A silicon monoxide powder including silicon monoxide, in which in an X-ray diffraction spectrum of the silicon monoxide powder measured by X-ray diffraction by using a Cu-K ray, broad peaks due to an amorphous phase are near 2=22 and near 2=50, and a peak due to a crystal phase of silicon is not near 2=28.

Surface treatment of titanium dioxide, barium sulfate, zinc sulfide, and/or lithopone particles, and mixtures of said particles with specific alkoxylated siloxanes for the improvement of dispersion in plastics.

A thermal spray material comprising granules containing a rare earth oxyfluoride has a particle diameter of 1 to 150 m at a cumulative volume of 50 vol % before ultrasonic dispersion and 10 m or smaller after ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes as determined by laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analysis. The particle diameter after ultrasonic dispersion is one-third or less of that before ultrasonic dispersion. The thermal spray material has an average aspect ratio of 2.0 or lower and a compressibility of 30% or less. When the granules further contain a rare earth fluoride, upon being analyzed by X-ray diffractometry using Cu-K or Cu-K1 radiation, S1/S2 is preferably 0.10. S1=intensity of the maximum peak assigned to the rare earth oxyfluoride. S2=intensity of the maximum peak assigned to the rare earth fluoride, both observed in a 2 angle range of 20 to 40.

A method for producing surface-treated particles includes surface treatment of titanium dioxide, barium sulfate, zinc sulfide or lithopone particles, and to mixtures of the particles with alkoxylated siloxanes and phthalate-free plasticizers for improving dispersion in plastics.

Surface treatment of titanium dioxide, barium sulfate, zinc sulfide, and/or lithopone particles, and mixtures of said particles with specific alkoxylated siloxanes for the improvement of dispersion in plastics.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of producing lithium carbonate. The lithium carbonate can be produced by contacting a lithium precursor with a carbon dioxide gas. The lithium carbonate produced from this method can include micron-sized lithium carbonate particles with nano-sized lithium carbonate particles coated on a surface of the micron-sized lithium carbonate particles.

According to the present invention, a yttrium-fluoride-based sprayed coating that has a Vickers hardness of 350 or higher, includes a YF.sub.3 crystal phase having an orthorhombic crystal system, and does not include a YF.sub.3 crystal phase having a crystal system other than an orthorhombic crystal system is produced by plasma-spraying a spray powder that includes a YF.sub.3 crystal phase having an orthorhombic crystal system and does not include a YF.sub.3 crystal phase having a crystal system other than an orthorhombic crystal system. In the present invention, it is possible to provide a yttrium-fluoride-based sprayed coating that has a high coating hardness and is such that the amount of particles generated upon exposure to a halogen-based gas plasma is low, and such a sprayed coating is exceptional as a sprayed coating formed on a member for a semiconductor-producing device that is used in a semiconductor production step.

The present invention relates to an electrode material for lithium ion battery, containing: a graphite powder; and a Si alloy composite powder, in which the Si alloy composite powder has an average particle diameter of 5 m or less and contains Si particles, SiX compound particles (X=Fe, Ni, Cr, Co, Mn, Zr, or Ti), and at least one of SnY compound particles and AlY compound particles (Y=Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr, Co, Mn, Zr, or Ti), a proportion of the Si particles in the Si alloy composite powder is 30 mass % to 95 mass %, and a coverage of the Si alloy composite powder on a surface of graphite particles is 5% or more.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of producing lithium carbonate. The lithium carbonate can be produced by contacting a lithium precursor with a carbon dioxide gas. The lithium carbonate produced from this method can include micron-sized lithium carbonate particles with nano-sized lithium carbonate particles coated on a surface of the micron-sized lithium carbonate particles.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of producing lithium carbonate. The lithium carbonate can be produced by contacting a lithium precursor with a carbon dioxide gas. The lithium carbonate produced from this method can include micron-sized lithium carbonate particles with nano-sized lithium carbonate particles coated on a surface of the micron-sized lithium carbonate particles.