An infrared reflecting fiber includes 76.0 parts by weight to 88.5 parts by weight of a carrier, 1.8 parts by weight to 4.0 parts by weight of an infrared reflecting composition, 2.5 parts by weight to 7.5 parts by weight of a titanium dioxide containing composition, and 6.0 parts by weight to 16.0 parts by weight of a color adjusting composition. The carrier includes polyethylene terephthalate (PET). When a content of 5.0 wt % to 7.5 wt % of the infrared reflecting composition and a balance of the carrier are mixed together to form a first fiber, a maximum infrared reflectivity of the first fiber is between 61% and 70%.

A method of treating particulate titanium dioxide includes providing the particulate titanium dioxide which includes a crystal structure and then treating the particulate titanium dioxide with a coating agent that is an alkylphosphonic acid or an ester thereof, and steam micronizing the particulate titanium dioxide with a steam micronizer so that a vapor exit temperature from the steam micronizer is 150° C. or higher, so as to obtain a micronized particulate titanium dioxide which includes the coating agent at an outer surface. The particulate titanium dioxide includes an aluminum oxide coating and/or includes within the crystal structure aluminum oxide in a molar excess of an amount required to compensate any Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 in the crystal structure. The alkylphosphonic acid includes a C.sub.6-C.sub.22 alkyl group.

Provided are surface-modified inorganic compound particles having excellent dispersibility in a water soluble organic solvent, and also having excellent chemical stability in water.

Provided are Surface-modified particles, in which a surface of inorganic compound particle is modified with a compound represented by the following formula (1) or a salt thereof.

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[In formula (1), R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms.]

A particulate metal oxide has a metal oxide core and a coating layer containing an inorganic material and (i) a quaternary silane coupling agent, and/or (ii) a silane coupling agent and a hydrophobizing agent. Preferred materials are titanium dioxide core particles, an amino organosilane coupling agent and a fatty acid hydrophobizing agent. The particulate metal oxide is suitable for use in forming a dispersion, and the particles and dispersion can be used in an end-use sunscreen composition which is transparent, exhibits effective UV absorption properties, reduced photoactivity, and/or improved skin feel.

Provided are a titanium dioxide aqueous dispersion having high dispersibility and little aggregation or coarse particles, and a method for producing the same. The titanium dioxide aqueous dispersion contains titanium dioxide particles having a hydrophobic compound such as a higher fatty acid or a salt thereof on the surface, an aqueous dispersion medium, a nonionic surfactant having an HLB value of 10 or higher, and a basic compound such as an alkanolamine, and the pH is in the 8.5-13 range. The method for producing a titanium dioxide aqueous dispersion has a step for mixing the titanium dioxide particles having a hydrophobic compound on the surface, the aqueous dispersion medium, the nonionic surfactant having an HLB value of 10 or higher, and the basic compound to bring the pH of the aqueous dispersion into the 8.5-13 range.

Provided is an ink containing at least: an inorganic pigment having a surface hydrophobicity; resin particles; and water.

The present invention relates to surface functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles, a method for its production, a coating composition, comprising the surface functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles and the use of the coating composition for coating holo-grams, wave guides and solar panels. Holograms are bright and visible from any angle, when printed with the coating composition, comprising the surface functionalized tita-nium dioxide nanoparticles.

To provide a curable composition whereby it is possible to obtain a cured product having a high Abbe number and being excellent in transparency, crack resistance and releasability; and such a cured product. A curable composition comprises, in specific ratios, surface-modified metal oxide particles (A) having (meth)acryloyl-group-containing surface-modifying groups on the surface of the metal oxide particles, a compound (B) having a fluorine atom and at least one (meth)acryloyl group, a compound (C) having a urethane bond or OCH.sub.2CH(OH)CH.sub.2, having at least two (meth)acryloyl groups and having a mass-average molecular weight of at least 1,000, a compound (D) having no unsaturated bond-containing ring structure and having at least one (meth)acryloyl group, and a polymerization initiator (E).

Provided is a dispersion liquid for sealing a light-emitting element containing metal oxide particles having a refractive index of 1.7 or higher and a surface-modifying material at least partially attached to the metal oxide particles, in which a particle diameter D50 of the metal oxide particles when a cumulative percentage of a scattering intensity distribution obtained by a dynamic light scattering method is 50% is 30 nm or more and 100 nm or less, and a content of the surface-modifying material not attached to the metal oxide particles is 60% by mass or less with respect to a total content of the metal oxide particles and the surface-modifying material.

A composition comprising a pigment particle that is coated with a cationic material and isopropyl titanium triisostearate. The pigment particle can be included in a cleansing composition for deposition on a surface, such as skin.