A silica composite particle includes a silica particle and a compound in which a metal atom selected from the group consisting of Ti, Al, Zr, V, and Mg bonds to an organic group through oxygen, the silica particle being surface-treated with the compound. A coverage of a surface of the silica composite particle with the metal atom is 0.01 at % or more and 30 at % or less. When a binding energy peak of O1s in an oxide of the metal atom is assumed to be MO1s, a binding energy peak of O1s in SiO.sub.2 is assumed to be SO1s, and a binding energy peak of O1s in the silica composite particle is assumed to be MSO1s, the binding energy peaks being detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the formula 0.000452X.sup.20.059117X+SO1s<MSOs(SO1sMO1s)/100X+SO1s is satisfied.

A process for producing structural colours from smectite or vermiculite clay mineral comprising: (i) intercalating cations in every second layer of said clay mineral; and (ii) dispersion of the intercalated clay mineral in water to form an aqueous suspension.

A composite insulating material based on dielectrophoretic force orientation and its preparation method are provided. The method includes: S1, preparing dielectric composite microspheres with a dielectric epoxy resin as a core and a hexagonal boron nitride sheet as a shell; S2, dispersing the hexagonal boron nitride sheet and the dielectric composite microspheres in an organic solvent to obtain a dispersion liquid, and adding an epoxy resin, an epoxy resin curing agent, and an epoxy resin accelerator to the dispersing liquid, and evaporating the organic solvent to obtain a composite substrate; S3, pouring the composite substrate into a container, wherein an upper surface and a lower surface of the container are connected with electrodes, respectively, transferring the container to a vacuum oven, and connecting a power supply of the container to adjust a voltage amplitude and a frequency of the electrodes, conducting dielectrophoretic force orientation on the dielectric composite microspheres in the composite substrate, so as to cause the dielectric composite microspheres to arrange along a direction of electric field; S4, increasing a temperature of the container to cure the composite substrate, cutting off the power supply to the container after curing, and obtaining the composite insulating material.

Titanium Dioxide and other pigments or powders processed by this present process are smoothly discharging, low dusting, agglomerated, compaction resistant, extremely friable, and fully dispersible, and the process for the production of smoothly discharging pigment or powder consists of gently blending in the presence of an air flow and an electrostatic charge where said pigment or powder is agglomerated with or without a treated or non-treated seed particle of the same or similar pigment whereas said pigment or powder in accordance with the invention yields a composition of substantially spherical particulate that has a pseudo-particle size of 0.1-5.0 mm in the form of smoothly discharging, low dusting, non-sticky, agglomerated, compaction resistant pigment or powder, in which said pigment or powder particles are 80% -99.9% by weight, pigment, and in which the pigments or powders are compatible with inks, paints and plastics, and can be readily dispersed and incorporated into the same.

Methods are disclosed for producing an organic functionalized solid inorganic substrate, a surface of the inorganic substrate comprising a hydroxide and/or an oxide comprising an element M, the element M being a metal or a metalloid. The method includes drying the surface; optionally removing protons from the surface; and contacting the surface with an organometallic reagent comprising at least one organic functional moiety, thereby obtaining the organic functionalized inorganic substrate, the at least one organic functional moiety being attached to the element M of the hydroxide and/or the oxide by means of a direct M-C bond. The drying step includes contacting the surface with a flow comprising an inert gas. The organic functionalized inorganic substrate obtained by the method may be used as a membrane, a catalyst, a sorbent, a sensor or an electronic component, or as a substrate in filtration, adsorption, chromatography and/or separation processes.

A method for producing a silicon-containing oxide-coated aluminum nitride particle that maintains the high thermal conductivity of aluminum nitride particles, have excellent moisture resistance, and do not easily aggregate. A method for producing a silicon-containing oxide-coated aluminum nitride particle including an aluminum nitride particle and a silicon-containing oxide film that covers a surface of the aluminum nitride particle. The method includes a vapor-depositing an organic silicone compound including a specific structure on the surface of the aluminum nitride particle to obtain the aluminum nitride particle covered with the organic silicone compound under a nitrogen atmosphere, and a partial pressure of the organic silicone compound in the nitrogen atmosphere is 2.6?10.sup.2 to 3.9?10.sup.3 Pa, and heating the aluminum nitride particle covered with the organic silicone compound at a temperature of 300? C. or higher and lower than 1000? C.

A stable dispersion of exfoliated layer substances is prepared through interlayer exfoliation of a layered compound. A dispersion including quaternary ammonium ions (A) each having a total carbon atom number of 15 to 45 and one or two C.sub.10-20 alkyl groups, and an anionic surfactant (B) having an ammonium ion, wherein plate-like particles (C) having an average thickness of 0.7 to 40 nm, an average major-axis length of 100 to 600 nm, an average minor-axis length of 50 to 300 nm, and a ratio of average major-axis length to average minor-axis length of 1.0 to 10.0 are dispersed in a liquid medium, and the plate-like particles (C) in the dispersion have an average particle diameter of 10 to 600 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering, and a transparent substrate using the dispersion.

Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material. In other embodiments, the TE nanocomposite material can be a nanocomposite thermoelectric material having one network of p-type or n-type semiconductor domains and a low thermal conductivity semiconductor or dielectric network or domains separating the p-type or n-type domains that provides efficient phonon scattering to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical properties of the p-type or n-type semiconductor.

Functionalized metal oxide particles comprising, on the surface, a radical of formula I (I) wherein the particle comprises an oxide of a metal; R.sub.1 is C, (CH.sub.2).sub.1-12C, or (CH.sub.2).sub.1-12O(O)CC.sub.1; R.sub.2 is CR.sub.4R.sub.5, where R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are independently selected among H and C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl; and R.sub.3 is H, halo, C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, or C.sub.1-C.sub.12 haloalkyl. A process for the production of the functionalized particles; functionalized particles, obtainable by the process. A process for the production of a polymer composite comprising the functionalized particles; and a polymer composite obtainable by that process.

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The present invention relates to crumbles comprising at least one calcium carbonate-containing material, a process for the preparation of the crumbles, an article comprising the crumbles as well as an use of the crumbles in paper making, paper coating, food, plastic, preferably films, more preferably blown films or breathable films, fibres, polyvinyl chloride, plastisols, thermosetting polymers, more preferably thermosetting unsaturated polyesters or thermosetting unsaturated polyurethanes, agricultural, paint, coatings, adhesives, sealants, pharmaceuticals, agricultural, construction and/or cosmetic applications.