There is provided a modified zirconium phosphate tungstate which effectively suppresses the elution of phosphorus ions even when it contacts with water, can develop the performance excellent as a negative thermal expansion material, and can be dispersed in a polymer compound such as a resin, and use of which enables a low-thermal expansive material containing a negative thermal expansion filler to be well produced. The surface of a zirconium phosphate tungstate particle is coated with an inorganic compound containing one or two or more elements (M) selected from Zn, Si, Al, Ba, Ca, Mg, Ti, V, Sn, Co, Fe and Zr. The BET specific surface area of the zirconium phosphate tungstate particle is preferably 0.1 m.sup.2/g to 50 m.sup.2/g.

Silicon particles with a reduced and/or delayed propensity to generate hydrogen gas by reaction with water in aqueous inks for preparing lithium ion battery anodes are prepared by milling silicon, preferably in an oxidative atmosphere, followed by heat treating at an elevated temperature in vacuum or an inert atmosphere.

Provided is a surface-modified nanodiamond having excellent dispersibility in an organic solvent, and a method capable of introducing various surface-modifying groups and easily producing surface-modified nanocarbon particles with little zirconia contamination. The surface-modified nanodiamond includes nanodiamond particles and a group that surface-modifies the nanodiamond particles and is represented by Formula (1): —X—R.sup.1 (1) [where X represents —NH—, —O—, —O—C(═O)—, —C(═O)—O—, —NH—C(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH—, or —S—; the bond extending left from X is bonded to a nanodiamond particle; R.sup.1 represents a monovalent organic group that does not have a hydroxy group, carboxy group, amino group, mono-substituted amino group, terminal alkenyl group, and terminal epoxy group; an atom bound to X is a carbon atom; and a molar ratio of carbon atoms to the total amount of heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, sulfur atoms, and silicon atoms is 4.5 or greater.

A reflective granular composition including a reflective pigment material including a majority of kaolin clay and a hardening additive including a sodium salt or another salt. A method for making a reflective granular composition includes the steps of mixing together a reflective pigment material including a majority of kaolin clay and a hardening additive including a sodium salt or another salt to form a particulate mixture, forming a slurry from the particulate mixture by adding to the particulate mixture water and a binder material, granulating the slurry, drying the granulated slurry, and kilning the dried, granulated slurry to form the reflective granular composition. Methods of analyzing the strength of a reflective granular composition are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a surface treated calcium carbonate-comprising material, a surface treated calcium carbonate-comprising material obtained by the process, an article comprising the surface treated calcium carbonate-comprising material, a polymer composition and the use of the surface treated calcium carbonate-comprising material in a polymer composition.

The present invention relates to a particulate highly porous amorphous mesoporous magnesium carbonate material suitable for uptake of high amounts of oily substances, sebum or a beneficial agent or combinations of these and to topical and cosmetic compositions comprising such material. The particulate highly porous amorphous mesoporous magnesium carbonate material according to the invention has a total pore volume larger than 0.1 cm 3/g and is constituted of particles having a peak particle size at or below 35 μm.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a composite pigment, and production method thereof, which can suppress luster of a coating film by modifying an inorganic coloring pigment, and which can be used in various applications such as low-gloss (luster reduction effect) pigments and matte pigments; a paint composition which can achieve both an excellent coating film texture and also the property of having low gloss and luster even when added to a coating film; and a coating film. In this composite pigment, the inorganic coloring pigment is fixed by an inorganic compound, and a plurality of particles of the inorganic coloring pigment are aggregated into granular form through the inorganic compound.

A surface-treated aggregated boron nitride powder is prepared by using the boron nitride powder as the raw material, adding an oxidizer to the boron nitride aggregated grains, wet-pulverizing or wet-crushing the grains for surface modification treatment of the particles and allowing reaction of the particles with a metal coupling agent. The surface-treated boron nitride aggregated grains are formed by aggregation of hexagonal h-BN primary particles; (B) have any one or more of Si, Ti, Zr, Ce, Al, Mg, Ge, Ga, and V in an amount of 0.1 atm % or more and 3.0 atm % or less in its composition on the surface of 10 nm; (C) have a crushing strength of 5 MPa or more; and (D) have an average particle diameter of 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

There is provided a modified zirconium phosphate tungstate which effectively suppresses the elution of phosphorus ions even when it contacts with water, can develop the performance excellent as a negative thermal expansion material, and can be dispersed in a polymer compound such as a resin, and use of which enables a low-thermal expansive material containing a negative thermal expansion filler to be well produced. The surface of a zirconium phosphate tungstate particle is coated with an inorganic compound containing one or two or more elements (M) selected from Zn, Si, Al, Ba, Ca, Mg, Ti, V, Sn, Co, Fe and Zr. The BET specific surface area of the zirconium phosphate tungstate particle is preferably 0.1 m.sup.2/g to 50 m.sup.2/g.

A surface-treated aggregated boron nitride powder is prepared by using the boron nitride powder as the raw material, adding an oxidizer to the boron nitride aggregated grains, wet-pulverizing or wet-crushing the grains for surface modification treatment of the particles and allowing reaction of the particles with a metal coupling agent. The surface-treated boron nitride aggregated grains are formed by aggregation of hexagonal h-BN primary particles; (B) have any one or more of Si, Ti, Zr, Ce, Al, Mg, Ge, Ga, and V in an amount of 0.1 atm % or more and 3.0 atm % or less in its composition on the surface of 10 nm; (C) have a crushing strength of 5 MPa or more; and (D) have an average particle diameter of 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less.