There are provided a coating composition being possible to form a cured film which has excellent transparency and weather resistance, and especially hardness. A coating composition obtained by which a silicon-containing substance as a component (M) and a silica colloidal particle having a primary particle diameter of 2 to 80 nm as a component (S) are mixed, and then the component (M) is hydrolyzed, and the resulting aqueous solution is subsequently mixed with a colloidal particle (C) wherein a component (F) is a modified metal oxide colloidal particle (C) having a primary particle diameter of 2 to 100 nm, which includes a metal oxide colloidal particle (A) having a primary particle diameter of 2 to 60 nm as a core, whose surface is coated with a coating (B) formed of an acidic oxide colloidal particle.

In these metal oxide microparticles, surfaces of microparticles of a metal oxide are modified by a fatty acid having 5 or more and 14 or less carbon atoms and having a branched chain, the metal oxide is metal oxides of a plurality of kinds of metals selected from the group consisting of Zn, In, Sn, and Sb, and an average particle diameter of the microparticles is 80 nm or less. In a dispersion for forming an infrared-shielding film, the metal oxide microparticles are dispersed in a hydrophobic solvent, and a light transmittance in a wavelength range of 800 nm to 1,100 nm is 20% or more and less than 70%.

In these metal oxide microparticles, surfaces of microparticles of a metal oxide are modified by a fatty acid having 5 or more and 14 or less carbon atoms and having a branched chain, the metal oxide is metal oxides of a plurality of kinds of metals selected from the group consisting of Zn, In, Sn, and Sb, and an average particle diameter of the microparticles is 80 nm or less. In a dispersion for forming an infrared-shielding film, the metal oxide microparticles are dispersed in a hydrophobic solvent, and a light transmittance in a wavelength range of 800 nm to 1,100 nm is 20% or more and less than 70%.

There are very few violet or pink colored commercial pigments that display high heat stability, resistance to acidic conditions, or good lightfastness. This technology results in pigments that fall into the above color space, but display improved chemical and weathering stability. The pigments based of this technology have the molar ratio (A.sub.2O).sub.x(BO).sub.y(C.sub.2O.sub.5).sub.z(DO.sub.3).sub.w(EO.sub.2).sub.v, where 2x+y+2z+w+v100. Where A is Li or Li with one or more of Cu, Na, or K, where B is Co or Co with one or more of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Sn, or Zn, where C is Nb, Sb, or combination thereof, where D is Mo, W or combination thereof, where E is Sn, Ti, Zr, or combination thereof. The above formulation may be modified with a dopant addition of Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Ce, Cr, La, P, Pr, Si, Sr, Ta, V, or Y where the dopant concentration represents 5 atomic % or less of the total number of moles of components A+B+C+D+E.

The present invention involves pigments derived from compounds with the LiSbO.sub.3-type or LiNbO.sub.3-type structures. These compounds possess the following formulations M.sup.1M.sup.5Z.sub.3, M.sup.1M.sup.2M.sup.4M.sup.5Z.sub.6, M.sup.1M.sup.3.sub.2M.sup.5Z.sub.6, M.sup.1M.sup.2M.sup.3M.sup.6Z.sub.6, M.sup.1.sub.2M.sup.4M.sup.6Z.sub.6, M.sup.1M.sup.5M.sup.6Z.sub.6, or a combination thereof. The cation M.sup.1 represents an element with a valence of +1 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.2 represents an element with a valence of +2 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.3 represents an element with a valence of +3 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.4 represents an element with a valence of +4 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.5 represents an element with a valence of +5 or a mixture thereof, and the cation M.sup.6 represents an element with a valence of +6 or a mixture thereof. The cation M is selected from H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Ru, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, P, Sb, or Te. The anion Z is selected from N, O, S, Se, Cl, F, hydroxide ion or a mixture thereof. Along with the elements mentioned above vacancies may also reside on the M or Z sites of the above formulations such that the structural type is retained. The above formula may also include M dopant additions below 20 atomic %, where the dopant is selected from H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Ru, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, P, Sb, Bi, Te, or mixtures thereof.

