A method of barrier coating a porous substrate, the method comprising: coating a surface of the substrate with an intermediate layer, said intermediate layer filling pores at the surface of the substrate; and coating the intermediate layer with a non-polymer barrier layer.

The present invention relates to a process for producing an aqueous suspension of precipitated calcium carbonate, an aqueous suspension of precipitated calcium carbonate obtainable by the process, a precipitated calcium carbonate obtainable by the process, a product comprising the precipitated calcium carbonate as well as the use of the natural ground calcium carbonate (NGCC) in a process for producing an aqueous suspension of precipitated calcium carbonate.

The present invention provides certain paper enhancing compositions, typically aqueous compositions, for use in the manufacture and coating of paper, and paper products. The paper enhancing compositions provide certain paper processing advantages and distinct final paper product characteristics. The present invention further provides carbonate enhancing composition useful for preparing enhanced carbonate compositions used in the paper manufacturing processes.

The present application relates to aqueous slurries comprising precipitated calcium carbonates having a bimodal particle size distribution with a first maximum in particle size distribution and a second maximum in particle size distribution, as well as methods for making them and their uses.

An aqueous coated paperboard is disclosed which exhibits good barrier properties and anti-blocking behavior and is heat sealable.

A nano-composite structure. A synthetic nano-composite is described having a first component including a fibrous structured amorphous silica structure, and a second component including a precipitated calcium carbonate structure developed by pressure carbonation. The nano-composite may be useful for fillers in paints and coatings. Also, the nano-composite may be useful in coatings used in the manufacture of paper products.

Described herein are printing inks that are safe for direct contact with food. The inks contain colorants and other substances which comply with regulations governing the amounts of substances determined to be safe in the event one or more of the ink-containing substances were to migrate into foods or beverages, The inks exhibit resistance to removal. Also described are sets of inks. The inks provide wide color gamut.

A security device (100, 600, 700, 1000, 1050) includes arrangements of image icons (110a, 110b, 615, 715, 1020), arrangements of refractive image icon focusing elements (120, 605, 705, 1010) and a sealing layer (125, 600, 1005), wherein the arrangements of refractive image icon focusing elements is disposed above the arrangements of image icons such that a portion of the arrangements of refractive image icon focusing elements projects a synthetic image, such that the arrangements of refractive image icon focusing elements contact the sealing layer along a non-planar boundary. Further, at least one of the arrangements of refractive image icon focusing elements and the sealing layer comprises an organic resin mixture having a first refractive index, and at least one of the arrangements of refractive image icon focusing elements and the sealing layer comprises a low-refractive index material, the low-refractive index material having a second refractive index.

A method for preparing an aqueous suspension may include providing a fibrous substrate comprising cellulose having a Canadian Standard freeness equal to or less than 450 cm.sup.3, and microfibrillating the fibrous substrate in an aqueous environment by grinding in the presence of a grinding medium consisting essentially of mullite. The grinding may be carried out in the absence of grindable inorganic particulate material. The grinding medium may be present in an amount of at least about 10% by volume of the aqueous environment. The microfibrillated cellulose may have a fibre steepness of from about 20 to about 50.

A security device (100, 900) includes an arrangement of image icon focusing elements (120, 605, 705), wherein each image icon focusing element of the arrangement of image icon focusing elements is associated with a focal path. The device further includes an image icon layer with one or more image icons (110a, 909) associated with a first characteristic color and one or more image icons (110b, 911) associated with a second characteristic color, and one or more regions between image icons comprising a volume of substantially colorless material. At a first viewing angle, a color is visible through each image icon focusing element, and the color visible through each image icon focusing element at the first viewing angle is based on one or more of the first characteristic color, the second characteristic color, or the substantially colorless material.