Provided is a hydrophilic precipitated silica which is well suited to use in silicone rubber formulations (RTV-1, RTV-2, HTV and LSR), particularly well suited to use in HTV silicone rubber formulations. It has a BET surface area of 185˜260 m.sup.2/g, a CTAB surface area of 100˜160 m.sup.2/g, a BET/CTAB ratio of 1.2˜2.6, and a conductivity of <250 μS/cm. Also provided are a process for producing the precipitated silica and the use of the precipitated silica for thickening and reinforcing silicone rubber formulations.

Provided is a rubber composition that, when adopted in a tire member such as a tread, displays low heat generation, high abrasion resistance, and high cut resistance, and enables excellent fatigue cracking resistance to be realized. The rubber composition contains carbon black that satisfies relationship formulae (1) to (3), shown below.

62.5×24M4DBP+hydrogen amount of carbon black≦8337.5   (1)

24M4DBP−0.25×CTAB≧62.5   (2)

Dst+0.75×ΔD50≧152.5   (3)

The present disclosure provides, for example, systems and methods for generating carbon particles. Carbon particles may have a total content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of less than or equal to about 0.5 parts per million, a content of benzo[a]pyrene of less than or equal to about 5 parts per billion, and a water spreading pressure that is less than about 5 mJ/m.sup.2. A carbon particle among the carbon particles may comprise less than about 0.3% sulfur by weight or less than or equal to about 0.03% ash by weight.

An electrode for an energy storage device includes carbon black particles having (a) a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area ranging from 70 to 120 m.sup.2/g; (b) an oil absorption number (OAN) ranging from 180 to 310 mL/100 g; (c) a surface energy less than or equal to 15 mJ/m.sup.2; and (d) either an L.sub.a crystallite size less than or equal to 29 Å, or a primary particle size less than or equal to 24 nm.

The present invention relates to a furnace black having a STSA surface area of at 130 m.sup.2/g to 350 m.sup.2/g wherein the ratio of BET surface area to STSA surface area is less than 1.1 if the STSA surface area is in the range of 130 m.sup.2/g to 150 m.sup.2/g, the ratio of BET surface area to STSA surface area is less than 1.2 if the STSA surface area is greater than 150 m.sup.2/g to 180 m.sup.2/g, the ratio of BET surface area to STSA surface area is less than 1.3 if the STSA surface area is greater than 180 m.sup.2/g, and
the STSA surface area and the BET surface area are measured according to ASTM D 6556 and to a furnace process wherein the stoichiometric ratio of combustible material to O.sub.2 when forming a combustion gas stream is adjusted to obtain a k factor of less than 1.2 and the inert gas concentration in the reactor is increased while limiting the CO.sub.2 amount fed to the reactor. Also provided is an apparatus for conducting the process according to the present invention.

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.

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+α 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 present invention relates to iron oxide red pigments having improved color values, a process for producing these improved iron oxide red pigments by the Penniman red process using nitrate (also referred to as nitrate process or direct red process) and an apparatus for the production thereof.

A positive-electrode active material precursor for lithium-ion secondary battery includes: a metal complex hydroxide particle, that includes nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), zirconium (Zr), and an additive element M (M). When a linear analysis is performed by EDX on a cross section of the metal complex hydroxide particle along a direction of diameter from a center, a ratio of a maximum zirconium concentration to an average zirconium concentration is 2 or less.

The present invention relates to a particulate carbon material that can be produced from renewable raw materials, in particular from biomass containing lignin, comprising: a MC content that corresponds to that of the renewable raw materials, said content being preferably greater than 0.20 Bq/g carbon, especially preferably greater than 0.23 Bq/g carbon, but preferably less than 0.45 Bq/g carbon in each case; a carbon content in relation to the ash-free dry substance of between 60 ma. % and 80 ma. %; an STSA surface area of the primary particles of at least 5 m.sup.2/g and at most 200 m.sup.2/g; and an oil absorption value (OAN) of between 50 ml/100 g and 150 ml/100 g. The present invention also relates to a method for producing said carbon material and to the use thereof.