PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF SURFACE-COATED HEXABORIDE PARTICLE PRECURSOR, SURFACE-COATED HEXABORIDE PARTICLE PRECURSOR, SURFACE-COATED HEXABORIDE PARTICLES, DISPERSION OF THE PARTICLES, AND STRUCTURES AND ARTICLES MADE BY USING THE PARTICLES

摘要

The present invention relates to a precursor of surface-coated hexaboride particles to be used in obtaining surface-coated hexaboride particles formed with silica coating layers, respectively, and a production method of such a precursor; and the production method comprises:a first step of adding an organo-metallic compound having a function for dispersing hexaboride particles and a function for promoting polymerization of a hydrolyzable silane compound, into a hexaboride-particle liquid dispersion comprising an organic solvent containing hexaboride particles dispersed therein, to thereby adsorb the organo-metallic compound onto surfaces of the hexaboride particles;a second step of adding, into the liquid dispersion, a hydrolyzable silane compound as a surface treatment agent, and water, to thereby coat a hydrolysis condensate of the hydrolyzable silane compound onto surfaces of the hexaboride particles; anda third step of heatingly maturing the liquid dispersion under a condition of a temperature lower than a thermal decomposition temperature of the organo-metallic compound, and then removing a solvent from the liquid dispersion, to form coatings derived from the surface treatment agent and coated on the hexaboride particles, respectively, the coatings each including a metal element contained in the organo-metallic compound, and silicon.