A retroreflective powder coating composition including a film-forming resin and a plurality of retroreflective particles. The film-forming resin including a base particle, a metallic coating, a pigment coating composition, and a substantially transparent siloxane coating.

Disclosed in certain embodiments are polymer compositions comprising closed-cell metal oxide particles and methods of preparing the same. In at least one embodiment, a closed-cell metal oxide particle comprises a metal oxide matrix defining an array of closed-cells. Each closed-cell encapsulates a media-inaccessible void volume. The outer surface of the closed-cell metal oxide particle is defined by the array of closed-cells.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a novel precipitated silica, wherein: a silicate is reacted with an acidifying agent, so as to obtain a silica suspension; said silica suspension is filtered, so as to obtain a filter cake; said filter cake is subjected to a liquefaction operation, in the absence of an aluminium compound; wherein a mixture of polycarboxylic acids is added to the filter cake, during or after the liquefaction operation. It also relates to novel precipitated silicas and to their uses.

The present invention relates to the use of copolymers obtained by polymerization of maleic anhydride and of styrene, for preparing particles of mineral matter having a weight-loss start temperature greater than or equal to 220 C., as measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) between 150 C. and 600 C.

The method for producing a surface-modified base material according to the present invention includes a step of bringing a base material having a polar group present on a surface thereof into contact with a hydrosilane compound having a molecular structure A and having a SiH group composed of a silicon atom of the molecular structure A and a hydrogen atom bonded to the silicon atom in the presence of a borane catalyst so as to allow a dehydrocondensation reaction to take place between the base material and the compound, thereby forming the base material surface-modified with the molecular structure A. This production method is capable of surface-modifying a base material at a lower temperature in a shorter time than conventional methods and allows a wide variety of options for the form, type, and application of the base material, the mode of the modification reaction, and the type of the molecular structure with which the base material is surface-modified.

The invention relates to a novel process for preparing a precipitated silica, in which: a silicate is reacted with an acidifying agent, so as to obtain a suspension of precipitated silica, said suspension of precipitated silica is filtered, so as to obtain a filter cake, said filter cake is subjected to a liquefaction operation, after the liquefaction operation, a drying step is performed,
characterized in that at least one polycarboxylic acid is added to the filter cake, during or after the liquefaction operation.

The invention also relates to novel precipitated silicas and to uses thereof.

The invention relates to a novel process for preparing a precipitated silica, in which: a silicate is reacted with an acidifying agent, so as to obtain a suspension of precipitated silica, said suspension of precipitated silica is filtered, so as to obtain a filter cake, said filter cake is subjected to a liquefaction operation, after the liquefaction operation, a drying step is performed,
characterized in that at least one polycarboxylic acid is added to the filter cake, during or after the liquefaction operation.

The invention also relates to novel precipitated silicas and to uses thereof.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a modified silica comprising the step of adsorbing at least one polycarboxylic acid on precipitated silica.

The flake-like substrate has an average particle size of 0.1 to 11 m and an average thickness of 0.1 to 1.0 m and has a particle size distribution in which D9935 m, D10045 m, 3<D90/D10, and (D90D99D100)/D503200 are satisfied, where D10 is a particle size at which a cumulative volume fraction from a smaller-particle side reaches 10%, D50 is a particle size at which the cumulative volume fraction from the smaller-particle side reaches 50%, D90 is a particle size at which the cumulative volume fraction from the smaller-particle side reaches 90%, D99 is a particle size at which the cumulative volume fraction from the smaller-particle side reaches 99%, and D100 is a particle size at which the cumulative volume fraction from the smaller-particle side reaches 100%.

It has been found that certain silica/cellulose hybrid compositions can be incorporated into rubber formulations with excellent compatibility between the filler and the rubber being attained. These rubber formulations also offer excellent rubber performance characteristics for utilization in tires and other rubber products. These silica/cellulose compositions are made by (1) dispersing sodium silicate or an alkoxy silane into an aqueous cellulose slurry to make an aqueous cellulose dispersion; (2) maintaining the aqueous cellulose dispersion under agitation for a time which is sufficient to allow the sodium silicate or the alkoxy silane to react with the cellulose; (3) adding an acid to the cellulose dispersion in an amount which is sufficient to reduce the pH of the cellulose dispersion to no more than about 8 to produce the silica/cellulose hybrid; and (4) recovering the silica/cellulose hybrid from the water.