A plurality of different metals, including precious metals, platinum group metals, rare earth elements, alkaline earth metals, etc., can be electrochemically recovered from waste materials such as ashes and e-waste, e.g., printed circuit boards. Waste feed stocks are treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 (scCO.sub.2) and acid to produce a solid delaminated waste and a liquid delaminated waste for recovery of elemental metals and metal compounds from each. Carbonation reactions can be used to convert and recover alkaline earth metals from the liquid delaminated waste. The solid delaminated waste can yield a solid gold product, and be further treated along with the liquid delaminated waste via a solvent including one or more organic ligands that bind target metals to form metal-ligand complexes. Electrochemical separation of the different metals, e.g., via stepwise variation of pH to release the metals from organic ligands having different pKa values, yields high purity metal product streams.

A plurality of different metals, including precious metals, platinum group metals, rare earth elements, alkaline earth metals, etc., can be electrochemically recovered from waste materials such as ashes and e-waste, e.g., printed circuit boards. Waste feed stocks are treated with supercritical CO.sub.2 (scCO.sub.2) and acid to produce a solid delaminated waste and a liquid delaminated waste for recovery of elemental metals and metal compounds from each. Carbonation reactions can be used to convert and recover alkaline earth metals from the liquid delaminated waste. The solid delaminated waste can yield a solid gold product, and be further treated along with the liquid delaminated waste via a solvent including one or more organic ligands that bind target metals to form metal-ligand complexes. Electrochemical separation of the different metals, e.g., via stepwise variation of pH to release the metals from organic ligands having different pKa values, yields high purity metal product streams.

Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles of a nanoparticle scale have beneficial properties for ceramic and electronic uses. Disclosed herein are moderately dispersed Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles having regular morphology and lateral size ranging from about 10 nm to 1 μm. The Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles may exhibit a narrow particle size distribution such that the difference between D.sub.10 and D.sub.90 is about 0.1 μm to 1 μm. Further disclosed are processes of producing these moderately dispersed Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles. These processes do not include grinding to obtain the particles. Also disclosed herein are uses for these Dy.sub.2O.sub.3μ particles.

Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles of a nanoparticle scale have beneficial properties for ceramic and electronic uses. Disclosed herein are moderately dispersed Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles having regular morphology and lateral size ranging from about 10 nm to 1 μm. The Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles may exhibit a narrow particle size distribution such that the difference between D.sub.10 and D.sub.90 is about 0.1 μm to 1 μm. Further disclosed are processes of producing these moderately dispersed Dy.sub.2O.sub.3 particles. These processes do not include grinding to obtain the particles. Also disclosed herein are uses for these Dy.sub.2O.sub.3μ particles.

The present invention relates to use of an amino-containing neutral phosphine extractant of Formula I in extraction and separation of thorium, and a process of extracting and separating thorium using the amino-containing neutral phosphine extractant of Formula I,

##STR00001##

wherein, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-16 alkyl and hydrogen, and n is an integer of 1 to 8.

The present invention relates to use of an amino-containing neutral phosphine extractant of Formula I in extraction and separation of thorium, and a process of extracting and separating thorium using the amino-containing neutral phosphine extractant of Formula I,

##STR00001##

wherein, R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-C.sub.12 alkyl, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-16 alkyl and hydrogen, and n is an integer of 1 to 8.

A method may reduce the hygroscopicity of a material including calcium carbonate using at least one copolymer for assisting in grinding which is neutralized in a particular way, as well as a method for packaging such a material. The copolymer may have a molecular mass measured by SEC in a range of from 4,000 to 20,000 g/mol, and a polydispersity index in a range of from 1.5 to 4.0, and may be prepared by polymerizing acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid, optionally in salt form, and non-ionic monomer(s) including hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 acrylate ester, a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 methacrylate ester, or combinations thereof, wherein the carboxylic acid groups may be at least partially neutralized by 70 mol. % of Na.sup.+ and from 10 to 30 mol % of Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, and/or Li.sup.+.

A method may reduce the hygroscopicity of a material including calcium carbonate using at least one copolymer for assisting in grinding which is neutralized in a particular way, as well as a method for packaging such a material. The copolymer may have a molecular mass measured by SEC in a range of from 4,000 to 20,000 g/mol, and a polydispersity index in a range of from 1.5 to 4.0, and may be prepared by polymerizing acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid, optionally in salt form, and non-ionic monomer(s) including hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 acrylate ester, a C.sub.1-C.sub.5 methacrylate ester, or combinations thereof, wherein the carboxylic acid groups may be at least partially neutralized by 70 mol. % of Na.sup.+ and from 10 to 30 mol % of Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, and/or Li.sup.+.

A solid-state fuel battery comprises an anode, a cathode spaced from the anode, and a solid-state electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. A material of the solid-state electrolyte is a hydrogen-containing transition metal oxide having a structural formula of ABO.sub.xH.sub.y, wherein A is one or more of alkaline earth metal elements and rare-earth metal elements, B is one or more of transition metal elements, x is a numeric value in a range of 1 to 3, and y is a numeric value in a range of 0 to 2.5. A method for making the solid-state electrolyte for the solid-state fuel battery is further provided in the present disclosure.

A solid-state fuel battery comprises an anode, a cathode spaced from the anode, and a solid-state electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. A material of the solid-state electrolyte is a hydrogen-containing transition metal oxide having a structural formula of ABO.sub.xH.sub.y, wherein A is one or more of alkaline earth metal elements and rare-earth metal elements, B is one or more of transition metal elements, x is a numeric value in a range of 1 to 3, and y is a numeric value in a range of 0 to 2.5. A method for making the solid-state electrolyte for the solid-state fuel battery is further provided in the present disclosure.