A basecoat including a pigment blend that includes a ground calcium carbonate component and a hyperplaty clay component, wherein the ground calcium carbonate component has a coarse particle size distribution, and wherein the hyperplaty clay component has an average aspect ratio of at least 40:1.

Provided is a negative-electrode active material, which is capable of constituting a lithium ion secondary cell exhibiting excellent cell characteristics. The negative-electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary cell of the invention includes a mixed material of silicon oxide particles composed of silicon oxide and rod-shaped iron oxide particles composed of iron oxide. It is preferable to use iron oxide particles having a plurality of pores in a surface, and an electrode reaction is effectively carried out.

This present invention relates to oxidized, discrete carbon nanotubes in dispersions, especially for use in printing inks. The dispersions can include materials such as elastomers, thermosets and thermoplastics or aqueous dispersions of open-ended carbon nanotubes with additives. A further feature of this invention relates to the development of a dispersion of oxidized, discrete carbon nanotubes that are electrically conductive.

A negative electrode active material according to one embodiment includes a titanium oxide compound having a crystal structure of monoclinic system titanium dioxide. The titanium oxide compound is modified by at least one kind of ion selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal cation, an alkali earth metal cation, a transition metal cation, a sulfide ion, a sulfuric acid ion and a chloride ion.

Effect pigments based on Al.sub.2O.sub.3 flakes with high weather resistance and less photoactivity and to their use thereof in paints, industrial coatings, automotive coatings, printing inks, cosmetic formulations. The effect pigments have a ratio of the amount by weight of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 of the Al.sub.2O.sub.3 flake and the amount by weight of the metal oxide(s) of the coating layer(s) in the range of from 27:73 to 83:17 based on the total weight of the effect pigment.

A method for producing a plate type metal-silica composite aerogel and a plate type metal-silica composite aerogel produced thereby in which the metal salt concentration and the basic catalyst concentration are adjusted to form a plate type intermediate first, and then an appropriate amount of a water glass solution is added, thereby enabling the plate type metal-silica composite aerogel to be produced in a short time under conditions of low temperature and atmospheric pressure, so that the process is simpler than the conventional production method, and the cost is reduced, which is excellent in economy. Also provided is a plate type metal-silica composite aerogel, which is produced by the claimed method and has excellent dispersibility that requires no additional surface modifier.

The present specification relates to a preparation method for rod-shaped molybdenum oxide and a preparation method for a molybdenum oxide composite, the preparation method for rod-shaped molybdenum oxide according to the present invention may be carried out under low temperature and pressure conditions, and thus has an advantage in that it is possible to mass produce rod-shaped molybdenum oxide, and the preparation method for a molybdenum oxide composite according to the present invention has an advantage in that the molybdenum oxide composite may be synthesized at a temperature which is equal to or less than the boiling point of ethanol, and the amount of an ethanol solvent used is reduced.

A cathode active material contains a secondary particle containing or consisting of a group of a plurality of primary particles. At least some of the primary particles disposed on the surface of the secondary particle include first primary particle in the form of flakes having a pair of first crystal faces facing toward each other. The first crystal faces are arranged in a radial direction, ends of the first crystal faces pair are provided with a plurality of crystal faces different from the first crystal faces to connect the ends of the first crystal faces pair. Longitudinal cross-sections of the first primary particle contain a pair of first crystal faces spaced apart from each other. Second and third crystal faces are disposed in the outermost surface of the secondary particle to be connected to each other at an angle.

A new material efficiently attenuating transmission of near-infrared light is provided. A provided near-infrared-shielding material includes a plurality of flaky particles, wherein each of the plurality of flaky particles includes a flaky substrate and a single-layer film formed on a principal surface of the flaky substrate, and the near-infrared-shielding material has a light reflectance of 40% or more between wavelengths of 800 nm and 1400 nm. The flaky substrate is, for example, a glass flake. The glass flake has an average thickness of, for example, 0.6 pm or less. The single-layer film includes, for example, titanium oxide and has an average thickness of, for example, 80 nm to 165 nm.

Methods for producing ethylene using nanowires as heterogeneous catalysts are provided. The method includes, for example, an oxidative coupling of methane catalyzed by nanowires to provide ethylene.