The present disclosure generally relates to methods of preparing spherical salt particles for industrial, medical, and other uses. The methods can include combining the angular salt particles with a quantity of finishing media, for example, into a receptacle. Thereafter, the angular salt particles and the finishing media can be moved or agitated until the angular salt particles have a desired sphericity.

A calcium carbonate-containing material and a process for preparing the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material, wherein a paint includes the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material, and to the use of the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material. The calcium carbonate-containing material is prepared from an avian eggshell, wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material has a weight-median particle size d50 of from 0.5 to 10 μm, and/or a weight top cut particle size d98 of from 2.0 to 40 μm, and wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material includes organic matter in an amount of below 1.5 wt. %, based on the total dry weight of the calcium carbonate-containing material, and wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material has i) a brightness from 90 to 100%, according to R457, and/or ii) L* from 95 to 100, according to DIN 6174.

Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material. In other embodiments, the TE nanocomposite material can be a nanocomposite thermoelectric material having one network of p-type or n-type semiconductor domains and a low thermal conductivity semiconductor or dielectric network or domains separating the p-type or n-type domains that provides efficient phonon scattering to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical properties of the p-type or n-type semiconductor.

Disclosed herein are methods of forming a hydrous kaolin clay product. The method can include (i) refining coarse crude kaolin clay to form a refined, coarse kaolin clay, and/or refining a tertiary, fine crude kaolin clay to form a refined, fine, hydrous kaolin clay, (ii) centrifuging the refined, coarse kaolin clay; the refined, fine, hydrous kaolin clay, or a blend thereof to provide a hydrous kaolin stream, and (iii) refining the hydrous kaolin stream to form the hydrous kaolin clay product. The hydrous kaolin stream can be blended with a delaminated, coarse kaolin clay, prior to refining the hydrous kaolin stream. The hydrous kaolin clay product can have a total alkali content of 0.2% or less by weight of the hydrous kaolin clay product. Compositions including cordierite ceramics, industrial coatings, paints, adhesives, inks, and fillers comprising the hydrous kaolin clay product are also described herein.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a mineral filler product comprising a step of dry grinding a calcium carbonate-containing material in the presence of an agent being a polyol. The mineral filler product according to the present invention was found to have a reduced moisture pickup as compared to prior art products.

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of a calcium carbonate-comprising material, to a calcium carbonate-comprising material obtained by the process as well as the use of the calcium carbonate-comprising material for paper filler and paper coating applications, in plastics applications, in paints, in adhesives, in sealings, in concrete, in agriculture applications, in food applications, in cosmetic applications or in pharmaceutical applications.

Carbonate pigment compositions are provided. In some instances, the pigment compositions are CO2 sequestering pigment compositions. Also provided are methods of making and using the pigment compositions, e.g., in paints and coatings, as well as other applications.

A method for producing nano-clays comprising forming a mixture of a clay and water, wherein water is present in an amount of from 2 to 10% by weight of the total weight of clay and water, and milling the mixture of clay and water in the presence of a grinding media to form the nano-clay.

This powder satisfies requirements 1 and 2.

Requirement 1: |dA(T)/dT| satisfies 10 ppm/° C. or more at at least one temperature Ti in a range of −200° C. to 1200° C. A is (a-axis (shorter axis) lattice constant) of a crystal in the powder)/(c-axis (longer axis) lattice constant of the crystal in the powder), and each of the lattice constants is obtained by X-ray diffractometry of the powder. Requirement 2: a particle diameter D50 at a cumulative frequency of 50%, a particle diameter D10 at a cumulative frequency of 10%, and a particle diameter D90 at a cumulative frequency of 90% in a volume-based cumulative particle diameter distribution curve obtained by a laser diffraction scattering method satisfy conditions (I) and (II): (I) D10/D50 is 0.05 or more and 0.45 or less; and (II) 190 is 0.5 μm or more and 70 μm or less.

A solid composition contains a first material and a powder and satisfies requirements 1 and 2. Requirement 1: |dA(T)/dT| satisfies 10 ppm/° C. or more at least at −200° C. to 1,200° C. A is (an a-axis lattice constant of a crystal in the powder)/(a c-axis lattice constant of a crystal in the powder), obtained from X-ray diffractometry of the powder. Requirement 2: C is 0.04 or more. C is (a log differential pore volume when a pore diameter of the solid composition is B in a pore distribution curve of the solid composition)/(a log differential pore volume corresponding to a maximum peak intensity in the pore distribution curve of the solid composition). B is (a pore diameter giving a maximum peak intensity in the pore distribution curve of the solid composition)/2. The pore distribution curve of the solid composition shows a relationship between the pore diameter and the log differential pore volume.