Zinc oxide particles having suppressed surface activity and production and use thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a zinc oxide particle having suppressed surface activity which gives safe and effective UV ray shielding ability (especially at longer wavelengths) to a variety of products such as resin molds, coating compositions or cosmetics, and a process for the production of the same. The zinc oxide particle of the invention has on the surface a cover layer formed of zinc silicate in an amount of 0.5-50% by weight in terms of zinc silicate (Zn2SiO4) relative to the zinc oxide. The zinc oxide particle which contains solid solution iron or cobalt therein as well as a cover layer formed of zinc silicate has effective UV ray shielding ability at much longer wavelengths while it is suppressed in the surface activity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.