Electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles and methods for producing such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles from an alumina-containing raw material. Methods for using such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles in hydraulic fracturing operations.

Variations of this invention provide durable, impact-resistant structural coatings that have both dewetting and anti-icing properties. The coatings in some embodiments possess a self-similar structure that combines a low-cost matrix with two feature sizes that are tuned to affect the wetting of water and freezing of water on the surface. Dewetting and anti-icing performance is simultaneously achieved in a structural coating comprising multiple layers, wherein each layer includes (a) a continuous matrix; (b) discrete templates dispersed that promote surface roughness to inhibit wetting of water; and (c) nanoparticles that inhibit heterogeneous nucleation of water. These structural coatings utilize low-cost, lightweight, and environmentally benign materials that can be rapidly sprayed over large areas using convenient coating processes. The presence of multiple layers means that if the surface is damaged during use, freshly exposed surface will expose a coating identical to that which was removed, for extended lifetime.

Solar-reflective roofing granules having improved solar heat-resistance are formed by coating colored mineral particles with a coating composition including titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Provided are a driver circuit which suppresses damage of a semiconductor element due to ESD in a manufacturing process, a method of manufacturing the driver circuit. Further provided are a driver circuit provided with a protection circuit with low leakage current, and a method of manufacturing the driver circuit. By providing a protection circuit in a driver circuit to be electrically connected to a semiconductor element in the driver circuit, and by forming, at the same time, a transistor which serves as the semiconductor element in the driver circuit and a transistor included in the protection circuit in the driver circuit, damage of the semiconductor element due to ESD is suppressed in the process of manufacturing the driver circuit. Further, by using an oxide semiconductor film for the transistor included in the protection circuit in the driver circuit, leakage current in the protection circuit is reduced.

Biocidal roofing granules are prepared by providing a mineral core and at least one biocidal photocatalytic metal oxide. A gel-forming inorganic coating medium is prepared and used to coat the mineral core to form a coating layer having a porous network on the mineral core, and the at least one biocidal photocatalytic metal oxide is disposed in the porous network.

The present disclosure relates to solution processed nanomaterials, and methods for their manufacture, with activity in the infrared (IR) region for a variety of commercial and defense applications, including conformal large-area IR coatings, devices and pigments that necessitate an absorption band edge in the MWIR or LWIR.

This invention is directed to an improved contact surface for manipulating articles wherein the microstructure included on the contact surface having a plurality of pillars spaced apart in the range of 200 m and 600 m, having a height in the range of 50 m and 1200 m, a width of in the range of 70 m and 300 m, a wall draft angle between 0 and 15, a density of in the range of 5,000 to 20,000 pillars per square inch, and a friction rating greater than 7. The contact surface can be included on a sewing machine feed dog, a glove, sporting equipment, firearm grip, hand rail, tool grip, tool handle, and a strap such as for a satchel or backpack.

An infrared shielding film is an infrared shielding film including: an organic binder; and a plurality of tin-doped indium oxide particles (ITO particles) dispersed in the organic binder, in which the average center-to-center distance between adjacent particles of the ITO particles is in a range of 9 nm or more and 36 nm or less, the ratio of the average center-to-center distance between the adjacent particles to the average primary particle diameter of the ITO particles is in a range of 1.05 or more and 1.20 or less, and a roughness Ra of a film surface is in a range of 4 nm or more and 50 nm or less.

Provided is a coating composition excellent in antifouling properties, transparency and hydrophilicity, wherein the coating composition contains (A) a metal oxide particle having a number average particle size of 1 nm to 400 nm; and (B) a polymer particle, in which the content of an aqueous-phase component in the component (B), represented by the expression (I), is 20 mass % or less, where (I) (%)=(dry mass of a filtrate obtained by filtering the component (B) at a molecular cutoff of 50,000)(100total mass of solid content)/(mass of the filtratedry mass of the filtrate)100/the total mass of solid content.

Provided are construction material granules. In one embodiment, the granules include a core enclosed by a layer comprising a conductive material and a layer comprising a dielectric material. Also provided are related methods of constructing such materials.