Dispersions and related coatings and cured articles

1. A pre-dispersion composition comprising:

(i) a polyhedral silsesquioxane;

(ii) a dispersing agent that is a networked or polymerized surfactant including interlinked hydrocarbon chains; and

(iii) a curable resin, where the pre-dispersion is devoid of a particulate.

2. The pre-dispersion of claim 1 , where the polyhedral silsesquioxane is a caged or partial caged structure.

3. The pre-dispersion of claim 1 , where the polyhedral silsesquioxane includes one or more hydrophobic substituents and one or more hydrophilic substituents.

4. The pre-dispersion of claim 1 , where the composition includes from about 0.5 to about 40 wt % of the silsesquioxane, from about 0.5 to about 30 wt % of the dispersing agent; and at least 30 wt % and at most 99 wt % of the curable resin.

5. The pre-dispersion of claim 1 , where the dispersing agent is a polymerized or interesterified hydroxycarboxylic acid.

6. The pre-dispersion of claim 1 , where the dispersing agent is a poly-hydroxy-(long chain fatty acid).

7. The pre-dispersion of claim 5 , where the pre-dispersion consists of the (i) polyhedral silsesquioxane; (ii) the dispersing agent, and (iii) the curable resin, and optionally a solvent.

8. A dispersion composition comprising:

(i) a polyhedral silsesquioxane;

(ii) a dispersing agent that is a networked or polymerized surfactant including interlinked hydrocarbon chains;

(iii) a particulate; and

(iv) a curable resin, where the composition includes at least 30 wt % particulate.

9. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the polyhedral silsesquioxane is a caged or partial caged structure.

10. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the polyhedral silsesquioxane includes one or more hydrophobic substituents and one or more hydrophilic substituents.

11. The dispersion of claim 6 , where the particulate is titanium dioxide or fused silica.

12. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the composition includes from about 0.1 to about 5 wt % of the silsesquioxane, from about 0.1 to about 5 wt % of the dispersing agent; and at least 40 wt % of the particulate.

13. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the dispersing agent is a polymerized or interesterified hydroxycarboxylic acid.

14. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the dispersion will maintain its original viscosity within at most 20% after aging for seven days at 55° C.

15. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the dispersion includes at least 55 wt % of the particulate.

16. The dispersion of claim 8 , where the particulate is a pigment or a particulate filler.

17. The dispersion of claim 16 , where the particulate is an organic pigment, an inorganic pigment, an organic filler, an inorganic filler, or a combination thereof.

18. A method for preparing a coating composition, the method comprising adding a dispersion to a coating composition, where the dispersion includes (a) a polyhedral silsesquioxane; (b) a dispersing agent that is a networked or polymerized surfactant including interlinked hydrocarbon chains; (c) a curable resin; and (d) at least 30 wt % particulate, where the coating composition includes an initiator.