This invention provides resin formulations which may be used for 3D printing and pyrolyzing to produce a ceramic matrix composite. The resin formulations contain a solid-phase filler, to provide high thermal stability and mechanical strength (e.g., fracture toughness) in the final ceramic material. The invention provides direct, free-form 3D printing of a preceramic polymer loaded with a solid-phase filler, followed by converting the preceramic polymer to a 3D-printed ceramic matrix composite with potentially complex 3D shapes or in the form of large parts. Other variations provide active solid-phase functional additives as solid-phase fillers, to perform or enhance at least one chemical, physical, mechanical, or electrical function within the ceramic structure as it is being formed as well as in the final structure. Solid-phase functional additives actively improve the final ceramic structure through one or more changes actively induced by the additives during pyrolysis or other thermal treatment.

This invention provides resin formulations which may be used for 3D printing and pyrolyzing to produce a ceramic matrix composite. The resin formulations contain a solid-phase filler, to provide high thermal stability and mechanical strength (e.g., fracture toughness) in the final ceramic material. The invention provides direct, free-form 3D printing of a preceramic polymer loaded with a solid-phase filler, followed by converting the preceramic polymer to a 3D-printed ceramic matrix composite with potentially complex 3D shapes or in the form of large parts. Other variations provide active solid-phase functional additives as solid-phase fillers, to perform or enhance at least one chemical, physical, mechanical, or electrical function within the ceramic structure as it is being formed as well as in the final structure. Solid-phase functional additives actively improve the final ceramic structure through one or more changes actively induced by the additives during pyrolysis or other thermal treatment.

The use of a colloidal silica having a specific surface area greater than 300 m.sup.2/g in a gas barrier coating additionally comprising polyvinyl alcohol and/or ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer and/or a silylated derivative thereof improves wet bond strength.

This invention pertains to a composition that can be used to heal cracks in plastics and other substrates. In the present invention, a composition comprising nanotubes, healing agent(s), and end caps for the nanotubes may be used to heal crack(s) as they begin to occur. With the composition, the healing agent(s) are contained within the nanotubes, and a reaction releases the healing agent(s) after the end caps can be removed from the nanotubes. This invention also includes a method of preparing a composition for healing cracks in plastics and other substrates. For this method, the healing agent(s) are filled inside of the nanotubes, and then end caps are bound onto the ends of the nanotubes. After a reaction occurs to remove the end caps and release the healing agent(s), the cracks within the substrate may then be healed.

Provided is a coating composition containing: water; a water-soluble organic solvent that has a flash pint of at least 80 C. and not more than 200 C. and dissolves a fluorine resin; a fluorine resin; hydrophilic silica particles; and hydrophobic silica particles. The hydrophilic silica particles are preferably contained in the coating composition in an amount of at least 0.001 mass % and not more than 1 mass %. The average particle diameter of the hydrophilic silica particles is preferably at least 5 nm and not more than 30 nm.

A method for preparing silica nanoparticles includes the steps of: slowly titrating a sodium silicate solution with an acid solution to obtain a silicic acid-containing solution; continuously stirring the silicic acid-containing solution; slowly titrating the silicic acid-containing solution with the acid solution to obtain a silicic acid-enriched solution; continuously stirring the silicic acid-enriched solution; collecting the silicic acid-enriched solution as a silica nanoparticle precursor solution when a pH value of the silicic acid-enriched solution reaches a target pH value; and subjecting the silica nanoparticle precursor solution to a flame spray pyrolysis or a drying-grinding-calcining treatment.

A process involves the continuous surface treatment of stainless steel coils with aqueous suspensions of rare earth oxide nano or micro particles or aqueous rare earth nitrate solutions of nano or micro particles. The surface treatment can be applied by roll coating, spraying or other conventional application techniques. The treated material in coil form is then heated in an annealing box using an open coil process whereby a wire is placed between coil laps to promote uniform atmosphere exposure. The atmosphere can be reducing or oxidizing and the times can vary from 1 hr to 100 hr. The atmosphere can also be wet (high dew point) or dry (low dew point). The surface treatment promotes a more uniform color to the subsequently developed oxide formed during anneal-type heat treatment. It also improves corrosion resistance of the processed stainless steel material. Materials treated in this manner are suitable for a variety of applications in the building systems, automotive and appliance markets.

The present invention is directed to gas barrier coating compositions comprising a nanocomposite formed from a polymer and a nanoparticulate clay. The gas barrier coatings are applied to packaging materials such as food and pharmaceutical packaging and exhibit improved adhesion and barriers to gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour.

A composite system for light diffusion comprises a matrix of a material that is transparent to light; the matrix contains a dispersion of scattering elements having a core that is a nanocluster of inorganic nanoparticles, and a shell comprising silane compounds and dispersing agents; the nanocluster having average dimensions in the range of 20 nm to 300 nm.

A method of producing an ultraviolet protective agent composition, which has high transparency and excellent protection ability against a light of ultraviolet region of wavelengths of 200 to 420 nm, and an ultraviolet protective agent composition obtained by the production method are provided. The method of producing an ultraviolet protective agent composition includes at least step (a) of precipitating iron oxide microparticles by mixing with a microreactor an iron oxide raw material fluid containing at least Fe.sup.3+ ion, and an iron oxide precipitation fluid containing at least a basic substance; and step (b) of dispersing the above precipitated iron oxide microparticles in a dispersion medium to obtain iron oxide microparticle dispersion, wherein a haze value of the iron oxide microparticle dispersion is 2.0% or less, and a transmittance of the iron oxide microparticle dispersion for the light of the wavelengths of 200 to 420 nm is 2.0% or less.