An organically surface-bonded metal or metal oxide material including an inorganic metal or metal oxide and an organic material. The organic material is coated on the surface of the inorganic metal or metal oxide. The inorganic metal or metal oxide and the organic material are linked through a strong chemical bond. The strong chemical bond includes a covalent bond between a metal in the inorganic metal or metal oxide and a nitrogen in the organic material.

Described herein is a dicarboxylic acid compound of formula (I): Wherein: R.sup.3 comprises an aryl group, R.sup.2 is an alkylene group comprising 1 to 6 carbon atoms, n is 0 or 1, R.sup.1 is H or CH.sub.3, and X is S or NZ, wherein Z is H, an alkyl group comprising 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a phenyl group. Such compounds can be used to modify the surface of inorganic particles. These modified inorganic particles may then be advantageously used in polymerizable resins to increase the refractive index of the resulting composite, while enabling good flow properties of the polymerizable composition. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to the processing of natural titanium-containing feedstock, mainly ilmenite concentrate, including ilmenite ores with a low TiO.sub.2 content, into products with high added value without generating any liquid or solid waste. The method according to the invention comprises the following stages: digesting ilmenite concentrate, processing the solid residue following ilmenite concentrate digestion, hydrolysis of titanium oxychloride, washing titanium oxides/hydroxides precipitate from impurities, calcination of titanium oxides/hydroxides precipitate, precipitation of iron hydroxides to obtain black, red and yellow iron oxide pigments, processing the mother liquor containing calcium chloride, regeneration of hydrogen chloride from ammonium chloride solution, obtaining ammonium sulfate and ammonium sulfate crystallization, obtaining crystalline ammonium chloride. The resulting products are pigments, pigment fillers, mineral fertilizers, construction materials, raw materials for the production of metals, and other products; they are used in various fields of application such as paint and coatings industry, pulp and paper industry, in the production of plastics, in metallurgy, in agricultural, construction industries and others.

The present invention relates to coating compositions, comprising i) single or mixed metal oxide nanoparticles, wherein the volume average diameter (D.sub.v50) of the metal oxide nanoparticles is in the range of 1 to 20 nm; ii) one or more monomers having at least three thiol groups (SH) at the terminal end (the first monomer), iii) optional one or more monomers having at least two functional groups at the terminal end being capable of reacting with the thiol groups and a spacer group between the at least two functional groups (the second monomer), iv) one, or more solvents; coatings obtained therefrom and the use of the compositions for coating surface relief micro- and nanostructures (e.g. holograms), manufacturing of optical waveguides, solar panels, light outcoupling layers for display and lighting devices and anti-reflection coatings. Coatings obtained from the coating composition have a high refractive index and holograms are bright and visible from any angle, when the coating compositions are applied to them.

A method of making surface-functionalized transition metal oxide nanoparticles comprises: providing a sol comprising transition metal oxide nanoparticles dispersed in an aqueous liquid medium having a pH of less than or equal to 3.5, combining the sol with an extractant composition comprising at least one carboxylic acid and at least one organic amine, and a water-immiscible organic solvent, and separating at least a portion of the organic phase from the aqueous phase and then at least partially removing the water-immiscible organic solvent. The carboxylic acid has from 6 to 30 atoms. The organic amine is represented by the formula R2R3NH, wherein R2 is a hydrocarbyl group having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, and R3 is H or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The at least one organic amine is present in an amount sufficient raise the pH to at least 5, thereby forming discrete separable aqueous and organic phases. A surface-modified nanoparticle composition, a curable composition and an article comprising the same are also disclosed.

The present disclosure concerns particulate matter including insoluble, non-magnetic, inorganic oxide particles, having, on each particle's surface, a plurality of, covalently grafted, ricinoleate compounds. The particulate matter is particularly suitable for odor scavenging of heterogenous materials. Further, the present disclosure provides a method of producing the particulate matter, articles of manufacture comprising the particulate matter and methods of producing the particulate matter.