A zinc oxide powder in which a BET specific surface area of the powder is 8 m.sup.2/g or more and 65 m.sup.2/g or less, an apparent specific volume measured by a loose packing method of the powder is 1.0 mL/g or more and 7.5 mL/g or less, and a value indicated by (the apparent specific volume measured by the loose packing method/an apparent specific volume measured by a tapping method), which is obtained by dividing the apparent specific volume (mL/g) measured by the loose packing method by the apparent specific volume (mL/g) measured by the tapping method of the powder, is 1.50 or more and 2.50 or less.

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.

Carbon nanostructures are used to prepare electrode compositions for lithium ion batteries. In one example, carbon nanostructures, fragments of carbon nanostructures and/or fractured carbon nanotubes are provided in an aqueous dispersion that can be used in the manufacture of silicon-containing anodes. The aqueous dispersion can further include another conductive carbon additive such as carbon black.

A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery containing lithium composite oxide particles is provided, the lithium composite oxide particles including lithium, nickel, manganese, zirconium, and an additive element M in an amount of substance ratio of Li:Ni:Mn:Zr:M=a:b:c:d:e, wherein 0.95≤a≤1.20, 0.10≤b<0.70, 0.01≤c≤0.50, 0.0003≤d≤0.02, and 0.01≤e≤0.50, and the additive element M is one or more elements selected from Co, W, Mo, V, Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, and Ta. A half-value width FWHM.sub.(003) of a peak of a (003) plane and a half-value width FWHM.sub.(104) of a peak of a (104) plane calculated from an X-ray diffraction pattern in the lithium composite oxide satisfy the relation FWHM.sub.(104)≥FWHM.sub.(003)×2.90−0.10.

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 half width Δv.sub.G of a peak present in a wavelength range of 1580 cm.sup.−1±100 cm.sup.−1 is in a range of 19 to 24 cm.sup.−1 in Raman spectrum analysis using argon ion laser light having a wavelength of 514.5 nm.

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.

Particles with suitable properties may be generated using systems and methods provided herein. The particles may include carbon particles.

Provided is a white pigment for cosmetics capable of giving a cosmetic that gives a coating film having less stickiness and higher long-lasting properties. A white pigment for cosmetics of the present invention includes a titanium phosphate powder, the titanium phosphate powder includes crystal particles of titanium phosphate, and a ratio (oil absorption value/specific surface area) of an oil absorption value (ml/100 g) to a specific surface area (m.sup.2/g) of the crystal particles is 2.0 or more.

Method and system for thermal transfer printing are disclosed. The system comprises a transfer member having an imaging surface on the front side, a coating station at which a monolayer of particles made of, or coated with, a thermoplastic polymer is applied to the imaging surface, an imaging station at which electromagnetic radiation (EM) is applied via the rear side of the transfer member to selected regions of the particles-coated imaging surface to render the particles thereon tacky within the selected regions, and a transfer station at which only the regions of the particles coating that have been rendered tacky are transferred to a substrate. The transfer member includes on its rear side a body transparent to EM radiation and on its front side an EM radiation absorbing layer, the imaging surface being formed on, or as part of, the absorbing layer.

An inkjet ink contains at least a first carbon black, a second carbon black, and water. The first carbon black has a DBP oil absorption of less than 130 mL/100 g and a BET specific surface area of less than 300 m.sup.2/g. The second carbon black has a DBP oil absorption of at least 130 mL/100 g and a BET specific surface area of at least 300 m.sup.2/g.