A resin-coated metal powder according to the present invention is obtained by covering at least a part of the surface of a metal powder with a hydrolyzable resin that has an average composition of general formula (1) and a number average molecular weight of from 500 to 100,000; and this resin-coated metal powder exhibits sufficient dispersibility in an aqueous solution, while being stable for a relatively long period of time even in the coexistence of water in an aqueous coating material.

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(In the formula, R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, said group optionally having a specific substituent such as a hydroxyalkyl group; each of R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 independently represents a linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.6 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and a and b represent numbers that satisfy 0a<1, 0<b1 and (a+b)=1.)

The present invention relates to mixtures of pigments comprising at least one inorganic compound selected from the group of iron oxides, iron oxide hydrates, zinc ferrites, zinc oxides, magnesium ferrites and manganese ferrites, wherein the at least one inorganic compound is equipped with a coating comprising at least one hydroxide or oxide of magnesium or calcium and at least one calcium salt or magnesium salt of a fatty acid, to processes for production thereof, to the use thereof for coloring polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and to processes for coloring PVC and to PVC colored with such mixtures, and also to plastics products comprising such mixtures.

The present invention relates to mixtures of pigments comprising at least one inorganic compound selected from the group of iron oxides, iron oxide hydrates, zinc ferrites, zinc oxides, magnesium ferrites and manganese ferrites, wherein the at least one inorganic compound is equipped with a coating comprising at least one hydroxide or oxide of magnesium or calcium and at least one calcium salt or magnesium salt of a fatty acid, to processes for production thereof, to the use thereof for coloring polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and to processes for coloring PVC and to PVC colored with such mixtures, and also to plastics products comprising such mixtures.

The present invention relates to silicon coated metal microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a metal microparticle composed of at least one of metal elements or metalloid elements is coated with silicon, wherein the silicon coated metal microparticles are a product obtained by a reduction treatment of silicon compound coated precursor microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a precursor microparticle containing a precursor of the metal microparticles is coated with a silicon compound, or silicon doped precursor microparticles containing a precursor of the metal microparticles. Because it is possible particularly to strictly control a particle diameter of the silicon compound coated metal microparticle by controlling conditions of the reduction treatment, design of a more appropriate composition can become facilitated, compared with a conventional composition, in terms of diversified usages and desired properties of silicon compound coated metal microparticles.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a composite pigment, and production method thereof, which can suppress luster of a coating film by modifying an inorganic coloring pigment, and which can be used in various applications such as low-gloss (luster reduction effect) pigments and matte pigments; a paint composition which can achieve both an excellent coating film texture and also the property of having low gloss and luster even when added to a coating film; and a coating film. In this composite pigment, the inorganic coloring pigment is fixed by an inorganic compound, and a plurality of particles of the inorganic coloring pigment are aggregated into granular form through the inorganic compound.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a composite pigment which can be dispersed and made into paint in a manner that saves labor compared with conventional flat emulsion paints, and which can achieve concealing properties and low glossiness (a luster reduction effect) without separately adding a matting agent. This composite pigment contains an inorganic compound and/or an organic compound, and a fixed extender pigment.

The present invention relates to silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles, with which surfaces of fine metal particles, composed of at least one type of metal element or metalloid element, are at least partially coated with a silicon compound and a ratio of SiOH bonds contained in the silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles is controlled to be 0.1% or more and 70% or less. By the present invention, silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles that are controlled in dispersibility and other properties can be provided by controlling the ratio of SiOH bonds or the ratio of SiOH bonds/SiO bonds contained in the silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles. By controlling the ratio of SiOH bonds or the ratio of SiOH bonds/SiO bonds, a composition that is more appropriate for diversifying applications and targeted properties of silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles than was conventionally possible can be designed easily.

Magnetic ink and toner compositions traditionally comprise magnetic materials in fine particulate form, either as a dry composition or a liquid suspension. Often such materials are black or dark in color. Disclosed herein are particles compositions suitable for use as inks or toners, that exhibit desirable magnetic properties, and furthermore which include particles coated so they appear white substantially white, or colored. Such compositions present new opportunities for the production of corresponding magnetic layers, when the compositions are deposited in an appropriate manner to a substrate.

Magnetic ink and toner compositions traditionally comprise magnetic materials in fine particulate form, either as a dry composition or a liquid suspension. Often such materials are black or dark in color. Disclosed herein are particles compositions suitable for use as inks or toners, that exhibit desirable magnetic properties, and furthermore which include particles coated so they appear white substantially white, or colored. Such compositions present new opportunities for the production of corresponding magnetic layers, when the compositions are deposited in an appropriate manner to a substrate.

With an aim to provide a method for producing an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics and also provide an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics, the present invention provides a method for producing an oxide particle, wherein the color characteristics of the oxide particle are controlled by controlling a ratio of an M-OH bond between an element (M) and a hydroxide group (OH) or an M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio, where the element (M) is one element or plural different elements other than oxygen or hydrogen included in the oxide particle selected from metal oxide particles and semi-metal oxide particles. According to the present invention, by controlling the M-OH bond or the M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio of the metal oxide particle or the semi-metal oxide particle, the oxide particle with controlled color characteristics of any of reflectance, transmittance, molar absorption coefficient, hue, and saturation can be provided.