The invention discloses a method of producing a filler composition to be used in paper or board production, said method comprising providing a suspension comprising calcium hydroxide and performing carbonation of the calcium hydroxide to form precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). The invention is characterized in that starch and/or carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) is added to the suspension during said carbonation of calcium hydroxide. The method of the invention enables an increased filler content in paper or paperboard without substantially increasing the dusting tendency or decreasing the strength of the paper or board.

The present invention refers to a process for making a calcium carbonate containing material, wherein the process includes a specific drying procedure and allows for the provision of calcium carbonate materials with reduced moisture pick-up and low porosity.

Compositions comprising highly reflective microcrystalline/amorphous materials are provided. In some instances, the highly reflective materials are microcrystalline or amorphous carbonate materials, which may include calcium and/or magnesium carbonate. In some instances, the materials are CO.sub.2 sequestering materials. Also provided are methods of making and using the compositions, e.g., to increase the albedo of a surface, to mitigate urban heat island effects, etc.

Compositions comprising highly reflective microcrystalline/amorphous materials are provided. In some instances, the highly reflective materials are microcrystalline or amorphous carbonate materials, which may include calcium and/or magnesium carbonate. In some instances, the materials are CO.sub.2 sequestering materials. Also provided are methods of making and using the compositions, e.g., to increase the albedo of a surface, to mitigate urban heat island effects, etc.

A calcium carbonate-containing material and a process for preparing the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material, wherein a paint includes the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material, and to the use of the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material. The calcium carbonate-containing material is prepared from an avian eggshell, wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material has a weight-median particle size d50 of from 0.5 to 10 μm, and/or a weight top cut particle size d98 of from 2.0 to 40 μm, and wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material includes organic matter in an amount of below 1.5 wt. %, based on the total dry weight of the calcium carbonate-containing material, and wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material has i) a brightness from 90 to 100%, according to R457, and/or ii) L* from 95 to 100, according to DIN 6174.

Core particles produced in situ or introduced as preformed core particles are coated with a layer of carbon. Non-carbon as well as some carbon-based core materials can be utilized. The resulting carbon coated particles can find applications in rubber products, for instance as reinforcement for tire components.

Nontoxic Near infra-red Reflecting (NIR) inorganic pigments, characteristically blue and well suited for the coloration of a wide variety of substrates, for example, plastics and concrete building roofing material, etc., comprise mixed metal silicate having the general formula: La.sub.xSr.sub.1-xCu.sub.1-yLi.sub.ySi.sub.4O.sub.10, where x is equal to 0 to 0.5 and y is equal to 0 to 0.5. These silicates with tetragonal crystal structure are prepared by calcination method in air atmosphere.

The present invention provides a functional material, its preparation method, an alignment material and a liquid crystal substrate, which belong to the display technical field and can solve the problem that current liquid crystal display devices will produce pollution. The functional material of the present invention comprises an inorganic powder whose surface has a modified layer, wherein the inorganic powder comprises any one or more of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, boron oxide, diiron trioxide, calcium oxide, potassium oxide, sodium oxide and lithium oxide; the modified layer is generated via cyclization by dehydrating the reaction product of a dianhydride and a diamine. The alignment material of the present invention comprises the above functional material. The liquid crystal display substrate of the present invention comprises an alignment layer made from the above alignment material.

The present invention relates to the use of a surface-reacted calcium carbonate as anti-caking agent, wherein the surface-reacted calcium carbonate is a reaction product of natural ground or precipitated calcium carbonate with carbon dioxide and at least one acid in an aqueous medium, wherein the carbon dioxide is formed in situ by the acid treatment and/or is supplied from an external source, and to a composition comprising said anti-caking agent, as well as to a method for the production of such a composition.

Methods of compounding nanoparticles with a resin, e.g., a curable resin and one or more surface modifying agents are described. The methods use wet milling technology, including both continuous and batch milling processes, and can be used to functionalize the nanoparticles and disperse the functionalized nanoparticles into the resin system in a single process. Methods of compounding curable resin systems containing reactive diluents are also disclosed.