The present invention is a fluorescent material characterized by being represented by a composition of the following formula (1) and having a crystal lattice distortion obtained from a Williamson-Hall plot by X-ray diffraction within the range of 0.0005 to 0.0020.
(Sr,Ca,M).sub.3-xMgSi.sub.2O.sub.8:Eu.sub.xformula (1)
wherein M is at least one rare earth metal elements selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, Gd, Tb and La, and 0.01x0.10. Also, the present invention is a light-emitting device including the fluorescent material, and a light source that emits light by irradiating the fluorescent material with excitation light. Furthermore, the present invention is a method for producing the fluorescent material, including the steps of: obtaining an aqueous slurry of a raw material; and spray-drying the aqueous slurry with hot air at 80 to 300 C.

A method for manufacturing a phosphor powder of the present invention, in which the phosphor powder contains an inorganic compound in which Eu as an activator is solid-soluted in a crystal represented by Ba.sub.26Si.sub.51O.sub.2N.sub.84 or in an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure as the crystal represented by Ba.sub.26Si.sub.51O.sub.2N.sub.84, the method including: a mixing step of mixing a raw material containing each element constituting the inorganic compound to obtain a raw material mixture blended such that b=51 and a/b>(26?c)/51 are satisfied when molar ratios of Ba, Si, and Eu in the raw material mixture are respectively a, b, and c; a firing step of firing the raw material mixture to obtain a fired product; and a cleaning treatment step of subjecting the fired product to an acid treatment and/or a water treatment.

This invention provides a groundbreaking approach to PLNPs and their preparation. In particular, the synthetic methodology disclosed herein fundamentally differs from the traditional solid-state annealing reactions that require extreme and harsh reaction conditions. In one unique aspect of the invention, a simple, one-step mesoporous template method utilizing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) is disclosed that affords in vivo rechargeable NIR-emitting mesoporous PLNPs with uniform size and morphology. In another unique aspect of the invention, the novel synthetic approach is based on aqueous-phase chemical reactions conducted in mild conditions, resulting in uniform and homogeneous PLNPs with desired size control (e.g., sub-10 nm).

A device including an LED light source optically coupled to a phosphor material including a green-emitting phosphor selected from the group consisting of compositions (A1)-(A62) and combinations thereof.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing crystals of aluminates of one or more element(s) other than aluminium, referred to as A. The method includes: placing starting reagents, including at least one aluminium element source and a source of the element(s) A that has a degree of oxidation of between 1 and 6, in suspension in a liquid medium, forming a suspension referred to as the starting suspension; milling the starting suspension at 50 C., in a three-dimensional liquid medium ball mill for 5 minutes; recovering, at the outlet of the three-dimensional ball mill, a suspension referred to as the end suspension including the starting reagents in activated form or crystals of aluminate of the element(s) A generally in hydrated form; if required, calcination of the end suspension when it includes the starting reagents in activated form, to obtain generally non-hydrated crystals of aluminate of the element(s) A.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a graphene-containing inorganic coating composition for coating non-ferrous metal objects and a graphene-containing inorganic coating composition prepared thereby, in which the inorganic coating composition contains liquid silica sol that emits far-infrared rays and powdery graphene that has very excellent thermal conductivity, and thus it emits far-infrared rays beneficial to the human body while having excellent durability and thermal conductivity. The method comprises: adding isopropyl alcohol as a solvent to liquid silica sol and a liquid sealant, followed by uniform stirring for 2-3 hours, thereby preparing a first liquid binder; adding powdery graphene, filler and pigment to the first liquid binder, followed by stirring for 8-10 hours, thereby preparing a second binder; and adding a predetermined amount of an adhesion-enhancing agent to the second binder, followed by aging at a temperature of 25 to 32 C. for 9 to 11 hours.

This invention provides a groundbreaking approach to PLNPs and their preparation. In particular, the synthetic methodology disclosed herein fundamentally differs from the traditional solid-state annealing reactions that require extreme and harsh reaction conditions. In one unique aspect of the invention, a simple, one-step mesoporous template method utilizing mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) is disclosed that affords in vivo rechargeable NIR-emitting mesoporous PLNPs with uniform size and morphology. In another unique aspect of the invention, the novel synthetic approach is based on aqueous-phase chemical reactions conducted in mild conditions, resulting in uniform and homogeneous PLNPs with desired size control (e.g., sub-10 nm).

A phosphor powder of the present invention is a phosphor powder which contains an inorganic compound in which Eu as an activator is solid-soluted in a crystal represented by Ba.sub.26Si.sub.51O.sub.2N.sub.84 or in an inorganic crystal having the same crystal structure as the crystal represented by Ba.sub.26Si.sub.51O.sub.2N.sub.84, and which is constituted such that in an emission spectrum obtained by irradiating the phosphor powder with excitation light having a wavelength of 450 nm, when a luminescence intensity at a peak wavelength in a range of equal to or more than 750 nm and equal to or less than 950 nm is P0, and when a luminescence intensity at a peak wavelength in a range of equal to or more than 520 nm and equal to or less than 600 nm is P1, 0.01?P1/P0?0.12 is satisfied by P0 and P1.

The present invention discloses a nitrogen-containing luminescent particle, characterized in that a structure of the nitrogen-containing luminescent particle is divided into an oxygen poor zone, a transition zone, and an oxygen rich zone from a core to an outer surface of the particle depending on an increasing oxygen content, the oxygen poor zone being predominantly a nitride luminescent crystal or oxygen-containing solid solution thereof, the transition zone being predominantly a nitroxide material, the oxygen rich zone being predominantly an oxide material or oxynitride material; the nitride luminescent crystal or oxygen-containing solid solution thereof has a chemical formula of M.sub.m-m1A.sub.a1B.sub.b1O.sub.o1N.sub.n1:R.sub.m1, the nitroxide material has a chemical formula of M.sub.m-m2A.sub.a2B.sub.b2O.sub.o2N.sub.n2:R.sub.m2, the oxide material or oxynitride material has a chemical formula of M.sub.m-m3A.sub.a3B.sub.b3O.sub.o3N.sub.n3:R.sub.m3. The nitrogen-containing luminescent particle and the nitrogen-containing illuminant of the present invention have good chemical stability, good aging and light decay resistance, and high luminescent efficiency, and are useful for various luminescent devices. The manufacturing method of the present invention is easy and reliable, and useful for industrial mass production.

Provided is a new phosphor which can be excited by visible light in a wide band to emit a broad fluorescence spectrum, and also to emit near-infrared light with high intensity. Proposed is a phosphor, which is an oxide comprising Ca, Cu, and Si, wherein the containing molar ratios of the elements are 0.15Ca/Si<0.25 and 0.13Cu/Si<0.25.