The silicate of magnesium and of barium, strontium or calcium of the invention is characterized in that it is in the form of a suspension of solid crystallized particles in a liquid phase, said particles having a mean size between 0.1 m and 1 m. It is prepared by spray-drying a liquid mixture comprising compounds of magnesium, of silicium and of at least one first element chosen from barium, strontium and calcium, by submitting the dried mixture to a first calcination in air and to a second calcination in a reducing atmosphere and by wet milling the calcined mixture.

The silicate of magnesium and of barium, strontium or calcium of the invention is characterized in that it is in the form of a suspension of solid crystallized particles in a liquid phase, said particles having a mean size between 0.1 m and 1 m. It is prepared by spray-drying a liquid mixture comprising compounds of magnesium, of silicium and of at least one first element chosen from barium, strontium and calcium, by submitting the dried mixture to a first calcination in air and to a second calcination in a reducing atmosphere and by wet milling the calcined mixture.

The present invention relates to a surface-coated particle in which a portion or all of the surface of a particle (A) is coated with a surface treatment agent (B), wherein a dynamic friction coefficient of the surface-coated particle is 0.50 or less, when a 5% by mass ethanol dispersion of the surface-coated particle is applied onto a polyurethane substrate in an amount of 2 mg/cm.sup.2, and dried for 24 hours under atmospheric pressure at 23 C., followed by measurement under conditions of a load of 3.53 N, a moving speed of 10 mm/sec, a moving distance of 50 mm, 30 reciprocations, and a temperature of 252 C., and the standard deviation of the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.020 or less.

A process for the treatment of a silicate mineral, includes: preparing a first composition including an alkali metal magnesium orthosilicate and optionally either (i) magnesium oxide or (ii) an alkali metal silicate, by reaction, at a temperature from 500 to 1200 C., of an alkali metal carbonate compound, which compound is an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate or a mixture thereof, with a magnesium silicate, the molar ratio of alkali metal carbonate compound, expressed as alkali metal oxide of the formula R.sub.2O, in which R represents an alkali metal, to magnesium silicate, expressed as silicon dioxide, of the formula SiO.sub.2, being from 4:1 to 1:4, and contacting the first composition with water to produce a second composition comprising an amorphous magnesium silicate hydrate (M-SH).

A process for the treatment of a silicate mineral, includes: preparing a first composition including an alkali metal magnesium orthosilicate and optionally either (i) magnesium oxide or (ii) an alkali metal silicate, by reaction, at a temperature from 500 to 1200 C., of an alkali metal carbonate compound, which compound is an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate or a mixture thereof, with a magnesium silicate, the molar ratio of alkali metal carbonate compound, expressed as alkali metal oxide of the formula R.sub.2O, in which R represents an alkali metal, to magnesium silicate, expressed as silicon dioxide, of the formula SiO.sub.2, being from 4:1 to 1:4, and contacting the first composition with water to produce a second composition comprising an amorphous magnesium silicate hydrate (M-SH).

The present invention provides an olivine-type positive active material precursor for a lithium battery that includes MXO.sub.4-zB.sub.z (wherein M is one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Co, Mn, Cr, Zr, Nb, Cu, V, Ti, Zn, Al, Ga, Mg, B, and a combination thereof, X is one element selected from the group consisting of P, As, Bi, Sb, and a combination thereof, B is one element selected from the group consisting of F, S, and a combination thereof, and 0z0.5) particles, and the precursor has a particle diameter of 1 to 20 m, a tap density of 0.8 to 2.1 g/cm.sup.3, and a specific surface area of 1 to 10 m.sup.2/g. The olivine-type positive active material prepared using the olivine-type positive active material precursor has excellent crystallinity of particles, a large particle diameter, and a high tap density, and therefore shows excellent electrochemical characteristics and capacity per unit volume.

A process for capturing or concentrating microorganisms for detection or assay comprises (a) providing a concentration agent that comprises an amorphous metal silicate and that has a surface composition having a metal atom to silicon atom ratio of less than or equal to about 0.5, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); (b) providing a sample comprising at least one microorganism strain; and (c) contacting the concentration agent with the sample such that at least a portion of the at least one microorganism strain is bound to or captured by the concentration agent.

A laminate of layered substances each containing two or more kinds of elements as constituent elements is contained in an ionic liquid containing a specific cation, and the ionic liquid containing the laminate is irradiated with one or both of sonic waves and electric waves.

A laminate of layered substances each containing two or more kinds of elements as constituent elements is contained in an ionic liquid containing a specific cation, and the ionic liquid containing the laminate is irradiated with one or both of sonic waves and electric waves.

A process for preparing phyllomineral synthetic particles formed from constituent chemical elements in stoichiometric proportions including at least one chemical element selected from the group formed from silicon and germanium, and at least one chemical element selected from the group formed from divalent metals and trivalent metals, by a continuous solvothermal treatment at a pressure above 1 MPa and at a temperature between 100 C. and 600 C., by making the reaction medium circulate continuously in a solvothermal treatment zone of a continuous reactor (15) with a residence time of the reaction medium in the solvothermal treatment zone that is suitable for continuously obtaining, at the outlet of the solvothermal treatment zone, a suspension including the phyllomineral synthetic particles.