The invention relates to a method of making a reinforced catalytic microporous and/or mesoporous bound composition comprising the steps of: providing a pre-formed catalytic crystalline material; mixing the catalytic crystalline material with water, a metal oxide binder, and a reinforcing glass fiber to form an extrudable composition; extruding the extrudable slurry under conditions sufficient to form the reinforced catalytic bound extrudate; and calcining the reinforced catalytic bound extrudate at a temperature and for a time sufficient to form a calcined reinforced catalytic bound catalyst. Advantageously, the reinforcing glass fiber can have a diameter from 5-100 microns and a length-to-diameter ratio from 300:1-3000:1 and can be present in an amount from about 1-50 parts, based on about 1000 parts combined of catalytic crystalline material and metal oxide binder.

Provided herein are nanofibers and processes of preparing carbonaceous nanofibers. In some embodiments, the nanofibers are high quality, high performance nanofibers, highly coherent nanofibers, highly continuous nanofibers, or the like. In some embodiments, the nanofibers have increased coherence, increased length, few voids and/or defects, and/or other advantageous characteristics. In some instances, the nanofibers are produced by electrospinning a fluid stock having a high loading of nanofiber precursor in the fluid stock. In some instances, the fluid stock comprises well mixed and/or uniformly distributed precursor in the fluid stock. In some instances, the fluid stock is converted into a nanofiber comprising few voids, few defects, long or tunable length, and the like.

A method of preparing a fiber for use in forming a ceramic matrix composite material comprises the steps of removing a polymer coating from an outer surface of glass or ceramic fibers by providing heated and humidified gas across the glass or ceramic fibers for a period of time.

A method of fabricating a fiber structure, the method including a) forming at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber by applying heat treatment at a temperature lying in the range 900° C. to 1200° C. to at least one fiber that is a precursor of ceramic fiber; and b) performing one or more textile operations using at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber formed by performing step a) in order to form a fiber structure including the at least one essentially amorphous ceramic fiber.

A negative electrode material for lithium ion secondary batteries, the negative electrode material including particles (A) containing an element capable of occluding/releasing lithium ions other than a carbon element; graphite particles (B) capable of occluding/releasing lithium ions and having a median value of not smaller than 1.4 and not larger than 3.0 in a number-based distribution of aspect ratios of primary particles and carbon fibers (C); wherein a three dimensional web structure is formed from one or more carbon fibers (C), the particles (A) are fusion-bonded to the structure, and the structure is fusion-bonded to at least a part of a surface of the graphite particle (B). Also disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery obtained using the negative electrode material.

Refractory transition metal-carbide (RTM-C) fibers were synthesized via the Forcespinning™ method. This method allows for simple and rapid synthesis of these RTM-C fibers with the ability to make grams of fibers quickly.

An inorganic fiber containing silica, alumina, one or more alkali metal oxides, and one or more of alkaline earth metal oxides, transition metal oxides, or lanthanide series metal oxides. The inorganic fiber exhibits good thermal performance at use temperatures of 1260° C. and greater, retains mechanical integrity after exposure to the use temperatures, is free of crystalline silica upon devitrification, is alkali flux resistant, exhibits low bio-persistence in an acidic medium, and exhibits low dissolution in a neutral medium. Also provided are thermal insulation products incorporating the inorganic fibers, a method for preparing the inorganic fiber and a method of thermally insulating articles using thermal insulation prepared from the inorganic fibers.

Embodiments of the invention include articles incorporating fibrous fragments of mats of silica fibers and methods for producing such articles. The fiber mats may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

Provided is a method of producing a transition metal dichalcogenide fiber. The method of producing a transition metal dichalcogenide fiber according to the present invention includes: spinning a spinning solution containing a transition metal dichalcogenide in a coagulation solution to obtain a transition metal dichalcogenide fiber, wherein the spinning solution has liquid crystallinity by the transition metal dichalcogenide.

A polymetalloxane is described having a constituent unit represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, M a, b and m are as defined.