Specifically identified products are produced using powder formed from particles of a naturally occurring organic oxide mineral with substantially no free silica, preferably nepheline syenite, where the powder is essentially dry with a moisture content of less than 0.8% and has a controlled maximum particle size with 99.9% of the particles of the powder having a particle size of less than 10 microns defined as fine grain ultra-fine powder, which fine grain ultra-fine powder is preferably less than 6 microns, and where the fine grain ultra-fine powder comprises 3-25% by weight of the identified product.

The invention provides articles and methods for making such articles including a substrate coated on at least one region thereof with a layer of nanocomposites nano-cellulose materials and nanoparticles.

A coating composition or a polymer composition containing UV/HEV absorbing material has a ratio of electromagnetic radiation absorption at 450 nm to that at 320 nm of greater than 5%, preferably greater than 10% and more preferably greater than 20%. An additive for incorporation into a coating, or for incorporation into a polymer, comprises nanoparticles of cerium oxide in combination with at least one other metal oxide. The additive is configured so that the coating when applied to a surface, or the polymer, has a total absorption of at least 10% of electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength band between 400 nm and 500 nm. A wood coating comprising the additive, having a total absorption of at least 10% of electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength band between 400 nm and 500 nm, is also disclosed.

A coating composition which comprises a dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell is provided.

To fabricate a perovskite solar cell (PSC), a printable carbon electrode is formed on an uppermost layer, either a perovskite layer or an interface layer thereon, of a partially-completed PSC. A carbon ink is first prepared by dispersing carbon materials in a mixture of a polymer binder and a solvent. Then the carbon ink is screen-printed on the uppermost layer to form a wet film thereon. The wet film is baked with a baking temperature not exceeding 100? C. to evaporate the solvent to form the carbon electrode. Advantageously, the wet film is pressed with a pressure during baking such that the carbon electrode becomes denser and yields a lower sheet resistance when compared to one formed without being pressed. Preferably the pressure is at least 16,000 Pa. Experimental results show that the percentage reduction of sheet resistance can reach 40%.

A colored paint that imparts a superhydrophobic surface on an object is a suspension of hydrophobic particles in a polymeric binder and a plasticizer in a solvent or mixed solvent, wherein at least a portion of the hydrophobic particles are colored particles. Colored particles can be ultramarine, iron oxide, chromium oxide, or any other colored metal oxide. The hydrophobic particles can be metal oxide particles that are surface functionalized with a fluorinated alkyl silane or an alkyl silane. The binder is a mixture of PDVF and PMMA in a ratio of 3:1 to 10:1. The plasticizer is a mixture of triethyl phosphate and perfluoro(butyltetrahydrofuran) or other perfluorinated hydrocarbon. Surfaces coated using this paint display contact angles in excess of 150 and resist abrasion.

A method is used to prepare silver nanoparticles or copper nanoparticles in the form of a silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymeric composite or a copper nanoparticle cellulose polymeric composite, respectively. A cellulosic polymer, organic solvent having a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of 100 C. to 500 C. and a Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) equal to or greater than that of the cellulosic polymer, ascorbic acid, and a nitrogenous base are mixed to form a premix solution. At room temperature or upon heating the premix solution to a temperature of at least 40 C., a solution of reducible silver ions or reducible copper ions is added. The resulting silver or copper nanoparticle composite is cooled, isolated, and re-dispersed in an organic solvent, providing a non-aqueous silver-containing or copper-containing dispersion that can be disposed on a substrate to form an article.

A silver nanoparticle composite or a copper nanoparticle composite is formed in which the silver nanoparticle composite has silver nanoparticles, and both (a) one or more polymers and ascorbic acid adsorbed on the silver nanoparticles, wherein the (a) one or more polymers are selected from one or more of cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate phthalate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate trimellitate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose. Copper nanoparticle composite are similarly formed in which both the (a) one or more polymers and ascorbic acid are adsorbed on the copper nanoparticles.

A jet ink composition, a jet ink coating method and a resulting jet ink coated article are all predicated upon the jet ink composition which includes in addition to a particulate pigment material and a solvent composition a resin composition. The resin composition includes an uncured silicone resin, an uncured epoxy resin and an uncured melamine resin. Upon thermal cure the uncured resin composition forms a cured resin composition with superior adhesion to substrates such as but not limited to glass substrates, ceramic substrates and metal oxide substrates.

A silver powder, wherein the silver powder satisfies D.sub.50-IPA>D.sub.50-W, where in measurement of a volume-based particle size distribution of the silver powder by a laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis, D.sub.50-IPA (m) is a cumulative 50% point of particle diameter of the silver powder when isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is used as a measurement solvent for dispersing the silver powder, and D.sub.50-W (m) is a cumulative 50% point of particle diameter of the silver powder when water is used as a measurement solvent for dispersing the silver powder, and wherein a phosphorus content in the silver powder is 0.01% by mass or more but 0.3% by mass or less.