A one-step salt-assisted general synthetic methodology for the controlled phase transformation of various types of 2H-phase transition metal dichalcogenides (2H-TMDs), yielding large-scale metastable 1T′-phase transition metal dichalcogenides (1T′-TMDs), including WS.sub.2, WSe.sub.2, MoS.sub.2, and MoSe.sub.2 is described. By tuning the reaction conditions, alloyed 1T′-TMDs such as WS.sub.2xSe.sub.2(1−x) and MoS.sub.2xSe.sub.2(1−x) are also obtained. Commercially-available metal salts such as K.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4.Math.H.sub.2O, Na.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4, K.sub.2CO.sub.3, Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, Cs.sub.2CO.sub.3, Rb.sub.2CO.sub.3, KHCO.sub.3, and NaHCO.sub.3, are demonstrated to be effective for the controlled phase transformation at elevated temperatures in a reducing atmosphere. The technique may be extended to the phase engineering of other materials with various polymorphs.

Disclosed herein is a turf filler comprising a plurality of inorganic particles having a size of less than or equal to about 10 mesh at least partially encapsulated within a coating composition comprising a copolymer comprising one or more C.sub.2-C.sub.20 olefinic monomers and monomers of an ethylenically unsaturated ester of a C.sub.2-C.sub.10 carboxylic acid, wherein at least a first portion of the plurality of the particles further comprises a colorant, and a second portion of the plurality of particles is essentially free of a colorant. A method of producing the turf filler is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a calcined shaped alumina and to a method of preparing a calcined shaped alumina. The method comprises that the alumina in the alumina suspension is hydrothermally aged to have a specific crystallite size. This in turn produces a highly stable alumina in the form of a calcined shaped alumina particularly at temperatures of 1200° C. and above.

A carbon black pellet comprising a plurality of agglomerates, aggregates, or primary carbon black particles and a binder including a functional polymer.

VO.sub.2 and V.sub.2O.sub.5 nano- or micro-materials. The VO.sub.2 nano-materials and micro-materials have an M1 phase structure and oxygen stoichiometry that deviates 2% or less from theoretical stoichiometry. The VO.sub.2 nano-materials and micro-materials may doped with cation dopants and/or anion dopants. The VO.sub.2 and V.sub.2O.sub.5 nano- or micro-materials can be made by hydrothermal methods starting with V.sub.3O.sub.7.H.sub.2O nano- or micro-material. The VO.sub.2 and V.sub.2O.sub.5 nano- or micro-materials can be used as, for example, thermochromic window coatings.

Provided is a metal oxide containing a brownmillerite-type manganese oxide represented by (Ca.sub.2-xA.sub.x)(Mn.sub.yAl.sub.zE.sub.2-y-z).sub.wO.sub.5+δ (in the formula, A represents one or more alkaline earth metal elements other than Ca; E represents one or more 3d transition metal elements or earth metal elements other than Mn and Al; and x, y, z, δ, and w satisfy 0≤x≤2, 0<y≤2, 0≤z<2, 0<y+z≤2, 0≤δ≤0.5, and 0.8≤w≤1.2), wherein the metal oxide has a defect in a (020) plane of a crystal of the brownmillerite-type manganese oxide.

Disclosed is a ceramic sintered body comprising magnesium aluminate spinel of composition MgAl.sub.2O.sub.4 having from 90 to 100% by volume of a cubic crystallographic structure and a density of from 3.47 to 3.58 g/cc, wherein the ceramic sintered body is free of sintering aids. A method of making the ceramic sintered body comprising spinel is also disclosed.

The present invention aims to obtain a resin composition with low thermal expansion property by suppressing functional deterioration in negative thermal expansion property when a negative thermal expansion material is added to a thermoplastic resin and heat-processed. The present invention provides a resin composition including metal oxide particles and a thermoplastic resin, both having a negative thermal expansion property. The negative thermal expansion of the particles is attributed to a crystal phase transition, which is driven by electron transfer between the constituent metals, and a covalent protective layer that inhibits the electron transfer is formed between the particles and the thermoplastic resin.

A phase-change material includes germanium Ge, tellurium Te and antimony Sb, including at least 37% germanium Ge, the ratio between the quantity of antimony Sb and the quantity of tellurium Te being between 1.5 and 4.

A carbon black pellet comprising a plurality of agglomerates, aggregates, or primary carbon black particles and a binder including a functional polymer.