The present invention relates to a nanostructured phosphorescent pigment comprising an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 substrate; MAl.sub.2O.sub.4:X nanocrystals, where M is a cation selected from Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, Zn.sup.3+ and combinations thereof and where X is a cation selected from Eu.sup.3+, Dy.sup.3+, Nd.sup.3+, Er.sup.3+, La.sup.3+, Lu.sup.3+, Ce.sup.3+, Y.sup.3+, Gd.sup.3+, Tb.sup.3+, Tm.sup.3+, Yb.sup.3+ and combinations thereof, disposed on the Al.sub.2O.sub.3 substrate; and nanocrystals of molten salt disposed on the MAl.sub.2O.sub.4:X nanocrystals. Additionally, the invention relates to a method for preparing the nanostructured phosphorescent pigment of the invention comprising the steps of i) mixing starting materials comprising a cation M precursor, a cation X precursor, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and a molten salt; ii) heating the mixture resulting from step (i) in reducing atmosphere. The invention also relates to the use of the nanostructured phosphorescent pigment of the invention for signaling, illumination, decoration or authentication and to a security article comprising the nanostructured phosphorescent pigment of the invention.

A card substrate laminating device including a transfer roller configured to heat a portion of a transfer layer of a transfer ribbon and transfer the portion of the transfer layer from a carrier layer of the transfer ribbon to a surface of a card substrate. The transfer roller includes a diameter of less than 0.537 inches and a compliant exterior surface layer or coating. The compliant exterior surface layer or coating can include silicon rubber. The compliant exterior surface layer or coating can be approximately 0.020 inches thick. An internal heating element is configured to heat the transfer roller from an ambient temperature to a laminating temperature, at which laminating operations are performed, within 40 seconds.

The present invention relates to alkaline earth aluminate phosphors, to a process for the preparation thereof and to the use thereof as conversion phosphors. The present invention also relates to an emission-converting material comprising at least the conversion phosphor according to the invention, and to the use thereof in light sources, in particular pc-LEDs (phosphor converted light emitting devices). The present invention furthermore relates to light sources, in particular pc-LEDs, and to lighting units which comprise a primary light source and the emission-converting material according to the invention.

A card substrate laminating device includes a transfer ribbon and a transfer roller. The transfer ribbon includes a carrier layer and a transfer layer attached to the carrier layer. The transfer roller is configured to heat and transfer a portion of the transfer layer from the carrier layer to a surface of a card substrate. The transfer roller has a circumference that is less than one-half of a length of the card substrate.

A phosphorescent phosphor having a high afterglow luminance is provided. The phosphorescent phosphor comprises, as a matrix, a compound represented by MAl.sub.2O.sub.4, the metal element represented by M comprising Sr, Mg and Ba, and the phosphorescent phosphor containing, Eu as an activator, and Dy as a co-activator, wherein the content of Eu, in terms of molar ratio, is 0.001Eu/(M+Eu+Dy)0.05; the content of Dy, in terms of molar ratio, is 0.004Dy/(M+Eu+Dy)0.06; the content of Mg, in terms of molar ratio, is 0.02Mg/(M+Eu+Dy)0.1; the content of Ba, in terms of molar ratio, is 0.03Ba/(M+Eu+Dy)0.15; and the phosphorescent phosphor contains at least one alkali metal element of the group consisting of Li, Na, K and rubidium (Rb). Mg and Ba as well as the alkali metal element(s) contained in the phosphorescent phosphor provide an excellent phosphorescent phosphor having a high afterglow luminance.

An article comprising a luminescent nanoparticle is described, wherein the luminescent nanoparticle is selected from the group consisting of oxide nanoparticles, aluminate nanoparticles, and germanate nanoparticles; and wherein the luminescent nanoparticle is doped with one or more metals or rare-earth elements. A method of making a luminescent nanoparticle is also described, the method comprising the steps of: providing a nanoparticle, wherein the nanoparticle is doped with one or more chemical elements, and heating the nanoparticle to a temperature of between about 1000 C. and about 1200 C. to alter the crystal structure of the nanoparticle and/or to create oxygen vacancies in the nanoparticle. A persistent luminescent nanoparticle is described, said persistent luminescent nanoparticle being selected from the group consisting of: LaAlO.sub.3 nanoparticles, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles, SrAl.sub.2O.sub.4 nanoparticles, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles, and combinations thereof; wherein the nanoparticle is doped with about 1 mol % or less of a chemical element selected from the group consisting of: holmium, europium, ytterbium, neodymium, magnesium, and combinations thereof.

The invention provides a lighting unit (100) comprising a light source (10), configured to generate light source light (11) and a luminescent material (20), configured to convert at least part of the light source light (11) into luminescent material light (51), wherein the luminescent material (20) comprises a phosphor (40), wherein this phosphor comprises an alkaline earth aluminum nitride based material having a cubic crystal structure with T5 supertetrahedra, wherein the T5 supertetrahedra comprise at least Al and N, and wherein the alkaline earth aluminum nitride based material further comprises a luminescent lanthanide incorporated therein.

The invention discloses environment-controlling fibers and fabrics using the same, which adopts polyolefin material, optoelectronic material, thermoelectric material, piezoelectric material and catalyst material, to make fibers and fabric by melting, mixing, drawing and weaving. The fabrics are used in all kinds of environmental control products or for organic agriculture. To use green energy such as solar light energy, solar thermal energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy and other renewable energy to stimulate the function of the special material within the fibers, so that the fabrics can remove pollutants in the environment and produce self-purification function to achieve the purpose of improving the environmental conditions or promote plant growth.

A high-luminance light-storing fiber is provided. A modified light-storing powder and a dispersing agent are added to a polyester material, and then prepared by kneading, granulating and spinning to obtain the light-storing fiber having fiber fineness of 1-10 dpf. The fiber luminance satisfies the following conditions: (1) after irradiation with a D65 light source at 2001 ux for 20 minutes, the initial luminance can reach 150 mcd/m2 or more; (2) after irradiation with a D65 light source at 251 ux for 25 minutes, the initial luminance can reach 50 mcd/m2 or more.

The light source includes a high-efficiency solid-state laser source emitting excitation coherent radiation, and a single crystal phosphor forming an optic element for receiving the excitation coherent radiation and emitting light with desired parameters. The single crystal phosphor is made of garnets conforming to the general formula (A.sub.x,Lu.sub.1-x).sub.aAl.sub.bO.sub.12:Ce.sub.c formula, or from a single crystal material of perovskite structure conforming to the general formula B.sub.1-gAlO.sub.3:D.sub.q.