Porous metal oxide microspheres are prepared via a process comprising forming a liquid solution or dispersion of polydisperse polymer nanoparticles and a metal oxide; forming liquid droplets from the solution or dispersion; drying the liquid droplets to provide polymer template microspheres comprising polymer nanospheres and metal oxide; 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.

Provided are a coated particle that enables particles with low surface free energy to be dispersed in an aqueous solvent without using a fluorochemical surfactant, a dispersion solution, a dispersion method of coated particles, a coating film, a manufacturing method of a coating film, and a copolymer. A coated particle has: a particle with surface free energy of 50 mJ/m.sup.2 or less; and a copolymer in which a monomer including a hydrophilic group except for catechol groups and a monomer including at least a catechol group are copolymerized, and the particle is coated with the copolymer.

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 product for incorporating ultraviolet radiation protection and antimicrobial protection into a synthetic polymer is disclosed which has a quantity of zinc oxide particles with each particle having a surface, a paste, a quantity of synthetic polymer chips, and a quantity of a reactive group for modifying each surface of each zinc oxide particle, the quantity of the reactive group sufficient for forming a bond with the quantity of synthetic polymer chips prior to the quantity of synthetic polymer chips being formed into a fiber.

Provided are a nanocomposite body, a method of manufacturing the nanocomposite body, and a nanocomposite film including the nanocomposite body. The nanocomposite body includes: inorganic particles; a polymer matrix; and grafting polymer chains each of which includes a polyol structure, wherein the inorganic particles and the polymer matrix are linked by the grafting polymer chains.

Use of a particulate mineral having a coating of one or more rosin acid(s) and/or one or more derivative(s) thereof as a pitch and/or stickies control agent in a composition comprising cellulosic pulp, a method of reducing dissolved and/or colloidal pitch and/or stickies in cellulosic pulp using said coated particulate minerals, said coated particulate mineral, a method of making said coated particulate mineral, a composition comprising cellulosic pulp and said coated particulate mineral and paper comprising said coated particulate mineral.

A composition including a medium and surfactant-free nanoparticles (SFNPs) at different dispersion state or aggregation form. The composition includes: (a) a composition of a medium and surfactant-free nanoparticles in primary form, wherein the dielectric constant value (DE value) of the medium is equal to or larger than the intrinsic dielectric constant value (IDE) of the SFNPs and smaller than about 1.5 times of the IDE of the SFNPs; (b) a composition of a medium and reaction-limited aggregation form of SFNPs, wherein the DE value of the medium is much larger than the IDE of the surfactant-free nanoparticles; (c) a composition of a medium and diffusion-limited aggregation form of SFNPs, wherein the DE value of the medium is smaller than the IDE of the surfactant-free nanoparticles; and (d) a composition comprising redispersible aggregation form of surfactant-free nanoparticles, wherein the surfactant-free nanoparticles are induced to aggregate in the diffusion-limited fashion in a medium with a DE value that is smaller than the IDE of the surfactant-free nanoparticles.

In a coloring ultraviolet protective agent, the average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range from 200 nm to 380 nm is increased, and the color characteristics in the visible region are controlled. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent is useful for shielding ultraviolet rays and coloring. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent comprises M2 doped oxide particles in which oxide particles (M1Ox) including at least M1 being a metal element or metalloid element, are doped with at least one M2 selected from metal elements or metalloid elements other than M1, wherein x is an arbitrary positive number, wherein an average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 380 nm of a dispersion in which the M2 doped oxide particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium, is improved as compared with one of a dispersion in which the oxide particles (M1Ox) are dispersed in a dispersion medium, and wherein a hue or chroma of color characteristics in the visible region of the M2 doped oxide particles is controlled.

Disclosed in certain embodiments are hybrid metal oxide particles and methods of preparing the same. In at least one embodiment, hybrid metal oxide particles comprise a continuous matrix of a first metal oxide having embedded therein an array of metal oxide particles comprising a second metal oxide. In at least one embodiment, the hybrid metal oxide particles are substantially non-porous.

The present invention relates to a detoxified powder composition comprising a zinc-bearing compound selected from the group consisting of zinc carbonate, zinc hydroxide, zinc oxide, zinc sulphate and mixtures thereof, and at least one detoxification agent containing at least one oxide based on a cation, selected from the group consisting of calcium, barium, magnesium, strontium and beryllium.