A sorbent cartridge device includes an ion-exchange material containing zirconium phosphate and no more than about 0.1 mg of leachable phosphate ions per about 1 g of the ion-exchange material. In one example, the cartridge also includes a phosphate-adsorbing material containing zirconium oxide. In this example, the weight ratio between zirconium phosphate and zirconium oxide in the cartridge is from about 10:1 to about 40:1. The zirconium phosphate may be alkaline zirconium phosphate prepared by a process including the following steps: (i) drying acid zirconium phosphate to obtain a dry acid zirconium phosphate; (ii) combining the dry acid zirconium phosphate with an aqueous solution to obtain an aqueous slurry; and (iii) combining the slurry with an alkali hydroxide to obtain the alkaline zirconium phosphate. During step (ii), any free phosphate ions in the dry acid zirconium phosphate leach out into the aqueous phase of the slurry.

A precursor solution of a garnet-type solid electrolyte is provided represented by the compositional formula: Li.sub.7−xLa.sub.3(Zr.sub.2−xM.sub.x)O.sub.12, wherein in the compositional formula, the element M is two or more types of elements selected from Nb, Ta, and Sb, and x satisfies 0.0<x<2.0, the precursor solution contains one type of solvent, and a lithium compound, a lanthanum compound, a zirconium compound, and a compound containing the element M, each of which has solubility in the solvent, and with respect to the stoichiometric composition of the compositional formula, the amount of the lithium compound is 1.05 times or more and 1.20 times or less, the amount of the lanthanum compound is equal, the amount of the zirconium compound is equal, and the amount of the compound containing the element M is equal.

There are provided a piezoelectric laminate, which include, on a substrate in the following order, a lower electrode layer and a piezoelectric film, in which the piezoelectric film contains a perovskite-type oxide, the piezoelectric film includes a first region in which the perovskite-type oxide contains, as a main component, a first perovskite crystal in which a first angle formed by a (100) plane orientation or a (001) plane orientation and a normal direction of a surface of the substrate is 5°˜30°, and includes a second region provided between the first region and the lower electrode layer, in which the perovskite-type oxide contains, as a main component, a second perovskite crystal in which a second angle formed by the (100) plane orientation or the (001) plane orientation and the normal direction is less than 5°, and a thickness of the second region is 30 nm or more.

This invention relates to azirconium hydroxideor zirconium oxide comprising, on an oxide basis, up to 30 wt % of a dopant comprising one or more of silicon, sulphate, phosphate, tungsten, niobium, aluminium, molybdenum, titanium or tin, and having acid sites, wherein the majority of the acid sites are Lewis acid sites. In addition, the invention relates to a catalyst, catalyst support or precursor, binder, functional binder, coating or sorbent comprising the zirconium hydroxide or zirconium oxide. The invention also relates to a process for preparing zirconium hydroxide, the process comprising the steps of:(a) dissolving a zirconium salt in an aqueous acid, (b) addingone or more complexing agents to the resulting solution or sol, the one or more complexing agents being an organic compound comprising at least one of the following functional groups: an amine, an organosulphate, a sulphonate, a hydroxyl, an ether or a carboxylic acid group, (c) heating the solution or sol formed in step (b), (d) adding a sulphating agent, and (e) adding a base to form a zirconium hydroxide, and (f) optionally adding a dopant.

Fabricating a layer including lithium lanthanum zirconate (Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12) layer includes forming a slurry including lanthanum zirconate (La.sub.2Zr.sub.2O.sub.7) nanocrystals, a lithium precursor, and a lanthanum precursor in stoichiometric amounts to yield a dispersion including lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium. In some cases, the dispersion includes lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium in a molar ratio of 7:3:2. In certain cases, the slurry includes excess lithium. The slurry is dispensed onto a substrate and dried. The dried slurry is calcined to yield the layer including lithium lanthanum zirconate.

Provided is an alumina-based composite oxide having a large initial specific surface area and a small initial mean pore size, with excellent heat resistance of the specific surface area and pore volume; and a production method therefor. Specifically, provided is an alumina-based composite oxide wherein the initial crystallite diameter is 10 nm or less and the initial specific surface area is 80 m.sup.2/ml or more; after calcination at 1200° C. for 3 hours in air, the specific surface area is 10 m.sup.2/ml or more; the initial mean pore size is 10 nm or more and 50 nm or less; and after calcination at 1200° C. for 3 hours in air, the pore volume retention rate is 10% or more, which is determined by (P.sub.1/P.sub.0)×100 wherein P.sub.0 represents an initial pore volume (ml/g), and P.sub.1 represents a pore volume (ml/g) after calcination at 1200° C. for 3 hours in air.

Provided is an alumina-based composite oxide having a large initial specific surface area and a small initial mean pore size, with excellent heat resistance of the specific surface area and pore volume; and a production method therefor. Specifically, provided is an alumina-based composite oxide wherein the initial crystallite diameter is 10 nm or less and the initial specific surface area is 80 m.sup.2/ml or more; after calcination at 1200° C. for 3 hours in air, the specific surface area is 10 m.sup.2/ml or more; the initial mean pore size is 10 nm or more and 50 nm or less; and after calcination at 1200° C. for 3 hours in air, the pore volume retention rate is 10% or more, which is determined by (P.sub.1/P.sub.0)×100 wherein P.sub.0 represents an initial pore volume (ml/g), and P.sub.1 represents a pore volume (ml/g) after calcination at 1200° C. for 3 hours in air.

The present disclosure relates to methodologies, systems and apparatus for generating lithium ion battery materials. Starting materials are combined to form a homogeneous precursor solution including lithium, and a droplet maker is used to generate droplets of the precursor solution having controlled size. These droplets are introduced into a microwave generated plasma, where micron or sub-micron scale lithium-containing particles are formed. These lithium-containing particles are collected and formed into a slurry to form lithium ion battery materials.

The present disclosure relates to methodologies, systems and apparatus for generating lithium ion battery materials. Starting materials are combined to form a homogeneous precursor solution including lithium, and a droplet maker is used to generate droplets of the precursor solution having controlled size. These droplets are introduced into a microwave generated plasma, where micron or sub-micron scale lithium-containing particles are formed. These lithium-containing particles are collected and formed into a slurry to form lithium ion battery materials.

A negative thermal expansion material having a negative thermal expansion coefficient according to the present invention is represented by Zr.sub.2-aM.sub.aS.sub.xP.sub.2O.sub.12+δ, where M is at least one selected from Ti, Ce, Sn, Mn, Hf, Ir, Pb, Pd, and Cr; a is 0≤a<2; x is 0.4≤x≤1; and δ is a value defined as to satisfy a charge neutral condition. The present invention makes it possible to provide a negative thermal expansion material, a composite material and a method for producing a negative thermal expansion material that can realize reduction in cost and density reduction.