A silicon material can include a silicon aggregate comprising a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles welded together. The silicon aggregate can optionally have a polyhedral morphology. A method can include: receiving a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles and cold welding the plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles into an aggregated silicon particle.

A silicon material can include a silicon aggregate comprising a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles welded together. The silicon aggregate can optionally have a polyhedral morphology. A method can include: receiving a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles and cold welding the plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles into an aggregated silicon particle.

A drying hopper for drying granular material includes a hopper casing defining a plenum chamber for granular material, and an upper part and a bottom part. The hopper also includes a material inlet for the granular material arranged in the upper part; a material outlet port at the bottom part; a component for introducing hot drying gas into the hopper casing; and a gas outlet arranged in the upper part. The component for introducing hot drying gas includes gas pipes arranged to extend substantially vertically in the upper part, each gas pipe having a gas outlet port at its lower end and being connected at its upper end to an annular gas duct having a gas inlet for receiving a flow of drying gas, the gas pipes being distributed on the annular gas duct.

A drying hopper for drying granular material includes a hopper casing defining a plenum chamber for granular material, and an upper part and a bottom part. The hopper also includes a material inlet for the granular material arranged in the upper part; a material outlet port at the bottom part; a component for introducing hot drying gas into the hopper casing; and a gas outlet arranged in the upper part. The component for introducing hot drying gas includes gas pipes arranged to extend substantially vertically in the upper part, each gas pipe having a gas outlet port at its lower end and being connected at its upper end to an annular gas duct having a gas inlet for receiving a flow of drying gas, the gas pipes being distributed on the annular gas duct.

Solid waste, for example source separated organics (SSO) or commercial and industrial (C&I) waste or both, are treated by first pressurizing the waste against a screen to produce a solids fraction and a liquid fraction. The liquid fraction can be treated in an anaerobic digester. The solids fraction is pulverized or milled, for example with a hammer mill, preferably after being diluted. The pulverized or milled waste is separated again to provide a second solids faction and a second liquid fraction. The liquid fraction can be treated in an anaerobic digester. The solids fraction is primarily inert and can be landfilled, preferably after being washed.

Solid waste, for example source separated organics (SSO) or commercial and industrial (C&I) waste or both, are treated by first pressurizing the waste against a screen to produce a solids fraction and a liquid fraction. The liquid fraction can be treated in an anaerobic digester. The solids fraction is pulverized or milled, for example with a hammer mill, preferably after being diluted. The pulverized or milled waste is separated again to provide a second solids faction and a second liquid fraction. The liquid fraction can be treated in an anaerobic digester. The solids fraction is primarily inert and can be landfilled, preferably after being washed.

A silicon material can include a silicon aggregate comprising a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles welded together. The silicon aggregate can optionally have a polyhedral morphology. A method can include: receiving a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles and cold welding the plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles into an aggregated silicon particle.

A silicon material can include a silicon aggregate comprising a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles welded together. The silicon aggregate can optionally have a polyhedral morphology. A method can include: receiving a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles and cold welding the plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles into an aggregated silicon particle.

The present invention concerns the field of safe disposal or recycling of devices which include flat panel displays (FPDs) such as televisions, public information screens and signs, advertising panels, computer monitors and lap-tops, tablets and computers with integrated flat panel displays. The invention provides an apparatus for the disassembly of flat panel display units (FPDs) which each comprise a display screen provided on the front face of the FPD and a housing which accommodates the screen and associated electronic circuitry, the apparatus comprising: (i) a cutting station for receiving an end-of-life FPD, the cutting station being configured and arranged to make cuts into the FPD along cutting paths which permit detachment of the entire display screen, or a cut-out sub-unit of the display screen, from the FPD, (ii) an FPD characterisation station provided in advance of, or at, the cutting station, the characterisation station being adapted to measure and/or log one or more characterising parameters or identifiers of the FPD in advance of the cutting step, (iii) a data processing system in data communication with the FPD characterisation station, the data processing system being adapted to receive and one or more of said parameters or identifiers, and derive therefrom an appropriate protocol for cutting the FPD display screen, and provide instructions in accordance with the protocol which are sent back to the cutting station so as to control the cuts. An FPD database may be associated with the data processing system, the FPD database being pre-loaded with cutting path instructions for a range of known FPDs.

The present disclosure relates to a system (100) for extracting electrode material from batteries. A shredding unit (104) configured to receive the cooled feedstock from the freezing unit (102). The shredding unit (104) is configured to shred the feedstock into powder form. A cyclone separator (110) configured with the shredding unit (104), and configured to receive air bone electrode material particles generated as a result of shredding the batteries. A separating unit (106) configured with the shredding unit (104), and configured to separate the electrode material particles. A cleaning unit (108) operatively configured with the separating unit and the cyclone separator (110). The cleaning unit (108) is configured to receive the powdered electrode particles from the shredding unit 104), and powdered electrode materials from a first output of the cyclone separator (110). A mixing agitator (110) is configured to receive the powdered electrode material from the cleaning unit (108).