Methods of forming cement pastes, methods of forming concrete, and methods of forming other compositions using mineral particles formed from the one or more of biomineralizing microorganisms and biomineralizing microorganisms. Desired features, such as size and morphology, can be controlled by controlling growth parameters of the biomineralizing microorganisms and biomineralizing microorganisms.

A method for producing a coloured metal-containing powder, which can be used as a metallic pigment, said method comprising: preparing a bulk metal-containing material in the form of powder (which acts as a particle substrate), which is a ferromanganese (FeMn) powder; and heating said material up to a temperature ranging from 100° C. to 1000° C. in a container, in the presence of oxygen. Preferably, the bulk powder is a refined FeMn powder. It is also an object of the disclosure the coloured metal-containing powder obtainable by means of the disclosed method, in the absence of surface modifiers, wherein it can have a blue, purple/violet and gold colour, or any intermediate tonality, depending on the metal oxide content. Said oxides are present forming an outer layer on the particles of the powder. The disclosure also refers to the use of the powder as a metallic pigment.

The present invention provides an alumina particle containing molybdenum (Mo) and an inorganic coating part provided on the surface of the alumina particle.

Provided are a method of manufacturing an amorphous silicon composite and an apparatus for manufacturing an amorphous silicon composite. The method of manufacturing an amorphous silicon composite, according to an embodiment, may include forming molten silicon by melting a silicon raw material, obtaining an amorphous silicon powder by cooling the molten silicon with a cooling device such that the molten silicon is solidified before being crystallized, obtaining amorphous nano-silicon by performing wet grinding on the amorphous silicon powder, obtaining a first mixture by mixing a first pitch with the amorphous nano-silicon, obtaining a second mixture by coating a second pitch on the first mixture, and obtaining the amorphous silicon composite by performing heat treatment on the second mixture.

A method for production of coated mineral grit for the manufacture of coating elements with a bituminous support, or with a support comprising a vinyl or acrylic adhesive, for roofing of buildings, the method includes: adding rough mineral grit to a mixer together with a first treatment mixture; mixing the rough mineral grit and the first treatment mixture until a coated mineral grit is obtained; heating the coated mineral grit to a predetermined firing temperature (Tc); and after heating the coated mineral grit, cooling the coated mineral grit to a predetermined intermediate cooling temperature (Tri). The first treatment mixture comprises: water; at least one pigment; at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium silicate and potassium silicate; kaolin; and at least one selected from the group consisting of an organo-siloxane and an organo-silane.

Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material. In other embodiments, the TE nanocomposite material can be a nanocomposite thermoelectric material having one network of p-type or n-type semiconductor domains and a low thermal conductivity semiconductor or dielectric network or domains separating the p-type or n-type domains that provides efficient phonon scattering to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical properties of the p-type or n-type semiconductor.

A composite comprising a MXene and a post-transition metal wherein the post-transition metal is at least partially encapsulated by from 1 to 4 layers of the MXene. Methods of making such a composite are also disclosed.

A method comprises: dispersing a nanoparticle sol, ammonia water and a waterborne hydrophobic treatment agent in deionized water to prepare a modified nanoparticle suspension, and obtaining a superhydrophobic modified nanoparticle powder by means of a spray drying process; and adding a porous ceramic micro-powder and a waterborne silane coupling agent into deionized water, then adding the superhydrophobic modified nanoparticle powder, performing constant stirring to prepare a superhydrophobic particle impregnating porous particle suspension, and obtaining the impregnated porous powder with superhydrophobic particles by means of a filter drying process or the spray drying process.

The present invention provides a method that enables production of a surface-treated colored inorganic particle with which the desired color tone can be consistently reproduced as intended with no variation occurring in the color tone of the compositions produced with the particle, within each production and over multiple production runs. The invention relates to a method for producing a surface-treated colored inorganic particle, comprising spray drying a mixture of a dispersion [I] and a solution [II], wherein the dispersion [I] is a dispersion of inorganic particles having an average particle diameter of 0.005 to 5 μm dispersed in a solvent with a pigment, and the solution [II] is a solution of a surface treatment agent hydrolyzed in the presence of a hydrolysis aid.

Provided is a kaolin having a finer particle size and a narrower particle size distribution, in combination with suitable morphology. Also provided are a method of preparing the kaolin product and methods of use.