Abstract: A titanium dioxide production method, a novel titanium dioxide product produced by the inventive titanium dioxide production method, a method for producing a plastic product using the novel titanium dioxide product, and a novel plastic product formed by the inventive plastic product production method. The inventive titanium dioxide production method comprises the steps of: (a) forming a mixture comprising a titanium dioxide material in a liquid medium; (b) wet milling the titanium dioxide material in the liquid medium; (c) after step (b), reducing the pH of the mixture to a value not exceeding 4.0; (d) after step (c), adding an effective amount of a base to the mixture to cause the titanium dioxide material to flocculate; (e) removing the flocculated titanium dioxide material from the mixture; and (f) washing the titanium dioxide material. The titanium dioxide material used in step (a) is an agglomerated titanium dioxide material which has been produced by a reaction process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for reducing the inherent low shear viscosity of kaolin clays contaminated with expandable layer minerals. A water soluble tetraalkyl ammonium compound is contacted with the clay during conventional wet processing.

Abstract: A silica matting agent has a wax coating comprising a mixture of three waxes, i.e. hard microcrystalline, plasticising monocrystalline and synthetic polyethylene. The use of this ternary mixture gives the matting agent improved interaction with lacquers and improved sedimentation.

Abstract: The invention concerns an anti-corrosive pigmentary composition characterized in that contains zinc 8-hydroxy-quinolate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for use in the fabrication of an electrical chemical cell having a spiral wound core. An anode plate and a first separator sheet are Juxtaposed in an adjacent relationship and restrained against relative lengthwise displacement. A cathode plate is Juxtaposed with a second separator sheet in an adjacent relationship and also restrained against relative lengthwise displacement. Portions of the first and second separator sheets are overlapped and restrained against relative movement while the restrained overlapping end portions are rotated Continuously about an axis so as to wind the plates and separator sheets into a coiled core which can be inserted into an electrochemical cell casing. The apparatus includes a vacuum holding member for holding the anode plate and first separator sheet together, and includes a vacuum holding member for holding the cathode place and second separator sheet together.

Abstract: A low cost pressureless sintered silicon carbide ceramic composite having relatively high electrical conductivity, relatively high density and relatively great mechanical strength, in comparison to those known to persons skilled in the art, and a process for making such composites.

Abstract: The invention is a slightly water-soluble, time release corrosion inhibitor compound for treating aluminum flake pigment. The corrosion inhibitor is the reaction product of a water-soluble metal salt including metals selected from the group consisting of yttrium and rare earth metals and an anionic metal salt including transition metal oxo-complexes and soluble salts of silicon and mixtures thereof. The corrosion inhibitor is useful for preventing hydrogen gassing of aluminum pigment particles. The compound is particularly useful for preventing gassing of bare and chromated aluminum pigment particles in aqueous compositions and in water-borne coating compositions having a basic pH. The pigment particles used in combination with the corrosion inhibitors of the present invention experience significantly less hydrogen gassing in a high pH aqueous environment and in water-borne coating compositions having high pH, than aluminum flake pigment particles and coatings without the corrosion inhibitor.

Abstract: The invention relates to conductive flaky pigments for which a flaky substrate has been coated with an electrically conductive layer, characterized in that the conductive layer comprises a metal oxide pigment layer which is interspersed with carbon black particles and which has at the same time been doped with additional metal oxide particles.

Abstract: A fiber reinforced glass composite capable of absorbing or transmitting microwave radiation includes refractory fiber in a matrix of a black glass ceramic having the empirical formula SiCxOy where x is greater than zero and up to about 2.0, and y is greater than zero and up to about 2.2. Preferably, the black glass ceramic is made by pyrolyzing precursor polymers derived from cyclosiloxane monomers containing a vinyl group attached to silicon and/or a hydride-silicon group in a controlled atmosphere, thereby adjusting the dielectric properties.

Abstract: Principal types of dielectric ceramics include capacitors, and piezoelectric electroptic and optical ceramics. The former are typically barium titanates, the latter, so-called PZT or PLZT materials. The ceramic materials are made by forming an alloy including the metallic elements in substantially stoichiometric proportions, and then oxidizing the alloy to produce the ceramic. In preferred embodiments, the alloy includes a dopant that is encapsulated in a noble metal, preferably silver. Preferred dielectrics are made by making a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of alloy layers (typically less than 20, and preferably less than 5, microns thick) are separated by conductive layers (preferably a noble metal), and then oxidizing the overall structure to form a multi-layer capacitor.

