Biocidal roofing granules are prepared by providing a mineral core and at least one biocidal photocatalytic metal oxide. A gel-forming inorganic coating medium is prepared and used to coat the mineral core to form a coating layer having a porous network on the mineral core, and the at least one biocidal photocatalytic metal oxide is disposed in the porous network.

A set of spherical inorganic particles having the particular property of being spontaneously individualized, both in dry state in the form of a powder and when they are dispersed in a matrix. The method for producing the particles, and the materials produced by including the particles in the matrices are also described.

The present invention relates to composites, comprising inorganic and/or organic pigments and/or fillers in the form of microparticles, the surface of which is coated at least partially with finely divided nano-dolomite with the help of binders based on copolymers comprising as monomers one or more dicarboxylic acids and one or more monomers from the group of diamines, triamines, dialkanolamines or trialkanolamines, a method for producing such composites, aqueous slurries thereof, their use, and the use of the inventive binders for coating the microparticles with nano-dolomite.

A method for preparing a preblend of nano-structured carbon, such as nanotubes, fullerenes, or graphene, and a particulate solid, such as polymer beads, carbon black, graphitic particles or glassy carbon involving wet-mixing and followed by optional drying to remove the liquid medium. The preblend may be in the form of a core-shell powder material with the nano-structured carbon as the shell on the particulate solid core. The preblend may provide particularly improved dispersion of single-wall nanotubes in ethylene--olefin elastomer compositions, resulting in improved reinforcement from the nanotubes. The improved elastomer compositions may show simultaneous improvement in both modulus and in elongation at break. The elastomer compositions may be formed into useful rubber articles.

The subject of the invention is a method for the production of pigment from filtration sludges containing manganese and iron and phosphates, characterised in that the filter sludge is sieved on a vibrating sieve, then the suspension is concentrated and dried to a water content below 8% w/w, after which the material is subjected to thermal treatment at a temperature in the range of 500-1200? C. for a period of 6-12 hours, and the obtained sinter is fragmented and optionally dried to a moisture level of 5%. The invention also relates to using the pigment produced by the foregoing method colouring construction ceramic products or as a colouring additive to the mass from which construction products are formed or as a colouring additive for concrete.

Light emitting devices (LEDs) are described herein. An LED includes a light emitting semiconductor structure, a wavelength converting material and an off state white material. The light emitting semiconductor structure includes a light-emitting active layer disposed between an n-layer and a p-layer. The wavelength converting material has a first surface adjacent the light emitting semiconductor structure and a second surface opposite the first surface. The off state white material is in direct contact with the second surface of the wavelength converting material and includes multiple core-shell particles disposed in an optically functional material. Each of the core-shell particles includes a core material encased in a polymer or inorganic shell. The core material includes a phase change material.

The invention provides dispersed inorganic mixed metal oxide pigment compositions in a non-aqueous media utilizing a dispersant having terminal end groups and a central portion of the structure [CH(A)-C(B)(D)]n-[CR.sub.2CR.sub.2]m- to disperse a mixed metal oxide pigment in the media. The metal oxide pigment is of the type used to colour ceramic or glass articles. A milling process using beads is also described to reduce the mixed metal oxide particle size to the desired range. A method of using the mixed metal oxide dispersion to digitally print an image on a ceramic or glass article using the dispersion jetted through a nozzle and subsequently firing the coloured article is also described.

A reflective particulate composition includes a particulate mixture that includes a particulate substrate, a hardness enhancer and a pigment. The reflective particulate substrate has a hydrophobic coating on the particulate mixture. The composition may have a solar reflectance of 70% or greater. The pigment may include a clay, and the particulate substrate may include a feldspar. A method of making the composition may include mixing the particulate substrate, the hardness enhancer, and the pigment to form a particulate mixture, heat treating the particulate mixture, and coating the heat treated mixture with the hydrophobic coating.

Coated mesoflower are described including: a metallic mesoflower core having a first surface and including at least one protrusion terminating in a tip; a non-metallic coating covering and substantially conformal to the first surface, thereby creating an outer surface of the coated mesoflower; and a marker material having an optical property that is enhanced in the presence of the coated mesoflower. Coated hollow mesoflowers that do not have the metallic mesoflower core are also described.

The present invention relates to a process for producing an aqueous slurry comprising a blend of surface modified calcium carbonate comprising particles (MCC) and precipitated calcium carbonate comprising particles (PCC), an aqueous slurry comprising the blend, as well as the blend obtainable by drying the aqueous slurry and their uses in paper, paper coating, tissue paper, digital photo paper, paints, coatings, adhesives, plastics, waste water treating or waste water treating agents.