Porous metal oxide microspheres are prepared via a process comprising forming a liquid dispersion of polymer nanoparticles and a metal oxide; forming liquid droplets of the dispersion; drying the droplets to provide polymer template microspheres comprising polymer nanospheres; and removing the polymer nanospheres from the template microspheres to provide the porous metal oxide microspheres. The porous microspheres exhibit saturated colors and are suitable as colorants for a variety of end-uses.

A positive electrode active material for a lithium ion battery comprises a lithium transition metal-based oxide powder, the powder comprising single crystal monolithic particles comprising Ni and Co and having a general formula Li.sub.1+a (Ni.sub.z Mn.sub.y Co.sub.x Zr.sub.q A.sub.k).sub.1−a O.sub.2, wherein A is a dopant, −0.025≤a<0.005, 0.60≤z≤0.95, y≤0.20, 0.05≤x≤0.20, k≤0.20, 0≤q≤0.10, and x+y+z+k+q=1. The particles have a cobalt concentration gradient wherein the particle surface has a higher Co content than the particle center.

Disclosed are novel precursor particles for preparing a cathode active material including transition metal precursor particles containing one or more transition metals, and one or more of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal, wherein the alkali metal and the alkaline earth metal are contained in one or more of inner and outer parts of the transition metal precursor particles, and a novel precursor powder including the novel precursor particles.

A raw material solution containing trivalent iron ions, or trivalent iron ions and ions of a metal element that partially substitutes Fe sites, and an alkaline aqueous solution for neutralizing the raw material solution are added to a reaction system to adjust the pH of the reaction system from 1.0 to 3.0 or lower. Hydroxycarboxylic acid is added to the obtained reaction solution and the pH of the reaction system is then neutralized from 7.0 to 10.0 or lower. The obtained precipitate of a substituent metal element-containing iron oxyhydroxide is coated with silicon oxide, followed by heating so as to form particles of ε-iron oxide in which Fe sites are partially substituted by other metal elements, and then, a slurry containing the particles is classified. The iron-based oxide magnetic powder has a particle shape close to a perfect sphere and is suitable for use in a magnetic recording medium.

A negative electrode active material including natural graphite. The negative electrode active material has a ratio of D.sub.90 to D.sub.10, which is D.sub.90/D.sub.10, of 2.0 to 2.2, a tap density of 1.11 g/cm.sup.3 to 1.19 g/cm.sup.3, and a BET specific surface area of 2.02 m.sup.2/g to 2.30 m.sup.2/g.

To provide a ceramic particle separable composite material having a calcium phosphate sintered body particle with which bioaffinity reduction and solubility change are suppressed as much as possible and which has a smaller particle diameter. A ceramic particle separable composite material comprising a ceramic particle and a substrate, wherein: the ceramic particle and the substrate are chemically bonded to each other, or the ceramic particle physically adheres to or is embedded in the substrate; the ceramic particle has a particle diameter within a range of 10 nm to 700 nm; the ceramic particle is a calcium phosphate sintered body particle; and the ceramic particle contains no calcium carbonate.

The present invention is characterized by including an aromatic vinyl-based copolymer, glass fiber, and zinc oxide, wherein the zinc oxide has an average particle size (D50) of about 0.5 to 3 μm as measured by a particle size analyzer, and a size ratio (B/A) of peak B, spanning the range of 450 to 600 nm, to peak A, spanning the range of 370 to 390 nm, of about 0.01 to 1.0 when measuring photoluminescence. The thermoplastic resin composition exhibits excellent rigidity, antibacterial properties, weather resistance, external appearance and the like.

Provided are a magnetic recording medium including: a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer which is provided on at least one surface of the non-magnetic support and includes particles of epsilon type iron oxide-based compound, and a binding agent, in which a contact angle measured regarding a surface of the magnetic layer is equal to or greater than 30.0° and smaller than 45.0° with respect to 1-bromonaphthalene and 80.0° to 95.0° with respect to water, a manufacturing method of particles of an epsilon iron oxide-based compound, and a manufacturing method of a magnetic recording medium.

The invention relates to a method for preparing materials with composition gradient characteristics. After mixing a lithium source with the prepared precursor, raise the temperature from room temperature to 300° C.˜600° C. at 2° C./min˜10° C./min and maintain it, and then sinter for 5 hours˜18 hours, cool with the furnace, then raise the temperature from room temperature to 600° C.˜1200° C. at 2° C./min˜10° C./min and maintain it, and sinter for 5 hours˜18 hours, and the material is thus obtained. The material prepared with the method provided by the invention has composition gradient characteristic, and its application to the positive electrode of battery enables the battery to have higher energy density and better thermal stability, and prolonged service life.

Provided are a ferrite powder that suppresses decreases in saturation magnetization and decreases in filler filling ratio and also suppresses inhibition of resin curing, and a method for producing the same. A ferrite powder composed of spherical ferrite particles, wherein the ferrite powder contains iron (Fe) 54.0-70.0 mass % and manganese (Mn) 3.5-18.5 mass %, has an average volume particle size of 2.0-20.0 μm, and has a carbon content of 0.100 mass % or lower.