A lead-based alloy containing alloying additions of bismuth, antimony, arsenic, and tin is used for the production of doped leady oxides, lead-acid battery active materials, lead-acid battery electrodes, and lead-acid batteries.

Crystalline NH.sub.4Be.sub.2BO.sub.3F.sub.2 or Be.sub.2BO.sub.3F (abbreviated as BBF) has nonlinear optical effect, is not deliquescent in the air, is chemically stable. They can be used in a variety of nonlinear optical fields and will pioneer the nonlinear optical applications in the deep UV band.

A nickel hydroxide includes stacked nickel hydroxide layers. Each of the nickel hydroxide layers includes Ni.sup.2+ and OH.sup.. At least one of the nickel hydroxide layers further includes a type of polyatomic anions. The polyatomic anions include a type of anions that are not SO.sub.4.sup.2 or CO.sub.3.sup.2.

Crystalline NH.sub.4Be.sub.2BO.sub.3F.sub.2 or Be.sub.2BO.sub.3F (abbreviated as BBF) has nonlinear optical effect, is not deliquescent in the air, is chemically stable. They can be used in a variety of nonlinear optical fields and will pioneer the nonlinear optical applications in the deep UV band.

An oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor includes a composite oxide expressed as A.sub.9.33+x[T.sub.6.00yM.sub.y]O.sub.26.0+z, where A represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba, T represents an element including Si or Ge or both, and M represents one or two or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ge, Zn, Sn, W, and Mo, and where x is from 1.00 to 1.00, y is from 0.40 to less than 1.00, and z is from 3.00 to 2.00.

In order to provide a novel oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor which can achieve an increase in area through suppression of crack generation and preferably can be manufactured more inexpensively by an uncomplicated process, an oriented apatite-type oxide ion conductor composed of a composite oxide represented by A.sub.9.33+x[T.sub.6yM.sub.y]O.sub.26.00+z A in the formula is one kind or two or more kinds of elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba. T in the formula is an element including Si, Ge, or both of them. M in the formula is one kind or two or more kinds of elements selected from the group consisting of B, Ge, Zn, Sn, W, and Mo.

Provided is a positive electrode active material that has high output characteristics and battery capacity when used for a positive electrode of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery and can inhibit gelation of positive electrode mixture paste. A method for producing the positive electrode active material is also provided. A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery contains a lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide represented by General Formula (1): Li.sub.i+sNi.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zB.sub.LM1.sub.uO.sub.2+ and having a hexagonal layered crystal structure. The lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese composite oxide contains a secondary particle formed of a plurality of flocculated primary particles and a boron compound containing lithium present at least on part of surfaces of the primary particles. A water-soluble Li amount present on the surfaces of the primary particles is up to 0.1% by mass relative to the entire amount of the positive electrode active material.

A lead-based alloy containing alloying additions of bismuth, antimony, arsenic, and tin is used for the production of doped leady oxides, lead-acid battery active materials, lead-acid battery electrodes, and lead-acid batteries.

The removal of acid gases (e.g., non-carbon dioxide acid gases) using sorbents that include salts in molten form, and related systems and methods, are generally described.

Crystalline NH.sub.4Be.sub.2BO.sub.3F.sub.2 or Be.sub.2BO.sub.3F (abbreviated as BBF) has nonlinear optical effect, is not deliquescent in the air, is chemically stable. They can be used in a variety of nonlinear optical fields and will pioneer the nonlinear optical applications in the deep UV band.