Described herein is a mixer system for producing aqueous coating materials from at least one aqueous pigment paste A, including at least one effect pigment, and at least one pigment-free component B, including an aqueous, acrylate-based microgel dispersion having a glass transition temperature T.sub.g of 50 to 60? C., where both the aqueous pigment paste A and the component B each have a VOC value of less than or equal to 250 g/L. Further described herein is a method for producing aqueous coating materials having a VOC content of 0 to 250 g/L, in which the individual components A and B are stored separately and not mixed until shortly before application, to give the aqueous coating material. Further described herein is a method of using the mixer system of for producing aqueous coating materials for refinishing and/or for coating automobile bodies and/or plastics parts.

A dispersant, a dispersion and an ink composition including the dispersant, and a method of preparing the dispersion and the ink composition, in which the dispersant includes: (A) 0.5 to 30% by weight of a compound selected from at least one of acetylene glycol represented by the specific formula (1) and an ethoxylated substance of acetylene glycol represented by the specific formula (2); (B) 5 to 98% by weight of a nonionic aryl phenol compound represented by the specific formula (3); and (C) 1 to 70% by weight of an anionic aryl phenol compound represented by the specific formula (4), and wherein the total amount of components (A) to (C) is 100% by weight.

The present invention relates to a water-based pigment dispersion containing a polymer dispersant and a pigment, the polymer dispersant being prepared by crosslinking a carboxy group-containing water-insoluble polymer (A) with a water-insoluble polyfunctional epoxy compound, in which carboxy groups of the water-insoluble polymer (A) are at least partially neutralized by an alkali metal compound, and the water-based pigment dispersion satisfies the following conditions 1 to 3. The water-based pigment dispersion of the present invention can exhibit excellent redispersibility capable of suppressing solidification of the pigment or the polymer in ink ejection nozzles and can ensure good storage stability under high-temperature conditions. The conditions 1 to 3 are as follows: Condition 1: a value calculated according to the formula: {[100(neutralization degree)(crosslinking degree)]/100}[acid value of water-insoluble polymer (A)] is from 30 to 30 mgKOH/g: Condition 2: a value calculated according to the formula: [(neutralization degree)/100][acid value of water-insoluble polymer (A)] is from 80 to 180 mgKOH/g; and Condition 3: a value calculated according to the formula: [(crosslinking degree)/100][acid value of water-insoluble polymer (A)] is from 80 to 180 mgKOH/g.

Colored fine-particle dispersion for ink-jet printing. The colored fine-particle dispersion is produced by subjecting dispersion including pigment, polymerizable monomer, polymerizable surfactant, and water to emulsion polymerization, including dispersing a mixed solution including the pigment, the polymerizable surfactant, the water, and an organic solvent to prepare a dispersion 1; removing the organic solvent from the dispersion 1 to prepare a dispersion 2; and subjecting the dispersion 2 and the polymerizable monomer to emulsion polymerization to obtain the colored fine-particle dispersion. The process for producing the ink includes mixing the obtained colored fine-particle dispersion and an organic solvent B. The colored fine-particle dispersion includes colored fine-particles with average particle size of 10 to 300 nm. The colored fine-particle dispersion may be used in a water-based ink for ink-jet printing, and provides high-gloss printed characters or images excellent in rub fastness when printed on a low-water absorbing recording medium.

The present invention relates to [1] a process for producing a pigment water dispersion, including step 1 of mixing a water dispersion (A) formed by dispersing a pigment (I) with a water-dispersible polymer and a water dispersion (B) of a self-dispersible pigment (II) to obtain a water dispersion (C); and step 2 of subjecting the water dispersion (C) obtained in the step 1 to heat treatment at a temperature of not lower than 40 C. to obtain the pigment water dispersion, and [2] a pigment water dispersion containing a pigment (I) dispersed with a water-dispersible polymer and a self-dispersible pigment (II), in which the water-dispersible polymer is adsorbed onto the pigment (I) and the self-dispersible pigment (II).

The present invention relates to an effect pigment dispersion comprising water, a rheology control agent (A), and a flake-effect pigment (B), the flake-effect pigment (B) being an interference pigment in which a transparent or translucent substrate is coated with a metal oxide, and the solids content of the effect pigment dispersion being 0.1 to 15 mass %.

The present invention is a composition comprising an aqueous dispersion of metal oxide pigment particles coated with a polymer comprising structural units of an alkyltrihydroxysilane or a salt thereof and a dialkyldihydroxysilane or a salt thereof. The composition of the present invention provides hydrophobicity to pigment particles, thereby imparting water resistance, and allows for high loadings of pigment in water without increased viscosity.

A composition of matter includes a liquid and nanoparticles suspended in the liquid. The nanoparticles each include silica, alumina, and an organosilicon functional group having a molecular weight of at least 200. A method includes functionalizing a surface of nanoparticles with an organosilicon functional group and dispersing the nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension. The functional group has a molecular weight of at least 200. The nanoparticles each include silica and alumina at a surface thereof.

The method prepares an aqueous pigment dispersion. The method includes the following steps: providing a silica liquid including a hydrophilic fumed silica, potassium hydroxide and ion exchanged water; providing a styrene-acrylic acid copolymer obtained by copolymerizing monomers including a styrene monomer at an amount of 50 to 90 mass %; providing an aqueous medium; mixing a pigment with the styrene-acrylic acid copolymer and the aqueous medium to prepare a first mixture; and subsequently mixing the first mixture with the silica liquid to prepare the aqueous pigment dispersion.

The present disclosure is directed to an aqueous dispersion of inorganic fibers and a method for formulating an aqueous coating composition therefrom. The aqueous dispersion of inorganic fibers comprises water, inorganic fibers, a dispersing agent, an anti-settling agent and optionally additional additives, wherein the inorganic fibers have an average fiber diameter of from 1 micron to 100 microns and have a number average aspect ratio of from 1.1:1 to 10:1; and wherein the aqueous dispersion does not contain a film-forming amount of a polymeric resin.