Polymer-coated proppants for hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells have an outer layer portion that comprises an organofunctional coupling agent, preferably an organofunctional silane coupling agent. The use of an organofunctional silane coupling agent in the outer layer portion of the proppant coating is preferably chosen to expose functionalities that will be reactive towards similar functionalities of adjacent and similarly coated proppants so that, when introduced downhole, these proppants form interparticle bonds at the temperatures and crack closure pressures found downhole in fractured strata. Such enhanced interparticle bonding helps keep the proppant in the fracture and maintains conductivity with reduced flowback. The invention also helps proppants designed for low temperature well to bond more firmly and allows proppants designed for high temperature wells to bond well even at lower downhole temperatures, thereby extending their useful range.

An excrement treatment material includes a plurality of granules that absorb excrement. Each granule includes a granular core portion, and a coating portion. The core portion has a circular cross-section, and has a function of absorbing and retaining the excrement. The coating portion coats the core portion. The coating portion has a function of causing the plurality of granules, which have absorbed the excrement, to adhere to each other. In a cross-section of each granule that is in the same plane as the cross-section of the core portion, a thickness of the coating portion on one side of the core portion is smaller than a thickness of the coating portion on another side of the core portion.

Cold-in-place asphalt recycling is disclosed. A foamed asphalt may be produced by injecting water and optionally compressed air into a hot asphalt stream. A lubricating surfactant may be added to the hot asphalt stream to improve performance. The foamed asphalt may be mixed with reclaimed material to provide a uniformly coated paving material that can compacted to a desired density.

A method for surface treatment of a metal material in a powder state is provided, the method including obtaining a powder formed from a plurality of particles of the metal material to be treated; and subjecting the powder to an ion implantation process by directing a beam of singly-charged or multi-charged ions towards an outer surface of the particles, the beam being produced by a source of singly-charged or multi-charged ions, whereby the particles have an overall spherical shape with a radius (R). There is also provided a material in a powder state formed from a plurality of particles having a ceramic outer layer and a metal core, the particles having an overall spherical shape.

The present invention relates to an impregnated supported catalyst, a carbon nanotube aggregate, and a method for producing the carbon nanotube aggregate. The carbon nanotube aggregate includes a four-component catalyst in which catalytic components and active components are supported on a granular support, and bundle type carbon nanotubes grown on the catalyst. The carbon nanotube aggregate has an average particle diameter of 100 to 800 μm, a bulk density of 80 to 250 kg/m.sup.3, and a spherical or potato-like shape.

A manufacturing method of a dielectric ceramic composition includes attaching a reactive functional group to a surface of a base material powder particle of a perovskite structure.

This disclosure provides methods of making functionalized PEG iron oxide nanoparticles.

Processes disclosed are capable of converting biomass into high-crystallinity, hydrophobic cellulose. In some variations, the process includes fractionating biomass with an acid (such as sulfur dioxide), a solvent (such as ethanol), and water, to generate cellulose-rich solids and a liquid containing hemicellulose and lignin; and depositing lignin onto cellulose fibers to produce lignin-coated cellulose materials (such as dissolving pulp). The crystallinity of the cellulose material may be 80% or higher, translating into good reinforcing properties for composites. Optionally, sugars derived from amorphous cellulose and hemicellulose may be separately fermented, such as to monomers for various polymers. These polymers may be combined with the hydrophobic cellulose to form completely renewable composites.

The use of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and Molecular Layer Deposition (MLD) applied to powders and intermediates of the MLCC fabrication process can provide significant advantages. Coating metal particles within a defined range of ALD cycles is shown to provide enhanced oxidation resistance. Surprisingly, a very thin ALD layer was found to substantially increase sintering temperature.

A method for gas atomization of a titanium alloy, nickel alloy, or other alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3)-forming alloy wherein the atomized particles are exposed as they solidify and cool in a very short time to multiple gaseous reactive agents for the in-situ formation of a passivation reaction film on the atomized particles wherein the reaction film retains a precursor halogen alloying element that is subsequently introduced into a microstructure formed by subsequent thermally processing of the atomized particles to improve oxidation resistance.