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.

A compound M.sub.jX.sub.p which is particularly suitable for use in a battery prepared by the complexometric precursor formulation methodology wherein: M.sub.j is at least one positive ion selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition metals and j is an integer representing the moles of said positive ion per moles of said M.sub.jX.sub.p; and X.sub.p, a negative anion or polyanion from Groups IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA and VIIA and may be one or more anion or polyanion and p is an integer representing the moles of said negative ion per moles of said M.sub.jX.sub.p.

The invention discloses use of a uranium-containing compound as a scintillator. The uranium-containing compound is a uranium-containing organic-inorganic hybrid compound or a uranium-containing inorganic compound. The uranium-containing organic-inorganic hybrid compound is a uranium-containing organic carboxylate or a uranium-containing organophosphate. The uranium-containing inorganic compound is a uranium-containing non-metallate, a uranium-containing metal salt, or a uranium-containing halide. The invention discloses the uranium-containing organic-inorganic compound or the uranium-containing inorganic compound having intrinsic scintillating ability, and provides a new concept and method for the development of (organic-inorganic, inorganic) scintillators of various chemical compositions and configurations with the uranium element.

Methods of using sorbents to enhance the production of hydrogen from fuel, and related systems, are generally described. In some embodiments, the production of hydrogen from the fuel involves a reforming reaction and/or a gasification reaction combined with a water-gas shift reaction.

A compound is provided that has the formula: Ln.sub.4-x-zB.sub.xD.sub.zM.sub.2-n-yA.sub.nB.sub.yO.sub.9, where Ln comprises La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, or a mixture thereof; x is 0 to about 2; D is La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, or a mixture thereof, where: D is not equal to Ln; if D is La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, or a mixture thereof, then z is 0 to less than 4; if D is Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, or a mixture thereof, then z is 0 to about 2; M comprises Ga, Al, or a combination thereof; A comprises Fe, In, or a combination thereof; n is 0 to about 1; y is 0 to about 1; and x+y is greater than 0. In one embodiment, a composition is generally provided that includes a silicon-containing material and such a boron-doped refractory compound.

A compound is generally provided that has the formula: Ln.sub.3-xB.sub.xM.sub.5-yB.sub.yO.sub.12, where Ln comprises Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, or a mixture thereof; x is 0 to about 1.5; M comprises Ga, In, Al, Fe, or a combination thereof; y is 0 to about 2.5; and x+y is greater than 0. A composition is also provided that includes a silicon-containing material (e.g., silicon metal and/or a silicide) and the boron-doped refractory compound having the formula described above, such as about 0.001% to about 85% by volume of the boron-doped refractory compound.

Provided are polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide particles represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a method of preparing the same:
Li.sub.(1+x)Mn.sub.(2xyf)Al.sub.yM.sub.fO.sub.(4z)<Chemical Formula 1> where M is any one selected from the group consisting of boron (B), cobalt (Co), vanadium (V), lanthanum (La), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), zirconium (Zr), yttrium (Y), and gallium (Ga), or two or more elements thereof, 0x0.2, 0<y0.2, 0<f0.2, and 0z0.2. According to an embodiment of the present invention, limitations, such as the Jahn-Teller distortion and the dissolution of Mn.sup.2+, may be addressed by structurally stabilizing the polycrystalline lithium manganese oxide particles. Thus, life characteristics and charge and discharge capacity characteristics of a secondary battery may be improved.

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 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 present invention relates to a process for modifying a layered double hydroxide (LDH), the process comprising, a. providing a material comprising a layered double hydroxide of formula: [M.sup.z+.sub.1-xM.sup.y+.sub.x(OH).sub.2].sup.q+(X.sup.n).sub.q/n.bH.sub.2O wherein M and M are metal cations, z is 1 or 2, x is 0.1 to 1, b is 0 to 5, y is 3 or 4, X is an anion, n is 1 to 3 and q is determined by x, y and z, b. optionally washing the material at least once with a mixture of water and a mixing solvent miscible with water, and c. washing the material obtained in step a or b at least once with at least one first solvent, the first solvent being miscible with water and having a solvent polarity P.