A pigment pellet preparation, comprises one or more effect pigment and one or more thermosetting resin. The effect pigment is dispersed in the thermosetting resin. The thermosetting resin has 3 or more reactive terminal groups and has an acid number from about 10 to about 50 mg KOH/g resin. The preparation comprises from about 70% to about 90% by weight of one or more effect pigment and from about 5% to about 35% by weight of one or more thermosetting resin. The pigment and thermosetting resin comprise about 95% or more of the preparation. The pellets have a diameter of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm and a length of about 1 mm to about 5 cm.

The present invention relates to a method for the production of granules comprising surface-reacted calcium carbonate by a) providing surface-reacted calcium carbonate, b) saturating the surface-reacted calcium carbonate with one or more liquids; c) providing one or more binder; d) combining the liquid saturated surface-reacted calcium carbonate with the one or more binder under agitation in an agitation device; e) removing the liquid from the mixture of step d); as well as to the granules comprising surface-reacted calcium carbonate obtained by this method.

A pigment pellet preparation, comprises one or more effect pigment and one or more thermosetting resin. The effect pigment is dispersed in the thermosetting resin. The thermosetting resin has 3 or more reactive terminal groups and has an acid number from about 10 to about 50 mg KOH/g resin. The preparation comprises from about 70% to about 90% by weight of one or more effect pigment and from about 5% to about 35% by weight of one or more thermosetting resin. The pigment and thermosetting resin comprise about 95% or more of the preparation. The pellets have a diameter of about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm and a length of about 1 mm to about 5 cm.

The present invention provides granulated silica including water-granulated silica powders, each of the silica powders having a primary particle size of 5 to 50 nm and a surface hydrophobized with a silicon atom-containing hydrophobizing agent; the granulated silica having a degree of hydrophobization of 40 or more and a loose bulk density of 150 g/L or more. This provides granulated silica that is excellent in handleability and has good dispersibility.

Carbon black-containing composite particles of the present invention each include a silicon oxide and carbon black particles dispersed inside the silicon oxide. When a coating film containing the carbon black-containing composite particles dispersed in a transparent matrix, having a concentration of the carbon black particles of 1 mass %, and having a thickness of 25 m to 40 m is formed on a hiding-chart specified in JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) K 5600-4-1: 1999, a difference L.sub.W*L.sub.B* obtained by subtracting lightness L.sub.B* of the coating film formed on a black part of the hiding-chart from lightness L.sub.W* of the coating film formed on a white part of the hiding-chart is 30 or less. Thus carbon black-containing composite particles advantageous in exhibiting a good hiding property and reducing an undertone can be provided.

A pigment granule having an irregular polyhedral shape with rounded edges and a method for the production of the granules by the use of a high speed agitated granulating machine provided with agitating means for agitating a pigment substance for granulation, spray means for spraying or injecting a binding liquid on the pigment substance while the mixture is processed through the turbulizer and drying means for drying the particles, characterized by effecting the production by causing the means to act on the substance for granulation simultaneously thereby performing the agitating and granulation.

Titanium Dioxide and other pigments or powders processed by this present process are smoothly discharging, low dusting, agglomerated, compaction resistant, extremely friable, and fully dispersible, and the process for the production of smoothly discharging pigment or powder consists of gently blending in the presence of an air flow and an electrostatic charge where said pigment or powder is agglomerated with or without a treated or non-treated seed particle of the same or similar pigment whereas said pigment or powder in accordance with the invention yields a composition of substantially spherical particulate that has a pseudo-particle size of 0.1-5.0 mm in the form of smoothly discharging, low dusting, non-sticky, agglomerated, compaction resistant pigment or powder, in which said pigment or powder particles are 80% -99.9% by weight, pigment, and in which the pigments or powders are compatible with inks, paints and plastics, and can be readily dispersed and incorporated into the same.

A talc agglomerate composition may include agglomerated talc particles and an agglomerization agent, and may have a conductivity of from about 1 to about 50 S/cm. A method for making a talc agglomerate composition may include agglomerating talc particles by combining a talc feed material including talc particles and an agglomerization agent to form a talc agglomerate composition. The talc agglomerate composition may have a d.sub.10 greater than a d.sub.10 of the talc feed material including talc particles. A talc composition may include talc particles having a conductivity greater than 8.1 S/cm and a viscosity in oil of less than 140 KU.

A process for the preparation of composite filler particles, comprising: (a) coating a particulate filler having a median particle size (D50) of from 1 to 1200 nm; (b) agglomerating the coated particulate filler, for providing a granulation of the coated particulate filler wherein the granulation contains the coated particulate filler particles whereby the at least one coating layer may be crosslinked by crosslinking groups obtained by reacting the reactive groups and optionally a further crosslinking agent.

The present invention relates to a granulated composition, comprising a particulate alkaline metal hydroxide or alkaline metal oxide or mixtures thereof and methods of granulating particulate alkaline metal hydroxides and alkaline metal oxides or mixtures thereof. The invention further concerns the granulated products obtained from the said methods.