Multifunctional coating films that can be applied in liquid form are provided for compressing, sealing, covering and preserving surfaces. The films include a composition of polysaccharide materials and/or homo- or heteroglycan water-soluble polysaccharide derivatives, polyol spacers, and crosslinkers with carbonyl or carboxylic function(s). As-applied, the composition is water-soluble and reactive, but after hardening it is capable of absorbing water or swelling, impermeable to water vapour, stable against water and UV and can be biologically degraded in a controlled manner. By reacting polysaccharide materials, polysaccharide derivatives and polyol spacers with cross linkers having carbonyl or carboxylic function(s), mechanically stable flexible films are obtained, which retain their mechanical properties up to a foreign material content of 80%. The films can swell in a controlled manner and can bind up to 75% water relative to their dry weight, corresponding to the degree of crosslinking and the spacer that is used.

The present invention provides a coating liquid, a laminated porous film and a method for producing a laminated porous film. The coating liquid comprises a binder resin, a filler and a medium, wherein the filler is a mixture comprising (a) a filler having a specific surface area of not less than 7 m.sup.2/g and not more than 80 m.sup.2/g and (b) a filler having a specific surface area of not less than 3 m.sup.2/g and not more than 6 m.sup.2/g in a filler (a) to filler (b) weight ratio of from 5:95 to 40:60. The laminated porous film is a laminated porous film in which a heat-resistant layer is laminated on one or both of the surfaces of a porous film substrate, wherein the heat-resistant layer is a heat-resistant layer formed by removing the medium from the coating liquid.

The present invention provides a coating liquid, a laminated porous film and a method for producing a laminated porous film. The coating liquid comprises a binder resin, a filler and a medium, wherein the filler is a mixture comprising (a) a filler having a specific surface area of not less than 7 m.sup.2/g and not more than 80 m.sup.2/g and (b) a filler having a specific surface area of not less than 3 m.sup.2/g and not more than 6 m.sup.2/g in a filler (a) to filler (b) weight ratio of from 5:95 to 40:60. The laminated porous film is a laminated porous film in which a heat-resistant layer is laminated on one or both of the surfaces of a porous film substrate, wherein the heat-resistant layer is a heat-resistant layer formed by removing the medium from the coating liquid.

The instant invention is a fire protectant composition comprising water, a surfactant, a water-soluble polymer, casein, and a calcium salt. The compositions can be applied to materials such as wood in advance of a fire, and after application, the compositions are capable of retaining their fire protectant capacities for days, weeks or even months. This fire protectant composition is also biodegradable and nontoxic. It is also easily removed from the combustible material by a water wash once the fire danger is passes. If burned, the composition forms a skin which can be peeled off or removed by some other method such as pressure water spray or mechanical brushing.

The instant invention is a fire protectant composition comprising water, a surfactant, a water-soluble polymer, casein, and a calcium salt. The compositions can be applied to materials such as wood in advance of a fire, and after application, the compositions are capable of retaining their fire protectant capacities for days, weeks or even months. This fire protectant composition is also biodegradable and nontoxic. It is also easily removed from the combustible material by a water wash once the fire danger is passes. If burned, the composition forms a skin which can be peeled off or removed by some other method such as pressure water spray or mechanical brushing.

The present invention provides an aqueous pigment dispersion including a pigment, an anionic group-containing organic polymer compound, and bio-nanofibers having an average diameter of 1 nm or more and 100 nm or less and an aspect ratio of 100 or more, and also provides an aqueous ink using the aqueous pigment dispersion. The bio-nanofibers are preferably cellulose nanofibers or chitosan nanofibers. The anionic group-containing organic polymer compound is preferably at least one selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins having anionic groups, polyurethane resins having anionic groups, and polysaccharide derivatives having anionic groups.

The present invention provides a ferromagnetic metal nanowire dispersion having an excellent dispersibility, from which a ferromagnetic metal nanowire film having an excellent electrical conductivity can be made. The present invention relates to a ferromagnetic metal nanowire dispersion comprising a ferromagnetic metal nanowire and a polymer compound.

A coating composition may include kaolin having a shape factor less than about 70 and calcium carbonate, wherein less than about 90% by weight and greater than about 60% by weight of particles of the calcium carbonate have an equivalent spherical diameter (esd) less than 2 microns. The coating composition may include a thickener present in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 0.9% by active dry weight of the composition. A coating composition may include kaolin having a shape factor less than about 70 and calcium carbonate having a mean particle size (d.sub.50) of at least about 2.4 microns and a steepness factor of at least about 30. The coating composition may be a paper basecoat composition or a paperboard basecoat composition. A paper or paperboard product may include the coating composition on at least one surface of the paper product or paperboard product.

A coating composition may include kaolin having a shape factor less than about 70 and calcium carbonate, wherein less than about 90% by weight and greater than about 60% by weight of particles of the calcium carbonate have an equivalent spherical diameter (esd) less than 2 microns. The coating composition may include a thickener present in an amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 0.9% by active dry weight of the composition. A coating composition may include kaolin having a shape factor less than about 70 and calcium carbonate having a mean particle size (d.sub.50) of at least about 2.4 microns and a steepness factor of at least about 30. The coating composition may be a paper basecoat composition or a paperboard basecoat composition. A paper or paperboard product may include the coating composition on at least one surface of the paper product or paperboard product.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a) a stable aqueous dispersion of inorganic pigment particles hydrophobically modified with covalently bonded polysiloxane or silyl groups; and b) a polymeric anionic dispersant; wherein the hydrophobically modified inorganic pigment particles have an average particle size in the range of from 200 nm to 10 m, and the solids content of the hydrophobically modified inorganic pigment particles is from 10 to 80 weight percent, based on the weight of inorganic pigment particles and water. The composition of the present invention provides a way to improve water resistance in coatings formulations.