An ultra-white granular silica-based filler comprises at least 99.5 wt. % silica, wherein the crystal structure of the silica is such that the silica-based filler comprises 40 to 80 wt. % cristobalite, 1 to 25 wt. % tridymite, 2-60 wt. % quartz and <5 wt. % amorphous silica, wherein the temperature of the ultra-white granular silica-based filler is no higher than 50° C. and further wherein the ultra-white granular silica-based filler exhibits an L* value in the CIELAB color space of 95-98. In addition, an ultra-white powder filler is obtained by milling, grinding or comminuting the ultra-white granular silica-based filler. The ultra-white powder filler exhibits an L* value in the CIELAB color space of 95-98.5.

A method for obtaining at least one particle, including: (a) preparing solution A including at least one precursor of at least one of Si, B, P, Ge, As, Al, Fe, Ti, Zr, Ni, Zn, Ca, Na, Ba, K, Mg, Pb, Ag, V, Te, Mn, Ir, Sc, Nb, Sn, Ce, Be, Ta, S, Se, N, F, and Cl; (b) preparing aqueous solution B; (c) forming droplets of solution A; (d) forming droplets of solution B; (e) mixing droplets; (f) dispersing mixed droplets in a gas flow; (g) heating dispersed droplets to obtain the at least one particle; (h) cooling the at least one particle; and (i) separating and collecting the at least one particle. The aqueous solution is acidic, neutral, or basic. In step (a) and/or step (b) at least one colloidal suspension of a plurality of nanoparticles is mixed with the solution. Also, a device for implementing the method.

The invention provides a composition of particulate materials. The composition comprises lanthanum chloride in particulate form. The composition also comprises up to about 4% by weight of amorphous silica in particulate form, based on the combined weight of the lanthanum chloride and the amorphous silica. The addition of amorphous silica to desiccated lanthanum chloride forms a fine coating or barrier on the outer surfaces of the individual lanthanum crystals, providing a composition that is significantly more stable and able to resist coalescence of particles than pure desiccated lanthanum chloride.

The invention provides a composition of particulate materials. The composition comprises lanthanum chloride in particulate form. The composition also comprises up to about 4% by weight of amorphous silica in particulate form, based on the combined weight of the lanthanum chloride and the amorphous silica. The addition of amorphous silica to desiccated lanthanum chloride forms a fine coating or barrier on the outer surfaces of the individual lanthanum crystals, providing a composition that is significantly more stable and able to resist coalescence of particles than pure desiccated lanthanum chloride.

A light-shielding composition includes a light-shielding pigment, a resin, a polymerizable compound, which is a low-molecular-weight compound containing an ethylenically unsaturated group, and a polymerization initiator, in which the light-shielding pigment contains an inorganic particle, and an inorganic compound coating the inorganic particle, the inorganic particle contains one or more nitrogen-containing metal compounds selected from the group consisting of zirconium nitride, zirconium oxynitride, vanadium nitride, vanadium oxynitride, niobium nitride, and niobium oxynitride, the inorganic compound contains a silicon atom, and a contained atom number ratio of a total content of metallic atoms, which are selected from the group consisting of a zirconium atom, a vanadium atom, and a niobium atom, to a content of the silicon atom in a surface of the light-shielding pigment, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, is greater than 1.0.

Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) system configured with the use of a composite material employing a non-metallic matrix and at least one of diamond particles, fused silica particles, boron carbide particles, silicon carbide particles, aluminum oxide particles, carbon fiber elements, carbon nanotube elements, and doped diamond particles to increase the structural integrity and/or strength of the SPM system, and a fraction of reinforcement ranging from at least 25% to at least 75% with advantageous modification of the Young's modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity.

Disclosed are a superhydrophobic coating with abrasion resistance and a preparation method thereof. The coating has a composite structure formed by a nanohybrid composed of nano-SiO.sub.2 and multi-wallet carbon nanotubes, and a resin as a matrix.

Disclosed are a superhydrophobic coating with abrasion resistance and a preparation method thereof. The coating has a composite structure formed by a nanohybrid composed of nano-SiO.sub.2 and multi-wallet carbon nanotubes, and a resin as a matrix.

Porous amorphous silica can be obtained from siliceous plant matter containing non-siliceous inorganic substances. The siliceous plant matter is soaked in an aqueous solution which includes a chelating agent. The chelating agent is present in an amount which helps to extract at least some of the non-siliceous inorganic matter. The aqueous solution is then separated from the siliceous plant matter. Beneficial properties are imparted to the siliceous plant matter by controlling the amount of at least one preselected non-siliceous inorganic substance in the siliceous plant matter. At the end of the process, the siliceous plant matter is heat treated in the presence of oxygen at a temperature to produce the resulting amorphous silica having the beneficial properties.

A mesoporous silica nanoparticle includes a plurality of pores, a bioactive agent disposed in at least a portion of the ores, and an immunomodulatory moiety either disposed in a portion of the pores or bound to at least a portion of the outer surface of the nanoparticle.