Abstract: Sodium Aluminosilicates (SAMS) are produced by silicate/clay reactions under hydrothermal conditions, the SAMS being characterized by low oil absorption values and high total pore volumes. The SAMS products are useful as coating pigments for paper, paper fillers and paint pigments.

Abstract: Composite pigment products containing from 4.5% up to 50%, by weight, of particulate titanium dioxide in which particles of the latter and other particulate pigmentary, subpigmentary and nonpigmentary components are cemented intrinsically with the aid of in-situ synthesized complex microgels.

Abstract: A composite pigment product useful as a paper filler pigment comprises a substantially inert mineral nucleus coated with a substantially continuous uniform coating of an active paper pigment. The active paper pigment coating is preferably formed in situ under alkaline conditions.

Abstract: This invention modifies the microstructure of semiconductor nanocrystallite embedded glass by following a prescribed process schedule, so that it can be a solid state laser active medium. The crystalline phase of the glass consists of uniformly dispersed nanometer size single crystals which belong to one of the following semiconductor compounds: ZnS.sub.x Se.sub.1-x, CdS.sub.x Se.sub.1-x, ZnS.sub.x Te.sub.1-x, ZnSe.sub.x Te.sub.1-x, CuCl.sub.x Br.sub.1-x, InP, Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x As, GaInAsP, AlGaAsSb, InAsSbP, and AlGaInP, where x=0 to 1.Some of the semiconductor nanocrystallite embedded glass has a tunable range which overlaps that of the visible dye lasers, therefore it can be used as a replacement for the existing liquid dyes as the active media utilized in the tunable dye laser systems.

Abstract: A sintered body where alumina is dispersed in a zirconia matrix in which yttria has been doped to form a solid solution can be obtained by compacting a mixed powder comprising zirconia or yttria-stabilized zirconia and yttrium-aluminum complex oxide and sintering the resulting compacted body. This sintered body comprises a fine zirconia matrix in which fine alumina particles are dispersed to strengthen it and is excellent in flexural strength and fracture toughness and has a practically effective oxygen ionic conductivity.

Abstract: For manufacturing a scintillator ceramic of a rare earth oxisulfide, a pigment powder is compressed by single-axis hot-pressing to form a ceramic member having at least 99.9% of the theoretic density, the pigment powder having the general formula (M.sub.1 xLn.sub.x).sub.2 O.sub.2 S, whereby M denotes at least one element from the group Y, La and Gd, Ln represents at least one element from the group Eu, Ce, Pr, Tb, Yb, Dy, Sm and Ho, and whereby 1.times.10.sup.-6 .ltoreq.x.ltoreq.2.times.10.sup.-1, and the powder having a specific surface according to BET of at least 10 m.sup.-2 /g.

Abstract: Metal pigment particles which are treated with a heteropoly anion compound show increased stability against attack by water. The particles are especially useful in aqueous coating compositions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for making glass by a sol-gel process. The process is initiated by forming a mixture of silicon alkoxide and an alcohol in a solution sufficiently acidic to partially hydrolyze the silicon alkoxide. An index modifying metal alkoxide selected from the group consisting of alkoxides of titanium and zirconium is then added to the mixture. Water is next added to convert the metal alkoxides to a network of corresponding metal oxides suitable for gelation. The mixture containing the network of metal oxides is then contained for sufficient time to form a gel. The gel is acid leached for enough time to remove some of the index modifying metal oxide. To prevent further removal of index modifying metal oxide from the gel, the gel is fixed. The fixed gel is then rinsed with a solvent to remove precipitates from the gel, dried, and sintered into a transparent gradient-index glass.

Abstract: A silicon nitride ceramic having crystalline grain boundary phases is prepared by heating a composition comprising silicon nitride, a silicate glass-forming sintering aid and a high metal content transition metal silicide, to a temperature of 1300.degree. to 1800.degree. C. under vacuum until a glass forms, oxygen is removed from the glass, and the glass crystallizes. Alternatively, the grain boundaries of a sintered composition comprising silicon nitride, a silicate glass and a high metal content transition metal silicide can be crystallized by heating to at least 1300.degree. C. under a vacuum.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of substantially spherical monocrystalline vaterite, in particular, of vaterite having a determined size.