This gel-form composition contains (A) an organoalkoxysilane of the following formula and/or a partially hydrolyzed condensate of the organoalkoxysilane, R.sup.1.sub.aSi(OR.sup.2).sub.4-a (R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are monovalent hydrocarbon groups, and a is 1, 2, or 3), (B) an aluminum dicarboxylate of the following formula (R.sup.3COO).sub.2Al(OH) (R.sup.3 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group), (C) a C6-24 fatty acid, (D) a C6-30 dicarboxylic acid, and (E) an aluminum oligomer and/or aluminum alkoxide selected from aluminum oxide organoxides and aluminum oxide acylates. It is thereby possible to: obtain a water absorption inhibitor that imparts an excellent water absorption-inhibiting property to the surfaces of porous materials; and provide a method for imparting a water absorption-inhibiting property by applying the water absorption inhibitor to the surface of a porous material, and a porous material that is surface-treated by the water absorption inhibitor.

This gel-form composition contains (A) an organoalkoxysilane of the following formula and/or a partially hydrolyzed condensate of the organoalkoxysilane, R.sup.1.sub.aSi(OR.sup.2).sub.4-a (R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are monovalent hydrocarbon groups, and a is 1, 2, or 3), (B) an aluminum dicarboxylate of the following formula (R.sup.3COO).sub.2Al(OH) (R.sup.3 is a monovalent hydrocarbon group), (C) a C6-24 fatty acid, (D) a C6-30 dicarboxylic acid, and (E) an aluminum oligomer and/or aluminum alkoxide selected from aluminum oxide organoxides and aluminum oxide acylates. It is thereby possible to: obtain a water absorption inhibitor that imparts an excellent water absorption-inhibiting property to the surfaces of porous materials; and provide a method for imparting a water absorption-inhibiting property by applying the water absorption inhibitor to the surface of a porous material, and a porous material that is surface-treated by the water absorption inhibitor.

A reflective particulate material comprises a particulate substrate, and a coating on the particulate substrate. The coated reflective particulate material may have a relative error of an amount of the coating on the particulate substrate of about 5% to about 15%, and/or a dust index of about 5 or lower, and/or a staining loss of about 8% to about 11%. A method of manufacturing the reflective particulate material comprises mixing the particulate substrate with a liquid coating composition to form a wet particulate mixture, passing the wet particulate mixture through at least one heat zone to remove water and/or moisture, and curing the coating material in the coating composition.

A reflective particulate material comprises a particulate substrate, and a coating on the particulate substrate. The coated reflective particulate material may have a relative error of an amount of the coating on the particulate substrate of about 5% to about 15%, and/or a dust index of about 5 or lower, and/or a staining loss of about 8% to about 11%. A method of manufacturing the reflective particulate material comprises mixing the particulate substrate with a liquid coating composition to form a wet particulate mixture, passing the wet particulate mixture through at least one heat zone to remove water and/or moisture, and curing the coating material in the coating composition.

The present invention is to provide an economical and efficient method of reducing drying shrinkage of a cement-based hardened body without requiring the cost and/or the labor and time. A cement-based hardened body is impregnated with a solution containing urea or a solution containing sulfate together with urea. An impregnation treatment may be by a method of coating or spraying the cement-based hardened body with the solution, or alternatively, immersing the cement-based hardened body in the solution containing both urea and sulfate for a predetermined period of time. The solution containing both urea and sulfate may be a solution prepared simply by dissolving both urea and sulfate in water. Besides, there are no particular limitations on a liquid allowing dissolution of both urea and sulfate, so long as it causes no impairment of a drying shrinkage reduction effect, and therefore, a solution having the drying shrinkage reduction effect in itself is also applicable for use of a solution containing both urea and sulfate in a state of being dissolved in such solution.

The present invention is to provide an economical and efficient method of reducing drying shrinkage of a cement-based hardened body without requiring the cost and/or the labor and time. A cement-based hardened body is impregnated with a solution containing urea or a solution containing sulfate together with urea. An impregnation treatment may be by a method of coating or spraying the cement-based hardened body with the solution, or alternatively, immersing the cement-based hardened body in the solution containing both urea and sulfate for a predetermined period of time. The solution containing both urea and sulfate may be a solution prepared simply by dissolving both urea and sulfate in water. Besides, there are no particular limitations on a liquid allowing dissolution of both urea and sulfate, so long as it causes no impairment of a drying shrinkage reduction effect, and therefore, a solution having the drying shrinkage reduction effect in itself is also applicable for use of a solution containing both urea and sulfate in a state of being dissolved in such solution.

The present invention is to provide an economical and efficient method of reducing drying shrinkage of a cement-based hardened body without requiring the cost and/or the labor and time. A cement-based hardened body is impregnated with a solution containing urea or a solution containing sulfate together with urea. An impregnation treatment may be by a method of coating or spraying the cement-based hardened body with the solution, or alternatively, immersing the cement-based hardened body in the solution containing both urea and sulfate for a predetermined period of time. The solution containing both urea and sulfate may be a solution prepared simply by dissolving both urea and sulfate in water. Besides, there are no particular limitations on a liquid allowing dissolution of both urea and sulfate, so long as it causes no impairment of a drying shrinkage reduction effect, and therefore, a solution having the drying shrinkage reduction effect in itself is also applicable for use of a solution containing both urea and sulfate in a state of being dissolved in such solution.

Disclosed herein are coated gemstones, coatings for gemstones, methods of coating gemstones, and methods of using coatings on gemstones to avoid blemishes on gemstones. In some embodiments, diamonds are functionalized with anchor molecules that bind hydrophilic cyclodextrin molecules to confer hydrophilicity on the diamond. In some embodiments, the diamonds resist dirt and grime build-up.

Disclosed herein are coated gemstones, coatings for gemstones, methods of coating gemstones, and methods of using coatings on gemstones to avoid blemishes on gemstones. In some embodiments, diamonds are functionalized with anchor molecules that bind hydrophilic cyclodextrin molecules to confer hydrophilicity on the diamond. In some embodiments, the diamonds resist dirt and grime build-up.

The present invention relates to a kit of parts comprising a dental mill blank comprising a porous zirconia material and a colouring solution for colouring the porous zirconia material. The porous zirconia material comprises Zr oxide calculated as ZrO2: from 80 to 97 wt.-%, Al oxide calculated as Al2O3: from 0 to 0.15 wt.-%, Y oxide calculated as Y2O3: from 1 to 10 wt.-%, Bi oxide calculated as Bi2O3: from 0.01 to 0.2 wt.-%, the porous zirconia material not comprising Fe calculated as Fe2O3 in an amount of more than 0.01 wt.-%, wt.-% with respect to the weight of the porous zirconia material. The colouring solution comprises solvent(s), colouring agent(s) comprising metal ions selected from Tb, Er, Pr, Mn or combinations thereof, the solution not comprising Fe ions in an amount of more than 0.01 wt.-%, the solution not comprising Bi ions in an amount of more than 0.01 wt.-%, wt.-% with respect to the weight of the colouring solution. The invention also relates to a process of producing a dental restoration, the process comprising the steps: providing a dental mill blank comprising a porous zirconia material as described in any of the preceding claims, machining an article out of the porous zirconia material, the article having the shape of a dental restoration with an outer and inner surface, providing a colouring solution as described in any of the preceding claims, applying the colouring solution to at least portions of the surface of the article having the shape of a dental restoration.