The invention relates to surface-modified non-halogenated mineral filler
compositions comprising a particulate mineral filler core comprising
hydroxide groups bound to divalent or trivalent metal ions, said
particulate mineral filler core having on its surface (i) one or more
short-chain organosilano groups each having one to three silicon-bound
short-chain hydrocarbon groups having, independently, one to three carbon
atoms, and (ii) one or more long-chain organosilano groups having one to
three silicon-bound straight-chained or branched, saturated or
unsaturated, long-chain hydrocarbon groups containing, independently,
eight to twelve carbon atoms, wherein the long-chain organosilano groups
are present in an amount of up to about fifty-five mole percent of
combined molar amount of long-chain and short-chain organosilano groups.