The invention relates to methods for making completely biodegradable, hydrophobic, oleophilic plant based materials which are useful in adsorption of petroleum products. The materials have an average diameter of from 1 to 5 mm, and an ash content of from 10% to 30%. The non-paraffin coating is an animal fat product, preferably produced by dissolving a pure animal fat and using this as the coating material.

A polymer matrix composite comprising a porous polymeric network; and a plurality of functional particles distributed within the polymeric network structure, and wherein the polymer matrix composite has an air flow resistance at 25 C., as measured by the Air Flow Resistance Test, of less than 300 seconds/50 cm.sup.3/500 micrometers; and wherein the polymer matrix composite has a density of at least 0.3 g/cm.sup.3; and methods for making the same. The polymer matrix composites are useful, for example, as filters.

The present invention involves the use of nanoporous carbons derived from partially or fully demetalized metal carbides in personal protection equipment for the reversible absorption/adsorption of both broad and specific targeted gases. These materials have been specifically processed to provide enhanced effective loadings against specific harmful volatile organic compounds.

A porous carbon having a high oxidation reaction temperature, a method of manufacturing the porous carbon, and an adsorption/desorption apparatus using the porous carbon are provided. A porous carbon includes mesopores and a carbonaceous wall forming an outer wall of the mesopores, characterized by being composed mainly of hard carbon and having an oxidation reaction temperature of 600 C. or higher. It is desirable that the porous carbon have an average interlayer spacing d(002) of 0.350 nm or greater, as determined by an X-ray diffraction method after heating the porous carbon at 2500 C. or higher for 30 minutes to 60 minutes.

An assemblage of substantially round particles with a mean diameter between 0.1 and 4 mm, more preferable between 0.3 to 2 mm and most preferable between 0.8 to 1.2 mm, wherein the density of the assemblage determined by ISO 697 is between 250 kg/m3 and 400 kg/m3 is disclosed. The substantially round particles comprise at least one microporous material and optionally at least one binder, wherein the assemblage comprises a pore volume, wherein the pore volume comprises pores resulting from void space between different ones of the substantially round particles and pores within the substantially round particles.

The invention refers to the process of obtaining porous spheres based on CaO modified with carbon nanotubes for the capture of CO.sub.2. The invention also refers to the spheres obtained and their use to capture CO.sub.2 generated by a vehicular internal combustion engine, aiming to reduce the amount of CO.sub.2 released into the atmosphere.

A ceramic membrane, and a process for producing a ceramic membrane. In the process for the production of a ceramic membrane the ceramic membrane is produced by additive manufacturing. The ceramic membrane comprises a membrane portion comprising pores. A nano-and/or micro-particle is formed in-situ from a nano- and/or micro-particle precursor during the additive manufacturing process and/or post-processing step. The ceramic membrane comprises the in-situ formed nano- and/or micro-particle, or residue thereof, arranged within the pores of the membrane portion. Also described is a water treatment module including the ceramic membrane.

A multiphase particulate nanocomposite material including, determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD): a monoclinic calcium cobalt oxide (Ca.sub.3Co.sub.4O.sub.9) crystalline phase; and, a cubic magnesium oxide (MgO) crystalline phase. The multiphase nanocomposite material further inlcudes either: a hexagonal calcium carbonate (CaCO.sub.3) crystalline phase and a cubic cobalt oxide (Co.sub.3O.sub.4) crystalline phase; or, a cubic calcium oxide (CaO) crystalline phase and a rhombohedral Ca.sub.3Co.sub.2O.sub.6 crystalline phase. The ratio by weight of the monoclinic Ca.sub.3Co.sub.4O.sub.9 crystalline phase and the cubic MgO crystalline phase is in a range of about 0.5 to 1.5:0.5 to 1.5:0.5 to 1.5.

Methods making a metal-organic framework extrudate in an extruder comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a metal-organic framework material with an extrusion aid to form a metal-organic framework extrudate mixture; and (b) extruding the metal-organic framework mixture in the extruder to produce the metal-organic framework extrudate where the pressure within the extruder is reduced between about 10% to about 55% when compared to pressure within the extruder when extruding the metal-organic framework material without the extrusion aid. The extrusion aid can be a liquid extrusion aid, a solid extrusion aid and/or a polymeric extrusion aid.

A TPC-OTBS n-hexane solution is added to a mixture of TPC-OSO.sub.2F, DMF, and DBU and allowed to stand to produce a crosslinked solvent gel; the crosslinked solvent gel is added to methanol, stirred, and dried to produce the porous crosslinked material. The gel acquired can be prepared into a pore-rich solid porous organic polymer material by means of solvent exchange. SEM and TEM are used to characterize the surface and internal morphologies of the solid material, and the porous morphology thereof is discovered, with large pores being the majority. Infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance are used to characterize the structure of a crosslinked polysulfate; the complete reaction of a sulfuryl fluoride group is proven by means of solid-state fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and XPS element analysis; and the porous structure of the crosslinked polysulfate allows same to be provided with improved application prospect in terms of adsorption.