A colorant-containing solid material (1) of the present invention includes a colorant (10) and a matrix (20). The matrix (20) is formed of a silica and a polysilsesquioxane and covers the colorant (10). An absorption intensity derived from a hydrocarbon group that is not directly bonded to a silicon atom, an absorption intensity derived from a bond between a silicon atom and a non-reactive functional group, and an absorption intensity derived from a bond between a silicon atom and a hydroxy group, determined by an infrared spectroscopic analysis based on a KBr pellet method using a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, are denoted as Ia, Ib and Ic, respectively. The colorant-containing solid material (1) satisfies at least one of conditions Ib/Ia≥1.1 and Ib/Ic≥0.6.

Disclosed is a coating composition which includes: polyurethane; and amphiphilic silica nanoparticles having an amine functional group and a fluorine functional group in their structure. Further provided are a polyurethane-silica composite film including the coating composition and a method of preparing the same.

Hollow nanoparticles for time-release delivery of a payload. A composition include a mesoporous hollow nanoparticle and a degradation agent, wherein the degradation agent includes one or more of a reducing agent, an acid, or an acidifier. The mesoporous hollow nanoparticle degrades in a presence of the degradation agent for time-release of a payload.

A silane based additive, rubber formulations including the additive and tires having tread portions made with the additive, together with methods of forming those products, are provided. Uncured rubber formulations in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention comprise (1) a rubbery primary polymer or polymer blend, such as natural rubber and/or synthetic rubber; (2) reinforcing silica filler; (3) a network forming monomer or polymer, especially a thermosetting network forming moiety, for forming a secondary polymeric network; and (4) a silane containing one or more moieties of the aforementioned network forming polymer. In particular networks which can be generated in-situ are preferred. The cured rubber formulation should comprise the silica, having the secondary polymer network coupled thereto, within the rubber matrix, and not directly to the rubber chains via sulfidic linkages.

A silica-blended resin varnish contains a silica sol with a high dispersibility that is dispersed in a ketone organic solvent, in a nitrogen atom-containing polymer. The particles have an average size of 5 to 100 nm and have a carbon-carbon unsaturated bond-containing organic group and an alkoxy group bonded to surfaces thereof. The carbon-carbon unsaturated bond-containing organic group is bonded at 0.5 to 2.0 groups per unit area (nm.sup.2) of the particle surfaces. The alkoxy group is bonded at 0.1 to 2.0 groups per unit area (nm.sup.2) of the particle surfaces. The molar ratio of {(the carbon-carbon unsaturated bond-containing organic group)/(the alkoxy group)} is 0.5 to 5.0. The carbon-carbon unsaturated bond-containing organic group may be a phenyl group-containing organic group or a (meth)acryloyl group-containing organic group. An insulating resin composition contains the silica sol and a nitrogen-containing polymer, which may be polyimide, polyamide, polyamic acid, polyamide-imide, polyetherimide, or polyesterimide.

This invention relates to a defoamer active. The defoamer active may include hydrophobized silica particles obtained by treating silica particles with a hydrophobilizing agent. The silica particles may have a BET surface of less than about 150 m.sup.2/g, a surface pH of at least about 10, and a median particle size ranging from about 2 μm to about 50 μm. The carbon content of the hydrophobized silica particles may not be more than 3%.

Disclosed is modified silica filler material wherein the silica filler material has been surface treated with both an alkyl silane and an alkenyl silane. The modified silica filler material, when included in an elastomeric composition, results in lower compression set and improved mechanical properties including viscosity, tensile strength, modulus and elongation. The filler material can be used at high levels in elastomeric compositions and does not raise the viscosity to unusable levels. The elastomeric composition including the modified filler material finds special use in the formation of gaskets for fuel cells.

A composite filler comprising thermally processed porous inorganic mixed particles of silica and at least one heteroparticle selected from the group consisting of zirconia, hafnia, or yttria and a polymer occupying the pores of the porous inorganic mixed particles, wherein the porous inorganic mixed particles are thermally processed at a temperature of from 650 to 900° C., as well as a dental restorative comprising a resin and a composite filler, and optionally other fillers, wherein said resin has a refractive index that increases upon curing, and wherein the opacities of the both uncured and cured restorative are less than 45.

Methods and compositions related to subsurface modified silica materials are described. The silica materials include silicon- and carbon-containing groups covalently bonded to the silicon-oxygen matrix. The silica materials have tunable permeability, modulus, hardness, flexibility, and elongation. The silica materials are suitable for use as polymer fillers and as functional coatings.

The present invention relates to new elastomeric materials for the production of tyres for vehicle wheels with good mechanical properties, in particular high moduli associated with low hysteresis values, including new reinforcement materials. Said reinforcement materials are obtainable by derivatising silica—in-situ during the mixing of the elastomeric composition, or previously—with special silanising agents (A) and silsesquioxanes (B), both substituted with reactive alkenyl functionalities.