Provided are a positive electrode active material with which a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having a high energy density can be obtained, a nickel-manganese composite hydroxide suitable as a precursor of the positive electrode active material, and production methods capable of easily producing these in an industrial scale. Provided is a nickel-manganese composite hydroxide represented by General Formula (1): Ni.sub.xMn.sub.yM.sub.z(OH).sub.2+ and containing a secondary particle formed of a plurality of flocculated primary particles. The nickel-manganese composite hydroxide has a half width of a diffraction peak of a (001) plane obtained by X-ray diffraction measurement of at least 0.10 and up to 0.40 and has a degree of sparsity/density represented by [(void area within secondary particle/cross section of secondary particle)100](%) of at least 0.5% and up to 10%. Also provided is a production method of the nickel-manganese composite hydroxide.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a composite pigment, and production method thereof, which can suppress luster of a coating film by modifying an inorganic coloring pigment, and which can be used in various applications such as low-gloss (luster reduction effect) pigments and matte pigments; a paint composition which can achieve both an excellent coating film texture and also the property of having low gloss and luster even when added to a coating film; and a coating film. In this composite pigment, the inorganic coloring pigment is fixed by an inorganic compound, and a plurality of particles of the inorganic coloring pigment are aggregated into granular form through the inorganic compound.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a composite pigment which can be dispersed and made into paint in a manner that saves labor compared with conventional flat emulsion paints, and which can achieve concealing properties and low glossiness (a luster reduction effect) without separately adding a matting agent. This composite pigment contains an inorganic compound and/or an organic compound, and a fixed extender pigment.

Provided is a kaolin having a finer particle size and a narrower particle size distribution, in combination with suitable morphology. Also provided are a method of preparing the kaolin product and methods of use.

Calcined kaolin comprising a narrow particle size distribution and a fluxing agent are disclosed herein. In some examples, the calcined kaolin comprises particles, wherein 90% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 10 microns; 80% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 5 microns; 40% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 2 microns; and 20% by weight or less of the particles have a diameter of less than 1 micron. The calcined kaolin exhibits improved brightness, whiteness, particle size distribution, mullite index, and +325 mesh residue level compared to conventional calcined kaolin. Methods of making and using the calcined kaolin particles are also provided herein.

Composite particles that super-aggregates of coated aggregates having low structure carbon black cores and metal/metoxide mantles are described. Coatings containing filler-polymer compositions which have the composite particles as filler, such as curable coatings and cured coatings or films formed therefrom containing the filler-polymer compositions, with combinations of high resistivity, good optical density properties, good thermal stability, high dielectric constant, and good processability, along with their use in black matrices, black column spacers, light shielding elements in LCDs and other display devices, also are described. Inks containing the composite particle are described. Devices having these compositions, components and/or elements, and methods of preparing and making these various materials and products are described.

Disclosed herein are surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates exhibiting switchable oleophobicity and oleophilicity in aqueous media. These membranes and substrates may be used for variety of applications, including controllable oil/water separation processes, oil spill cleanup, and oil/water purification. Also provided are the making and processing of such surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates.

Provided is a synthetic graphite material, in which a size L (112) of a crystallite in a c-axis direction as calculated from a (112) diffraction line obtained by an X-ray wide angle diffraction method is in a range of 4 to 30 nm, a surface area based on a volume as calculated by a laser diffraction type particle size distribution measuring device is in a range of 0.22 to 1.70 m.sup.2/cm.sup.3, an oil absorption is in a range of 67 to 147 mL/100 g, and a nitrogen adsorption specific surface area is in a range of 3.1 to 8.2 m.sup.2/g.

The present invention relates to a highly crystalline carbon black and a preparation method therefor and, more specifically, to a highly crystalline carbon black and a preparation method therefor, wherein the carbon black can be used as a fuel cell catalyst carrier requiring a high level of durability and a conductive material for various batteries including secondary batteries. More specifically, the present invention provides: a highly crystalline carbon black having a crystallite size Lc of 4.0 nm or more, a specific surface area (BET) of 50-150 m2/g, and an oil absorption number (OAN) of 150 ml/100 g or more; and a preparation method therefor.

The present invention relates to a filler comprising a recovered carbon black having an iodine adsorption number, measured according to ASTM D-1510-17 of between 9 g/kg and 160 g/kg, preferably between 115 g/kg and 140 g/kg. The present invention also relates to a composite material comprising a rubber and a filler according to the invention. Moreover, the present invention relates to an article comprising said composite material, wherein the article is for example a tyre, such as, a passenger car tyre, a truck tyre, an agricultural tyre, an OTR (off-the-road) tyre, an aircraft tyre, a solid tyre, a bicycle tyre or a mining tyre.