A hardcoat comprising a host matrix, a nanoporous filler in which the dispersed phase is a gas, and nonporous nanoparticles. Also, coating and curable compositions useful for preparing the hardcoat, methods of preparing the hardcoat and compositions, articles comprising the hardcoat or composition, and uses thereof.

The invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents such as for example banknotes and identity documents against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for magnetically transferring one or more indicia into a not yet hardened coating layer made of a coating composition including platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles so as to produce optical effect layers (OELs) as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.

The present invention provides a magnetic multilayer pigment flake and a magnetic coating composition that are relatively safe for human health and the environment. The pigment flake includes one or more magnetic layers of a magnetic alloy and one or more dielectric layers of a dielectric material. The magnetic alloy is an iron-chromium alloy or an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy, having a substantially nickel-free composition. The coating composition includes a plurality of the pigment flakes disposed in a binder medium.

Disclosed is an electrical steel sheet with an insulating coating formed by applying a surface-treatment agent to at least one surface of the electrical steel sheet and drying the surface-treatment agent, wherein the surface-treatment agent contains: certain trialkoxysilane and/or dialkoxysilane (A); a silane coupling agent (B) that does not contain a polymerizable unsaturated group in its structure; plate-like silica (C); a polymerizable unsaturated-group-containing compound (D); and water, within a range satisfying the following conditions (1) to (3): (1) a mass ratio (A/B) of (A) to (B) is from 0.05 to 1.00; (2) a content of (C) is 2 mass % to 30 mass % with respect to a total mass of (A) to (D) in the surface-treatment agent; and (3) a content of (D) is 2 mass % to 18 mass % with respect to the total mass of (A) to (D) in the surface-treatment agent.

A method for forming a multilayer coating film comprising the steps of: (1) applying a base paint (X) to a substrate to form a base coating film, (2) applying an effect pigment dispersion (Y) to the base coating film formed in step (1) to form an effect coating film, (3) applying a clear paint (Z) to the effect coating film formed in step (2) to form a clear coating film, and (4) heating the uncured base coating film, the uncured effect coating film, and the uncured clear coating film formed in steps (1) to (3) to thereby simultaneously cure these three coating films; wherein the effect pigment dispersion (Y) contains water, a black pigment (A), a vapor deposition metal flake pigment (B), and a rheology control agent (C).

Provided is a preparation method of a coating material. The method includes: using an aluminum salt and a silicon source as precursors; and performing hydrothermal crystallization and calcination treatments successively under an action of a template agent to obtain the coating material, wherein the template agent is used to cause the coating material to form a porous spherical structure. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the preparation process of the coating material is simple and the cost is low, and the specific surface area of the prepared coating material is large.

A method of forming a liquid dispersion of 2D material/graphitic nanoplatelets in an aqueous solution is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of (1) creating a dispersing medium; (2) mixing the 2D material/graphitic nanoplatelets into the dispersing medium; and (3) subjecting the 2D material/graphitic nanoplatelets to sufficient shear forces and or crushing forces to reduce the particle size of the 2D material/graphitic nanoplatelets using a mechanical means. The liquid dispersion comprises the 2D material/graphitic nanoplatelets, at least one grinding media, water, and at least one wetting agent, and that the at least one grinding media is water soluble or functionalised to be water soluble.

In accordance with a first aspect, the invention relates to microcapsules for use in a high demand area selected from detergents and cleaners, cosmetic products, adhesive systems, paints and dispersions, coating materials comprising a core material and a shell, wherein the shell consists of at least a first and a second layer whose chemical compositions differ, and wherein the shell has a biodegradability measured according to OECD 301 F of at least 40%. The invention further relates to a product comprising microcapsules, wherein the product is selected from the group consisting of an adhesive system; a cosmetic product; a pharmaceutical product; a coating material, in particular a coated paper; a heat storage coating, a self-healing coating or a corrosion coating; and a coating of functional packaging materials.

The present invention mainly relates to a protective varnish hardenable by radiation comprising at least one compound hardenable by cationic or radical means and at least one metal selected from silver, copper, zinc and mixtures thereof, characterized in that said metal is in the zero oxidation state and in a supported particulate form.

The present disclosure is to provide a vibration damping steel sheet having improved vibration damping performance. Provided according to the present disclosure are: a surface treatment composition for a vibration damping steel sheet, comprising a polymer resin and inorganic nano particles having a mean aspect ratio (L/D) of 100 or more; and a vibration damping steel sheet surface-treated with the composition.