Provided is a silver-coated copper powder that has a dendritic shape, that ensures excellent conductivity as a result of having an increased number of points of contact when silver-coated dendritic copper particles are in contact, prevents aggregation, and that can be suitably used in a conductive paste, and an electromagnetic wave shield. The silver-coated copper powder comprises amassed dendritic copper particles having a linearly grown main trunk and a plurality of branches branching from the main trunk. The surface of the copper particles is coated with silver. The main trunk and the branches of the copper particles have a flat plate shape in which the average cross-sectional thickness is more than 1.0 m but no more than 5.0 m. The silver-coated copper powder has a flat plate shape configured from a layered structure of one layer or a plurality of stacked layers. The average particle size (D50) is 1.0-100 m.

Provided are composite particles having the optical characteristic of a lower transmittance in the visible light region, i.e., a higher light-blocking performance in the visible light region, and a method for producing composite particles. The composite particles have at least one of Al and Ti formed into a composite with ZrN.

The present disclosure provides functionalized powder particles and methods of forming functionalized powder particles. The functionalization is acquired through the formation of primary and/or secondary structures on a powder particle. Functionalization can be controlled to bring about changes in a broad range of physical and/or chemical properties.

To provide an infrared-reflective pigment and infrared-reflective coating composition provided with both high infrared-light reflecting properties and high visible-light transparency. Provided is a flake-shaped infrared-reflective pigment, the infrared-reflective pigment 1 characterized by being provided with a layered body 13 having at least one metal thin-film layer 11 and at least two transparent dielectric layers 12, the film thickness of the dielectric layer 12 being (an integer multiple of /4n)10 nm, where is the wavelength of incident light in a visible-light peripheral region and n is the refractive index of the dielectric layer 12. Also provided is an infrared-reflective coating composition containing the infrared-reflective pigment 1.

Disclosed are novel metallic nanoparticles coated with a thin protective carbon shell, and three-dimensional nano-metallic sponges; methods of preparation of the nanoparticles; and uses for these novel materials, including wood preservation, strengthening of polymer and fiber/polymer building materials, and catalysis.

A retroreflective powder coating composition including a film-forming resin and a plurality of retroreflective particles. The film-forming resin including a base particle, a metallic coating, a pigment coating composition, and a substantially transparent siloxane coating.

We disclose novel metallic nanoparticles coated with a thin protective carbon shell, and three-dimensional nano-metallic sponges; methods of preparation of the nanoparticles; and uses for these novel materials, including wood preservation, strengthening of polymer and fiber/polymer building materials, and catalysis.

Hybrid particles having improved electrical conductivity and thermal and chemical stabilities are disclosed. The hybrid particles are for use in conductive pastes. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, a conducting polymer, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting metal. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting polymer, and optionally further in a conducting metal. Suitable conducting metals include nickel or silver. Suitable conducting polymers include polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene. Suitable dichalcogenide materials include MoS.sub.2 or MoSe.sub.2. The hybrid particles can further include a conducting polymer layer on an outer surface of the conducting metal. Methods of making the hybrid particles are also disclosed.

A cubic boron nitride particle population having highly-etched surfaces and a high toughness index is produced by blending a reactive metal powder with a plurality of cubic boron nitride particles to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is compressed to form a compressed mixture. The compressed mixture is subjected to a temperature and a pressure, where the temperature is controlled to cause etching of the plurality of cubic boron nitride particles by reaction of cubic boron nitride with the reactive metal powder, thereby forming a plurality of etched cubic boron nitride particles. Also, the temperature and pressure are controlled to cause boron nitride to remain in a cubic boron nitride phase. Afterwards, the plurality of etched cubic boron nitride particles is recovered from the compressed mixture to form the particle population. Preferably, the particle population contains no hexagonal boron nitride.

A structure body includes a free-standing structure including a fibrous member and/or a shell. The fibrous member and/or a shell are each a layered body formed of at least one light-absorbing layer and at least one dielectric layer. The light-absorbing layer includes a light-absorbing material that has an absorption in a visible light region, and the dielectric layer includes a dielectric material. The fibrous member and/or the shell have a three-dimensionally continuous configuration.