bioglitter™: The World’s Only Certified Fresh Water Biodegradable Glitter Brand
Bioglitter™ uses sustainably and ethically sourced natural and plant derived materials as its basis rather than plastic.
All our products are proven to biodegrade through independent ISO14851 and ISO14852 fresh water testing of the whole Bioglitter™ product, core and coating. TÜV Austria’s fresh water certification is the ultimate goal for all Bioglitter™ products.
• Certification cuts through confusing messages and unqualified product claims.
• A level of certification considered the highest of its kind in the world.
• Ronald Britton’s TÜV Certification/Serial No is S0933 and is easily verified on the TÜV Austria website.
Author: Stephen Cotton
Commercial Director
Ronald Britton Ltd.
Translation and Compilation: Zeynep Semiz
Commercial Manager
Color & More
Translation and Compilation: Züleyha Dursun
Inside Sales Specialist
Color & More
