A particle material that has high dispersibility in a dispersion medium such as toluene having high hydrophobicity, and a slurry composition in which the particle material is used, are provided for solving the problem. A surface-modified particle material of the present invention includes: a particle material formed of an inorganic material; and a surface treatment agent formed of a silane compound having a first functional group that has any of C, N, and O atoms away over five or more atoms from Si to which an alkoxide is bound, the surface treatment agent allowing surface treatment of the particle material in such an amount that a degree of hydrophobicity becomes not less than 30%. Dispersibility is enhanced also in a dispersion medium having high hydrophobicity in a case where a functional group having a predetermined structure is introduced so as to impart predetermined or higher hydrophobicity.

Coating material combination consisting of a coating material for forming a surfacer coat and a coating material for forming a topcoat, and use thereof for producing a coating system consisting of a surfacer coat and topcoat on a substrate. The substrate preferably comprises the body or the cabin of a motor vehicle, or a constituent thereof. The coating material combination of the invention is suitable especially for producing coatings consisting of a cured surfacer coat and a cured topcoat on automobiles and commercial vehicles, such as trucks, vans, or buses.

There has been demand for a titanium oxide organosol that has a high transparency and a high refractive index and that also exhibits an excellent viscosity stability over time. The rutile-type titanium oxide organosol according to the present invention comprises a silane coupling agent, a basic additive acting as a deflocculant, a water-insoluble solvent, and rutile-type titanium oxide particles that have been surface-treated with a hydrous oxide of at least one metal species selected from Zr, Ce, Sn, and Fe, the rutile-type titanium oxide organosol being characterized in that the Ti ratio contained in the colloidal particles in the rutile-type titanium oxide organosol is at least 60 mass% when calculated as the oxide, and the ratio of metal species at the colloidal particle surface derived from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is 20-50 mass%.

A wetting agent according to Formula (I): ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from a branched alkyl group or linear alkyl group or a cycloaliphatic group or an aromatic group, each having 6 to 15 carbon atoms; R.sup.2 is selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.3 is selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.4 is selected from hydrogen, methyl, or ethyl; R.sup.5 is selected from methyl or ethyl; x ranges from 0 to 5; y ranges from 0 to 10; z ranges from 1 to 10; with the proviso that when x ranges from 1 to 5, R.sup.2 is different from R.sup.3; and with the proviso that when x=0, R.sup.3 is different from R.sup.4. The wetting agent also imparts anti-foam properties to aqueous solutions while reducing surface tension.

There are provided an aqueous pigment dispersion containing a pigment, hydrophilic fumed silica, and an aqueous medium; an ink jet recording ink containing such an aqueous pigment dispersion; and a printed article using the aqueous pigment dispersion. The average particle size of the hydrophilic fumed silica is preferably not more than 250 nm. The amount of the hydrophilic fumed silica is preferably in the range of 20 to 300 mass % relative to the amount of the pigment. The amount of the pigment is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 30 mass % relative to the amount of the whole aqueous pigment dispersion.

The present invention relates to novel mono- or polynuclear melamine compounds and their use as dispersants for pigments and fillers in coating compositions, in particular in solvent-borne coating compositions. The mono- or polynuclear melamine compounds of the invention have at least one 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine ring, wherein at least one amino groups of at least one of the 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine rings of the mono- or polynuclear melamine compounds is of the formula A:NR.sup.1R.sup.2 (A) where R.sup.1 is H, CH(R.sup.3)OR.sup.4 or R.sup.2, R.sup.2 is CH(R.sup.3)O(A-O).sub.x—R.sup.5, where R.sup.3 is H, C.sub.1-C.sub.10-alkyl or aryl; R.sup.4 is H, C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl or C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkoxy-C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl; R.sup.5 is a hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms; x is an integer from 2 to 500, having on average a value in the range from 2.5 to 400; A is an C.sub.2-C.sub.4-alkan-1,2-diyl radical.

A pigment particle template and a method of fabricating the same, and a method of fabricating a pigment dispersion liquid are described. The method of fabricating the pigment particle template has steps of: providing a substrate; forming a covalent organic framework layer on the substrate, wherein the covalent organic framework layer has porous network structure; forming a first porous organic layer on the covalent organic framework layer; and replacing the substrate with a second porous organic layer. The present application is beneficial to production of nanoparticles with controllable particle size and uniform size by utilizing a controllable size of the covalent organic framework structure and a stability of a sandwich structure.

A near infrared absorbing-fine-particle dispersion liquid having absorption in a near infrared region, having clear contrast, and being applicable to offset printing; a method for producing the same; an anti-counterfeit ink composition using the near infrared absorbing-fine-particle dispersion liquid; and anti-counterfeit printed matter using the near infrared absorbing-fine-particles. The near infrared absorbing-fine-particle dispersion liquid contains a solvent of one or more from vegetable oils or vegetable oil-derived compounds; near infrared absorbing-fine-particles of 2 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less, selected from one or more of hexaboride fine-particles expressed by formula XB.sub.a (where X is one or more kinds of specified elements, and 4.0≤a≤6.2); and a dispersant soluble in solvent and having a fatty acid in its structure, where the viscosity is 180 mPa.Math.s or less. The anti-counterfeit printed matter is excellent in anti-counterfeit effect due to the near infrared absorbing-fine-particles.

Provided are surface-coated inorganic particles and a method for manufacturing the same, whereby the dispersibility of inorganic particles in an organic solvent can be improved, and a function or performance of the inorganic particles can thereby be adequately demonstrated. In the present invention, surfaces of inorganic particles of titanium oxide or the like are coated with a reaction product of a silicate compound having an amino group, and/or a hydrolysis product thereof, and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid, a carboxylic acid halide, an acid anhydride, a sulfonic acid halide, and an isocyanate. The reaction product forming the coating is preferably a silicate compound having at least one bond selected from the group consisting of an amide bond, a sulfonamide bond, a urethane bond, and a urea bond, and/or a hydrolysis product thereof.

The present invention relates to [1] a dispersion of metal fine particles containing hydroxyacetone and propylene glycol, in which a cumulant average particle size of the metal fine particles is not less than 0.01 μm and not more than 0.1 μm, and [2] an ink containing the dispersion of metal fine particles as described in the above [1].