A method for producing a carbon nanostructure according to an aspect of the present invention is a method in which a carbon nanostructure is produced between a base body and a separable body while the separable body is relatively moved away from the base body, the base body including a carburizable metal that is a principal constituent, the separable body including a carburizable metal that is a principal constituent, the separable body being joined to or in contact with the base body in a linear or strip-like shape. The method includes a carburizing gas feed step, an oxidizing gas feed step, a heating step in which the portion of the base body at which the base body and the separable body are joined to or in contact with each other is heated, and a separation step in which the separable body is relatively moved away from the base body.

A method uses mild fluorinating agents, such as hydrofluorocarbons—HCFs, perfluorocarbons—PFCs, hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFCs and chlorofluorocarbons—CFCs, to fine-tune the fluorination process in battery material preparation in order to obtain uniform nanometer-sized surface fluoride coated battery materials. The use of a vertical flow-type tube reactor permits a fine-tuning of the fluorination process by accurately regulating the active gas or mixture of gases flow over battery materials using mass-flow regulators, and precisely setting the temperature with vertical rube furnace. Additionally, these fluorinating agents have slightly different reactivity, decomposing and reacting with battery materials at different temperatures, and therefore, offering additional parameter of fluorination fine-tuning. The method is scalable and can be easily adapted as an industrial solution. Moreover, all these gases are non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-flammable gases at room temperatures, hence, they are more convenient to handle than highly-toxic and highly-corrosive HF and F.sub.2 gases.

A pipe connection structure provided in a processing apparatus, includes a first pipe having a first flange portion formed at one end thereof, a second pipe having a second flange portion formed at one end thereof and connected to the first flange portion, and a pipe clamp configured to connect and fasten the first flange portion and the second flange portion at a plurality of positions including a position where a pipe axis of the first pipe and a pipe axis of the second pipe do not coincide with each other.

A system for production of hydrogen includes a steam methane reformer (SMR) including an outer tube, wherein a first end of the outer tube is closed; and an inner tube disposed in the outer tube, wherein a first end of the inner tube is open. An SMR flow channel is defined within the inner tube and an annular space is defined between the outer tube and the inner tube. The flow channel is in fluid communication with the annular space. The SMR includes a foam disposed in the annular space. The system includes a water gas shift reactor comprising a reaction tube, wherein a reaction channel is defined within the reaction tube, and wherein the reaction channel is in fluid communication with the SMR flow channel; a heat transfer material disposed in the reaction channel; and a catalyst disposed in the reaction channel.

A system for production of hydrogen includes a steam methane reformer (SMR) including an outer tube, wherein a first end of the outer tube is closed; and an inner tube disposed in the outer tube, wherein a first end of the inner tube is open. An SMR flow channel is defined within the inner tube and an annular space is defined between the outer tube and the inner tube. The flow channel is in fluid communication with the annular space. The SMR includes a foam disposed in the annular space. The system includes a water gas shift reactor comprising a reaction tube, wherein a reaction channel is defined within the reaction tube, and wherein the reaction channel is in fluid communication with the SMR flow channel; a heat transfer material disposed in the reaction channel; and a catalyst disposed in the reaction channel.

A method for producing hydrogen includes flowing a first gas along a bayonet flow path of a steam methane reformer (SMR) to produce a first product, including flowing the first gas through a foam disposed along the bayonet flow path; providing the first product produced in the SMR to an input of a water gas shift (WGS) reaction channel defined within a reaction tube of a WGS reactor; and flowing a second gas including the first product through the WGS reaction channel to produce a second product. Flowing the second gas includes flowing the second gas across a heat transfer material disposed in the WGS reaction channel to reduce the temperature of the flowing second gas; and flowing the second gas across a WGS catalyst disposed in the reaction channel.

A method for producing hydrogen includes flowing a first gas along a bayonet flow path of a steam methane reformer (SMR) to produce a first product, including flowing the first gas through a foam disposed along the bayonet flow path; providing the first product produced in the SMR to an input of a water gas shift (WGS) reaction channel defined within a reaction tube of a WGS reactor; and flowing a second gas including the first product through the WGS reaction channel to produce a second product. Flowing the second gas includes flowing the second gas across a heat transfer material disposed in the WGS reaction channel to reduce the temperature of the flowing second gas; and flowing the second gas across a WGS catalyst disposed in the reaction channel.

Manufacturing apparatus, systems and method of making silicon (Si) nanowires on carbon based powders, such as graphite, that may be used as anodes in lithium ion batteries are provided. In some embodiments, an inventive tumbler reactor and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system and method for growing silicon nanowires on carbon based powders in scaled up quantities to provide production scale anodes for the battery industry are described.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a system and method relating to depositing vapor in a sample. For example, a device includes a vapor source chamber configured to contain a vapor source material to generate vapor. An activation chamber is configured to contain a sample. The activation chamber is in fluid communication with the vapor source chamber to receive the vapor. A permeable separator divides the vapor source chamber and the activation chamber, and isolates the sample in the activation chamber while allowing vapor to pass between the vapor source chamber and the activation chamber. The device is sealable and configured to apply vacuum to the vapor and sample, to cause deposition of the vapor into the pumice stone samples.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a system and method relating to depositing vapor in a sample. For example, a device includes a vapor source chamber configured to contain a vapor source material to generate vapor. An activation chamber is configured to contain a sample. The activation chamber is in fluid communication with the vapor source chamber to receive the vapor. A permeable separator divides the vapor source chamber and the activation chamber, and isolates the sample in the activation chamber while allowing vapor to pass between the vapor source chamber and the activation chamber. The device is sealable and configured to apply vacuum to the vapor and sample, to cause deposition of the vapor into the pumice stone samples.