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 invention relates to a surface-coated hexaboride particle precursor to be used in producing surface-coated hexaboride particles provided with silica coating layers and a process for production of the precursor. The process is characterized by comprising the first step of adding an organometallic compound having both an effect of dispersing hexaboride particles and an effect of promoting the polymerization of a hydrolyzable silane compound to a dispersion of hexaboride particles in an organic solvent to make the organometallic compound adsorbed to the surfaces of the hexaboride particles, the second step of adding both a hydrolysable silane compound serving as a surface treatment and water to the dispersion to coat the surfaces of the hexaboride particles with a product of hydrolytic condensation of the silane compound, and the third step of aging the resulting dispersion under heating at a temperature lower than the thermal decomposition temperature of the organometallic compound and removing the solvent to form a surface treatment film containing the metal element resulting from the organometallic compound and silicon.