The present invention involves pigments derived from compounds with the LiSbO.sub.3-type or LiNbO.sub.3-type structures. These compounds possess the following formulations M.sup.1M.sup.5Z.sub.3, M.sup.1M.sup.2M.sup.4M.sup.5Z.sub.6, M.sup.1M.sup.3.sub.2M.sup.5Z.sub.6, M.sup.1M.sup.2M.sup.3M.sup.6Z.sub.6, M.sup.1.sub.2M.sup.4M.sup.6Z.sub.6, M.sup.1M.sup.5M.sup.6Z.sub.6, or a combination thereof. The cation M.sup.1 represents an element with a valence of +1 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.2 represents an element with a valence of +2 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.3 represents an element with a valence of +3 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.4 represents an element with a valence of +4 or a mixture thereof, the cation M.sup.5 represents an element with a valence of +5 or a mixture thereof, and the cation M.sup.6 represents an element with a valence of +6 or a mixture thereof. The cation M is selected from H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Ru, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, P, Sb, or Te. The anion Z is selected from N, O, S, Se, Cl, F, hydroxide ion or a mixture thereof. Along with the elements mentioned above vacancies may also reside on the M or Z sites of the above formulations such that the structural type is retained. The above formula may also include M dopant additions below 20 atomic %, where the dopant is selected from H, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Ru, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn, P, Sb, Bi, Te, or mixtures thereof.

There are very few violet or pink colored commercial pigments that display high heat stability, resistance to acidic conditions, or good lightfastness. This technology results in pigments that fall into the above color space, but display improved chemical and weathering stability. The pigments based of this technology have the molar ratio (A.sub.2O).sub.x(BO).sub.y(C.sub.2O.sub.5).sub.z(DO.sub.3).sub.w(EO.sub.2).sub.v, where 2x+y+2z+w+v100. Where A is Li or Li with one or more of Cu, Na, or K, where B is Co or Co with one or more of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Sn, or Zn, where C is Nb, Sb, or combination thereof, where D is Mo, W or combination thereof, where E is Sn, Ti, Zr, or combination thereof. The above formulation may be modified with a dopant addition of Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Ce, Cr, La, P, Pr, Si, Sr, Ta, V, or Y where the dopant concentration represents 5 atomic % or less of the total number of moles of components A+B+C+D+E.

There are provided a coating composition being possible to form a cured film which has excellent transparency and weather resistance, and especially hardness. A coating composition obtained by which a silicon-containing substance as a component (M) and a silica colloidal particle having a primary particle diameter of 2 to 80 nm as a component (S) are mixed, and then the component (M) is hydrolyzed, and the resulting aqueous solution is subsequently mixed with a colloidal particle (C) wherein a component (F) is a modified metal oxide colloidal particle (C) having a primary particle diameter of 2 to 100 nm, which includes a metal oxide colloidal particle (A) having a primary particle diameter of 2 to 60 nm as a core, whose surface is coated with a coating (B) formed of an acidic oxide colloidal particle.

Provided are surface-treated fine particles which, when added to coatings for the production of films, exhibit excellent reactivity with respect to organosilicon compounds and resins that are matrix components of the coating films, and thereby allow the films to exhibit excellent performance. Oligomer-modified fine particles include inorganic oxide fine particles having a surface modified with an oligomer, the oligomer being derived from a metal alkoxide represented by Formula (1): R.sub.nM.sub.1(OR).sub.z-n (1) wherein M.sub.1: one or more elements selected from Si, Ti, Zr and Al; R and R: one or more groups selected from alkyl groups of 1 to 8 carbon atoms, aryl groups and vinyl groups; n: an integer of from 0 to (z2); and z: the valence of M.sub.1. The oligomer has a polymerization degree of 3 or more. The oligomer has a weight average molecular weight in the range of 1000 to 10000.