Ceramic-polymer composites and methods. The ceramic-polymer composites, in powder and/or pellet forms, comprise a plurality of core-shell particles, where: each of the core-shell particles comprises a core and a shell around the core; the core comprises a ceramic selected from the group of ceramics consisting of: Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, ZnO, ZrO.sub.2, and SiO.sub.2; and the shell comprises a polymer selected from the group of polymers consisting of: PC copolymers, polyetherimide (PEI), polyetherimide (PEI) copolymers, polyphenyl sulfone (PPSU), polyarylethersulfone (PAES), and poly ether sulfones (PES). In powder form, the core-shell particles are in a substantially dry powder form having a moisture content of less than 2% by weight. In pellet form, shells of adjacent core-shell particles are joined to resist separation of the adjacent core-shell particles and deformation of a respective pellet. Methods of forming a ceramic-polymer composite comprise: superheating a mixture of polymer, solvent, and ceramic, to dissolve the polymer in the solvent; agitating the superheated mixture while substantially maintaining the mixture at an elevated temperature and pressure; and cooling the mixture to cause the polymer to precipitate on the particles of the ceramic and thereby form a plurality of the present polymer-ceramic core-shell particles. Methods of molding a part comprise subjecting a powder of the present polymer-ceramic core-shell particles that substantially fills a mold to a first pressure while the powder is at or above a first temperature above a melting temperature (T.sub.m) of the polymer.

A nanomaterial includes a ZnO nanocrystal and a surface ligand bonded to the ZnO nanocrystal. The surface ligand has a structure of

##STR00001##

R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are independently selected from at least one of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a hydroxyalkoxy group, a hydroxyl group, or a hydrogen atom. R.sup.4 is selected from a hydrocarbon group having a carbon number of 5 to 60. A carbon number of the alkyl group ranges from 1 to 5. A carbon number of the alkoxy group ranges from 1 to 5. A carbon number of the hydroxyalkoxy group ranges from 1 to 5.

Provided is a filler that has a low viscosity when mixed in a resin material and has reduced permittivity and dielectric loss tangent. The filler includes: a metal oxide particle material; and a polyorganosiloxane compound with which a surface treatment is performed on the metal oxide particle material and which is represented by general formula (1): (RO).sub.3Si—(SiR.sub.2—O—).sub.n—SiR.sub.3 (in general formula (1), each R is independently selected from among alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is not less than 10 and not greater than 200). A resin composition obtained by containing the filler in a resin is suitable for an electronic material.

An object is to reduce the occurrence of aggregation of an inorganic pigment that roughens the texture and dulls the color of a cosmetic containing the inorganic pigment. Porous pigment particles are provided which include cellulose or a cellulose derivative, and an inorganic pigment as main components. Also provided are a method for producing such particles, and a cosmetic containing such porous pigment particles. The particles are resistant to aggregation and are excellently dispersed in a base material to impart a color while improving the dullness problem. The particles of the present invention are porous particles that contain cellulose and have a wrinkle-like or fold-like uneven structure on the surface thereof (that is, have an appropriate amount of pores or voids). Thus, the particles of the present invention have soft and comfortable texture and are suitably added to cosmetics that are directly applied to the skin.

A dispersion liquid contains an inorganic oxide particle surface-treated with at least one of a compound represented by Formula Si(R.sup.A1)(X.sup.A1).sub.3 or a compound represented by Formula Si(R.sup.A2)(R.sup.A20)(X.sup.A2).sup.2, polysiloxane having at least one of a T unit represented by Formula [R.sup.B1SiO.sub.3/2] or a D unit represented by Formula [R.sup.B2R.sup.B20SiO], and an organic solvent, where a content of the polysiloxane is 0.5% to 39% by mass with respect to a total amount of the inorganic oxide particle and the polysiloxane, in which in the formula, R.sup.A1, R.sup.A2, R.sup.B1, and R.sup.B2 represent a functional group, X.sup.A1 and X.sup.A2 represent a hydroxyl group or a hydrolyzable group, and R.sup.A20 and R.sup.B20 represent an alkyl group or an aryl group.

A method of controlling oxygen vacancy concentration in a semiconducting metal oxide includes exposing a treated surface of a crystalline metal oxide to water at a temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the water in a liquid phase. During the exposure, a portion of the water is adsorbed onto the treated surface and dissociates into atomic oxygen and hydrogen. The atomic oxygen is injected into and diffuses through the crystalline metal oxide, forming isolated oxygen interstitials and oxygen defect complexes. The isolated oxygen interstitials replace oxygen vacancies in the crystalline metal oxide.

A zinc oxide powder in which a BET specific surface area (X) of the powder is 1.5 m.sup.2/g or more and 65 m.sup.2/g or less, a value obtained by a formula: an apparent specific volume (mL/g) measured by a loose packing method of the zinc oxide powder/an apparent specific volume (mL/g) measured by a tapping method of the zinc oxide powder is 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less, and Formula (1) and Formula (2) shown below are satisfied.

A1/E2=aX+0.06  (1)

(M2−M1)/E2≥0.02  (2)

The present invention relates to silicon coated metal microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a metal microparticle composed of at least one of metal elements or metalloid elements is coated with silicon, wherein the silicon coated metal microparticles are a product obtained by a reduction treatment of silicon compound coated precursor microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a precursor microparticle containing a precursor of the metal microparticles is coated with a silicon compound, or silicon doped precursor microparticles containing a precursor of the metal microparticles. Because it is possible particularly to strictly control a particle diameter of the silicon compound coated metal microparticle by controlling conditions of the reduction treatment, design of a more appropriate composition can become facilitated, compared with a conventional composition, in terms of diversified usages and desired properties of silicon compound coated metal microparticles.

An activating composition for use in vulcanisation includes based on the total weight of the activating composition: 20 to 80% by weight of at least one vulcanisation activator [activator (V)]; 10 to 40% by weight of at least one wax selected from the group constituted of paraffin waxes, microcrystalline waxes, polyolefin waxes, Fischer-Tropsch waxes, oxidised Fischer-Tropsch waxes, their derivatives and mixtures thereof; 10 to 40% by weight of at least one inorganic filler. A method is for manufacturing the activating composition.

In an ultraviolet-shielding particle coated with silicon oxide of the present invention, a surface of the ultraviolet-shielding particle is coated with a silicon oxide coat, at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, and a cycloalkyl group is present on a surface of the silicon oxide coat, and a content of the functional group is 0.0001% by mass or more and 0.30% by mass or less.