The invention relates to the field of dispersing agents for an aqueous composition, in particular for dispersing a mineral material in the form of particles. The dispersing agent according to the invention comprises a dispersing polymer combined with an osidic derivative or a derivative of saccharide origin. The invention also relates to an aqueous composition comprising said dispersing agent and a mineral material in the form of particles, and to the use of said agent or composition.

A rheology-modifying difunctional compound prepared by reacting one molar equivalent of a non-alkoxylated compound (a) and one molar equivalent of a polyethoxylated compound (b). A method for preparing the difunctional compound by reacting one molar equivalent of a non-alkoxylated compound (a) and one molar equivalent of a polyethoxylated compound (b). An aqueous composition with the difunctional compound and an additive. An aqueous formulation with the aqueous composition, an organic or mineral pigment, and an agent. A coating formulation with the aqueous formulation. A concentrated aqueous pigment pulp with the difunctional compound and coloured organic or mineral pigment. A method for controlling the viscosity of an aqueous composition.

A challenge of the present invention is to provide a water-based coating composition capable of providing a design superior in depth feeling in the formation of a multilayer coating film having a so-called color clear coating film. The present invention relates to a water-based coating composition comprising a coating film-forming resin (i) and a coloring pigment dispersion (ii), wherein the coating film-forming resin (i) comprises: an acrylic resin emulsion (A) having an average particle diameter of 100 nm or less in an amount of 10 to 60% by mass in terms of the resin solid content of the coating film-forming resin (i), a water-soluble acrylic resin (B) in an amount of 5 to 40% by mass in terms of the resin solid content of the coating film-forming resin (i), and a melamine resin (C) in an amount of 20 to 40% by mass in terms of the resin solid content of the coating film-forming resin (i); and the coloring pigment dispersion (ii) comprises a coloring pigment (D) having a 90%-volume particle diameter (D90) of 100 nm or less.

A method for increasing a detection distance of a surface of an object illuminated by near-IR electromagnetic radiation, including: (a) directing near-IR electromagnetic radiation from a near-IR electromagnetic radiation source towards an object at least partially coated with a near-IR reflective coating that increases a near-IR electromagnetic radiation detection distance by at least 15% as measured at a wavelength in a near-IR range as compared to the same object coated with a color matched coating which absorbs more of the same near-IR radiation, where the color matched coating has a ΔE color matched value of 1.5 or less when compared to the near-IR reflective coating; and (b) detecting reflected near-IR electromagnetic radiation reflected from the near-IR reflective coating. A system for detecting proximity of vehicles is also disclosed.

An aqueous polyurethane resin dispersion includes a cationic group and a polyalkylene oxide in a side chain thereof. The polyurethane resin is obtainable by reacting a polyester polyol, a polyether diol, a polyol containing a quaternary N-atom or tertiary amino group, and a polyisocyanate. The polyester polyol is obtained by reacting an aromatic polycarboxylic acid and a polyol. The polyurethane resin is suitable as a resin in treatment liquids of substrates and images made by inkjet printing.

A backlight module and a method of manufacturing the backlight module are disclosed. The backlight module includes a substrate including a first end and a second end opposite to the first end. An ink layer is disposed on the substrate and has a reflectivity gradually increasing from the first end to the second end. At least two of light-emitting units are arranged in an array on the ink layer.

A co-assembly method for synthesizing inverse photonic structures is described. The method includes combining an onium compound with a sol-gel precursor to form metal oxide (MO) nanocrystals, where each MO nanocrystal has crystalline and amorphous content. The MO nanocrystals are combined with templating particles to form a suspension. A solvent is evaporated from the suspension to form an intermediate or compound product, which then undergoes calcination to produce an inverse structure.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a RMA crosslinkable composition comprising at least one crosslinkable component comprising reactive components A and B each comprising at least 2 reactive groups wherein the at least 2 reactive groups of component A are acidic protons C—H in activated methylene or methine groups and the at least 2 reactive groups of component B are activated unsaturated groups C═C and base catalyst C and one or more N—H group containing reactivity moderating component D that are also a Michael addition donor reactable with component B under the action of catalyst C, characterized in that the one or more reactivity moderating components D have a melting temperature above 60° C. and is first dissolved in one or more crosslinkable components comprising reactive components A or B and the obtained pre-dissolved product is later mixed with other components of the RMA crosslinkable composition.

Described herein are an aqueous pigment paste including at least one color pigment (a) and at least one polymer (b) which is preparable by successive radical emulsion polymerization of three monomer mixtures (A), (B) and (C) of olefinically unsaturated monomers in water, an aqueous basecoat material which is preparable by admixing the pigment paste to at least one aqueous binder-containing component suitable for preparing the basecoat material, a method for producing a multicoat paint system using this basecoat material, and use of the polymer (b) for dispersing color pigments within an aqueous pigment paste.

A branched polycarboxylic acid or salt thereof, wherein the average number of branches is (2) to (100) and the average degree of polymerization of the branches is (2) to (50), is an effective polymeric dispersant. More specifically, the polymeric dispersant is a branched polycarboxylic acid or salt thereof, in which the branched polycarboxylic acid is derived from polymerization of (meth)acrylic acid; the average degree of polymerization is (10) to (150); the average number of branches is (2) to (20); and the average degree of polymerization of the branches is (2) to (30). The branched polycarboxylic acid or salt thereof can be combined with a pigment to form an aqueous dispersion. An aqueous coating composition includes the aqueous dispersion; a polymeric binder; and a rheology modifier.