A porous formed article includes an organic polymer resin and an inorganic ion adsorbent and having the most frequent pore size of 0.08 to 0.70 μm measured with a mercury porosimeter. Such a porous formed article can be prepared by crushing and mixing a good solvent for the organic polymer resin and the inorganic ion adsorbent to obtain slurry; dissolving the organic polymer resin and a water-soluble polymer in the slurry; shape-forming the slurry; promoting coagulation of the shape-formed product by controlling the temperature and humidity of a spatial portion coming into contact with the shape-formed product, until the shape-formed product is coagulated in a poor solvent; and coagulating the coagulation-promoted shape-formed product in a poor solvent. A production apparatus can be used to prepare such a porous formed article.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the recovery and extraction of rare earth elements. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for separating rare earth elements from coal, coal by-product(s), and/or coal-derived product(s). In an embodiment, a method of removing rare earth elements from a coal-derived product is provided. The method generally includes introducing supercritical CO.sub.2 to the coal ash to form a first mixture, introducing a first acid to the first mixture to form a second mixture, and removing a first composition from the second mixture, the first composition comprising the one or more rare earth elements.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the recovery and extraction of rare earth elements. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for separating rare earth elements from coal, coal by-product(s), and/or coal-derived product(s). In an embodiment, a method of removing rare earth elements from a coal-derived product is provided. The method generally includes introducing supercritical CO.sub.2 to the coal ash to form a first mixture, introducing a first acid to the first mixture to form a second mixture, and removing a first composition from the second mixture, the first composition comprising the one or more rare earth elements.

A facile solvothermal method can be used to synthesize metal alkanoate nanoparticles using a metal nitrate precursor, alcohol/water, and alkanoic acid. The method can produce lanthanide (e.g., La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, or Yb) and transition metal (e.g., Ag, Co, Cu, or Pb) alkanoate nanoparticles (<100 nm) with spherical morphology. These hybrid nanomaterials adopt a lamellar structure consisting of inorganic metal cation layers separated by an alkanoate anion bilayer and exhibit liquid crystalline phases during melting. For example, thermal analysis indicated the formation of Smectic A liquid crystal phases by lanthanide decanoate nanoparticles, with the smaller lanthanides (Ln=Sm, Gd, Er) displaying additional solid intermediate and Smectic C phases. The formation of liquid crystal phases by the smaller lanthanide ions suggests that these nanoscale materials have vastly different thermal properties than their bulk counterparts, which do not exhibit liquid crystal behavior. Photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed the lanthanide decanoates to be highly optically active, producing strong visible emissions that corresponded to expected electronic transitions by the various lanthanide ions. The metal alkanoate nanoparticles can be calcined to produce metal oxide nanoparticles.

A facile solvothermal method can be used to synthesize metal alkanoate nanoparticles using a metal nitrate precursor, alcohol/water, and alkanoic acid. The method can produce lanthanide (e.g., La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, or Yb) and transition metal (e.g., Ag, Co, Cu, or Pb) alkanoate nanoparticles (<100 nm) with spherical morphology. These hybrid nanomaterials adopt a lamellar structure consisting of inorganic metal cation layers separated by an alkanoate anion bilayer and exhibit liquid crystalline phases during melting. The metal alkanoate nanoparticles can be calcined to produce metal oxide nanoparticles.

The present invention is to provide an electron or hydride ion intake/release material comprising a lanthanoid oxyhydride represented by the formula Ln(HO) (in the formula, Ln represents a lanthanoid element) or an electron or hydride ion intake/release composition comprising at least one kind of lanthanoid oxyhydride; a transition metal-supported material wherein a transition metal is supported by the above electron or hydride ion intake/release material or electron or hydride ion intake/release composition; and a catalyst comprising the transition metal-supported material. The electron or hydride ion intake/release material or electron or hydride ion intake/release composition according to the present invention has a higher ability for intake/release of electron or hydride ion than that of a conventional hydride-containing compound, and can be used effectively as a catalyst such as a catalyst having excellent ammonia synthesis activity by supporting a transition metal thereon.

The present invention is to provide an electron or hydride ion intake/release material comprising a lanthanoid oxyhydride represented by the formula Ln(HO) (in the formula, Ln represents a lanthanoid element) or an electron or hydride ion intake/release composition comprising at least one kind of lanthanoid oxyhydride; a transition metal-supported material wherein a transition metal is supported by the above electron or hydride ion intake/release material or electron or hydride ion intake/release composition; and a catalyst comprising the transition metal-supported material. The electron or hydride ion intake/release material or electron or hydride ion intake/release composition according to the present invention has a higher ability for intake/release of electron or hydride ion than that of a conventional hydride-containing compound, and can be used effectively as a catalyst such as a catalyst having excellent ammonia synthesis activity by supporting a transition metal thereon.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the recovery and extraction of rare earth elements. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for separating rare earth elements from coal, coal by-product(s), and/or coal-derived product(s). In an embodiment, a method of removing rare earth elements from a coal-derived product is provided. The method generally includes introducing supercritical CO.sub.2 to the coal ash to form a first mixture, introducing a first acid to the first mixture to form a second mixture, and removing a first composition from the second mixture, the first composition comprising the one or more rare earth elements.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the recovery and extraction of rare earth elements. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to methods for separating rare earth elements from coal, coal by-product(s), and/or coal-derived product(s). In an embodiment, a method of removing rare earth elements from a coal-derived product is provided. The method generally includes introducing supercritical CO.sub.2 to the coal ash to form a first mixture, introducing a first acid to the first mixture to form a second mixture, and removing a first composition from the second mixture, the first composition comprising the one or more rare earth elements.

A device having a plurality of layers comprises a nucleation-inhibiting coating (NIC) disposed on a first layer surface in a first portion of a lateral aspect thereof; and a deposited layer comprised of a deposited material, disposed on a second layer surface, wherein an initial sticking probability against deposition of the deposited layer onto a surface of the NIC in the first portion is substantially less than the initial sticking probability against deposition of the deposited layer onto the second layer surface, such that the NIC is substantially devoid of a closed coating of the deposited material and wherein the NIC comprises a compound containing a rare earth element. The deposited layer can comprise a closed coating on the second layer surface in a second portion of the lateral aspect, and/or a discontinuous layer of at least one particle structure on a surface of the NIC.