The invention relates to a method for concentrating metals, in particular silver and/or tin and/or lead from scrap containing metal, by treating the material/scrap containing silver and/or tin and/or lead with a sulfonic acid of the formula RSO.sub.2OH in the presence of an oxidizing agent, wherein R can be an organic group or ammonia.

The invention relates to a method for concentrating metals, in particular silver and/or tin and/or lead from scrap containing metal, by treating the material/scrap containing silver and/or tin and/or lead with a sulfonic acid of the formula RSO.sub.2OH in the presence of an oxidizing agent, wherein R can be an organic group or ammonia.

A method for producing a catalyst effective in the oxidative conversion of ethylene to ethylene oxide, the method comprising: (i) impregnating a porous refractory carrier with a sub-catalytic level of silver ion in a range of 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of silver by weight of the carrier and silver, and at least partially reducing said silver ion to elemental silver to produce a low-silver catalyst precursor having isolated silver atoms or silver nanoparticles on surfaces of said refractory carrier; and (ii) further impregnating the low-silver catalyst precursor with a catalytic amount of silver ion of at least 10 wt % total amount of silver and at least one promoting species by weight of the carrier and silver, and subjecting the further impregnated carrier to an elevated temperature of at least 200 C. to completely reduce silver ion to elemental silver in the carrier. The low-silver catalyst precursor produced in step (i) is also described in detail. Methods for using the catalyst produced in step (ii) for the oxidative conversion of ethylene to ethylene oxide are also described.

Provided is a method for producing metal chalcogenide nanomaterials, comprising the steps of forming an aqueous solution of a chalcogen precursor, a reducing agent and a metal salt; mixing the aqueous solution for a duration of time at a reaction temperature of between about 10 C. to about 40 C., inclusively; and separating the produced metal chalcogenide nanomaterials from the aqueous solution. Also provided is a method of converting metal chalcogenide nanoparticles into metal chalcogenide nanotubes or nanosheets, comprising the steps of forming an aqueous mixture of a chalcogen precursor, a reducing agent and the metal chalcogenide nanoparticles in water; and forming the nanotubes or nanosheets by stirring or not stirring the aqueous mixture, respectively.

Provided is a method for producing metal chalcogenide nanomaterials, comprising the steps of forming an aqueous solution of a chalcogen precursor, a reducing agent and a metal salt; mixing the aqueous solution for a duration of time at a reaction temperature of between about 10 C. to about 40 C., inclusively; and separating the produced metal chalcogenide nanomaterials from the aqueous solution. Also provided is a method of converting metal chalcogenide nanoparticles into metal chalcogenide nanotubes or nanosheets, comprising the steps of forming an aqueous mixture of a chalcogen precursor, a reducing agent and the metal chalcogenide nanoparticles in water; and forming the nanotubes or nanosheets by stirring or not stirring the aqueous mixture, respectively.

Disclosed are chalcogenide nanomaterials, preferably metal chalcogenide nanomaterials, for example, copper, lead and/or silver chalcogenide nanomaterials. Also provided is a method or process of synthesizing or preparing a chalcogenide nanomaterial, preferably a metal chalcogenide nanomaterial. In an example, a wet-chemical method is used to prepare metal chalcogenide nanomaterials, preferably in a solvent and in the presence of one or more organic ligands. Another example method involves producing metal chalcogenide nanomaterial and includes the steps of forming a mixture of a metal precursor, a chalcogen-based ligand, a solvent and a chalcogen precursor, heating the mixture at a reaction temperature for a duration of reaction time, and separating a produced metal chalcogenide nanomaterial.

The present invention is directed to the use of an ionic liquid as a dispersant or solvent and as a heat sink in a composition for generating oxygen, the composition further comprising at least one oxygen source formulation, and at least one metal oxide compound formulation, wherein the oxygen source formulation comprises a peroxide compound, the ionic liquid is in the liquid state at least in a temperature range from 10 C. to +50 C., and the metal oxide compound formulation comprises a metal oxide compound which is an oxide of one single metal or of two or more different metals, said metal(s) being selected from the metals of groups 2 to 14 of the periodic table of the elements.

The present invention is directed to the use of an ionic liquid as a dispersant or solvent and as a heat sink in a composition for generating oxygen, the composition further comprising at least one oxygen source formulation, and at least one metal oxide compound formulation, wherein the oxygen source formulation comprises a peroxide compound, the ionic liquid is in the liquid state at least in a temperature range from 10 C. to +50 C., and the metal oxide compound formulation comprises a metal oxide compound which is an oxide of one single metal or of two or more different metals, said metal(s) being selected from the metals of groups 2 to 14 of the periodic table of the elements.

To obtain a piezoelectric film having excellent piezoelectric properties. An aspect of the present invention relates to ferroelectric ceramics including a first Sr(Ti.sub.1-xRu.sub.x)O.sub.3 film and a PZT film formed on the first Sr(Ti.sub.1-xRu.sub.x)O.sub.3 film, wherein the x satisfies a formula 1 below.
0.01x0.4formula 1

A battery includes a case having a feedthrough port, a feedthrough assembly disposed in the feedthrough port, and a cell stack disposed within the case. The feedthrough port includes an inner conductor and an insulator core separating the inner conductor from the case. The cell stack includes an anode, a cathode, and a separator insulating the anode from the cathode, wherein the anode and cathode are offset from one another. An insulating boot surrounding the cell stack insulates the cell stack from the case. The insulating boot has an opening configured to receive therein the feedthrough assembly, which may include overmolded insulation. The interior surfaces and interior walls of the battery case may be thermal spray-coated with a dielectric material to prevent lithium dendrite formation between cathode and anode surfaces.