Vanadium oxide nanomaterials dispersed in a polymeric matrix, substrates including the vanadium oxide nanomaterials dispersed in a polymeric matrix, and related methods of making vanadium oxide nanomaterials dispersed in a polymeric matrix are described.

A process for preparing a composite containing submicron sized particles of metal oxide pigment and a natural-based organic compound is disclosed. The process includes a step of grinding a metal oxide pigment and a oligomeric and/or polymeric carbohydrate together by means of a ball mill, to obtain a pigment composite containing particles having a submicron granulometry and an outer surface partially or completely covered by the oligomeric and/or polymeric carbohydrate. A pigment composite including pigment particles having a mean hydrodynamic diameter smaller than 1 μm is also disclosed.

A method for manufacturing granulated silica. The method includes granulating silica powders each having a primary particle size of 5 to 50 nm by use of water, and hydrophobizing each surface of the silica powders with a silicon atom-containing hydrophobizing agent before or simultaneously with the granulation step.

Provided are a method of manufacturing an amorphous silicon composite and an apparatus for manufacturing an amorphous silicon composite. The method of manufacturing an amorphous silicon composite, according to an embodiment, may include forming molten silicon by melting a silicon raw material, obtaining an amorphous silicon powder by cooling the molten silicon with a cooling device such that the molten silicon is solidified before being crystallized, obtaining amorphous nano-silicon by performing wet grinding on the amorphous silicon powder, obtaining a first mixture by mixing a first pitch with the amorphous nano-silicon, obtaining a second mixture by coating a second pitch on the first mixture, and obtaining the amorphous silicon composite by performing heat treatment on the second mixture.

The invention provides dispersed inorganic mixed metal oxide pigment compositions in a hydrocarbon media utilizing a dispersant having polyisobutylene succinic anhydride structure reacted with a non-polymeric amino ether/alcohol to disperse a mixed metal oxide pigment in the media. The metal oxide pigment is of the type used to color 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 colored article is also described.

There is provided a silicon carbide powder having a small mean particle diameter and a narrow particle diameter distribution width. A silicon carbide powder is a powder of silicon carbide (SiC) having an α-type crystal form and has a mean particle diameter of 300 nm or less. In the silicon carbide powder, a ratio D90/D10 between a particle diameter D10 and a particle diameter D90 is 4 or less, the particle diameter D10 being a particle diameter at which the cumulative particle volume from the small particle diameter side in a volume-based cumulative particle diameter distribution reaches 10% of the total particle volume and the particle diameter D90 being a particle diameter at which the cumulative particle volume from the small particle diameter side in the volume-based cumulative particle diameter distribution reaches 90% of the total particle volume.

A silicon nitride powder for sintering which, despite of its fine powdery form, shows a very small increase in the oxygen concentration with time and features excellent storage stability. The silicon nitride powder for sintering has a specific surface area of 5 to 30 m.sup.2/g, and is characterized by having a hydrophobicity (M value) of 30 or more and an increase in the oxygen concentration of 0.30% by mass or less after left to stand in the air of a humidity of 90% and 20° C. for 48 hours. The silicon nitride powder for sintering can be obtained by dry-pulverizing aggregated masses of the silicon nitride in an inert atmosphere in the presence of a silane coupling agent.

A method for production of coated mineral grit for the manufacture of coating elements with a bituminous support, or with a support comprising a vinyl or acrylic adhesive, for roofing of buildings, the method includes: adding rough mineral grit to a mixer together with a first treatment mixture; mixing the rough mineral grit and the first treatment mixture until a coated mineral grit is obtained; heating the coated mineral grit to a predetermined firing temperature (Tc); and after heating the coated mineral grit, cooling the coated mineral grit to a predetermined intermediate cooling temperature (Tri). The first treatment mixture comprises: water; at least one pigment; at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium silicate and potassium silicate; kaolin; and at least one selected from the group consisting of an organo-siloxane and an organo-silane.

Disclosed are methods for forming boron nitride-containing aggregates that exhibit improved wear by attrition, and resulting filled polymers that exhibit significantly improved thermal conductivity. The boron nitride-containing aggregates are prepared according to a method that includes wet granulating boron nitride powder with a granulation solution to form wet boron nitride-containing granules; and drying the wet boron nitride-containing granules to cause evaporation of solvent in the granulation solution, thereby forming boron nitride-containing granules. Sintering achieves the desired boron nitride-containing aggregates.

The present invention relates to an installation for the purification of minerals, pigments and/or fillers and/or the preparation of precipitated earth alkali carbonate and/or mineralization of water and to the use of such an installation for the purification of minerals, pigments and/or fillers and/or mineralization of water and/or the preparation of precipitated earth alkali carbonate.