A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.

A venting cap is disclosed for pressure vessels for microwave-assisted chemistry. The venting cap includes a flexible circular cover for closing the mouth of a reaction vessel, a flexible annular wall depending from the circular cover, and a flexible annular ring at the bottom of the annular wall and parallel to the circular cover for positioning the cap on a reaction vessel. At least one indentation in the circular cover minimizes distortion when any contents of a reaction vessel exert pressure against the cap, and at least one opening in the annular wall provides a ventilation path through the cap when gas pressure in a reaction vessel flexes the cap sufficiently to partially disengage at least a portion of the cap from the mouth of the reaction vessel.

Materials and methods for precious metal recovery are disclosed. Usable leaching solutions are preferably aqueous based and include appropriate materials in sufficient quantities to solubilize and stabilize precious metal. Such materials typically include oxidant material. Some or all of the oxidant material can be, in some instances, generated in-situ. The leaching solution is typically contacted with a substrate having a target precious metal, thereby solubilizing precious metal to form a stable, pregnant solution. The precious metal can then be recovered from the pregnant solution. In some instances, components of the leaching solution can be regenerated and reused in subsequent leaching.

An arrangement for producing a bulk material consisting substantially of foamed or blown mineral or oxide particles by thermal treatment of a bulk material of basic particles. The arrangement includes NIR halogen radiators for generating a NIR radiation field of radiation with an active component in a near infrared, NIR, range having a wavelength in a range between 0.8 m and 1.5 m and which has a power density of at least 50 kW/m.sup.2 for thermally treating the basic particles, a conveying device for transporting a layer or stream of the bed of basic particles through the radiation field, and a controller that controls heating of the bed of basic particles such that a maximum temperature in the layer or stream is in a temperature range between 600 and 1500 C.

The problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a plasma reactor for decomposition of hydrocarbons which allows stable operation over a prolonged time period. This problem is solved by a plasma reactor for decomposing a hydrocarbon fluid, which comprises a reactor chamber surrounded by a reactor wall and further comprises at least one hydrocarbon inlet and an outlet. A plasma torch having at least two electrodes, which comprise a base part at a first end, is fixed to the reactor wall. At a second end, the electrodes comprise a burner part which projects into the reactor chamber, and a plasma zone is defined between the burner parts of adjacent electrodes. In a region between the plasma zone and the outlet, the hydrocarbon inlet opens into the reactor chamber, and the hydrocarbon inlet is oriented toward the plasma zone such that hydrocarbon fluid flowing therefrom is directed towards the plasma zone. In the plasma reactor disclosed herein, primarily small C particles are formed which prevent fouling or overgrowing of the reactor chamber. Furthermore some large and heavy C particles, which may statistically be formed, penetrate the plasma cloud and can attach specifically to the electrodes.

A nanostructure includes a plurality of substantially spherically curved carbon layers having diameters in a range of 1 nanometer to 1000 nanometers and a plurality of halogen atoms attached to an outer convex side of the carbon layers. A composition of matter includes a liquid fuel and an additive including at least one liquid and a plurality of carbon nano-onions. A method of fabricating an additive for liquid fuel includes creating a carbon-based material using a plasma in an environment including at least one hydrocarbon gas and/or at least one liquid containing hydrocarbons, organometallic metal-complex, and/or element-organic compounds, evaporating organic material from the carbon-based material, halogenating the carbon-based material, and extracting carbon nano-onions from the halogenated carbon-based material.

Systems, methods and devices for nitric oxide generation are provided for use with various ventilation and/or medical devices and having a humidity control system associated therewith. In some embodiments, a system for generating nitric oxide comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a reactant gas, a scrubber configured to remove nitric dioxide NO.sub.2 from the product gas, and a humidity control device configured to alter a water content of at least one of the reactant gas and the product gas to control humidity within the system.

A light reactor for photochemical material production and/or treatment including a receiving space for receiving materials to be irradiated and/or receiving a reaction vessel containing such materials, a plurality of light sources, and a plurality of optical elements, which are distributed in an annular region in a plurality of rows around the receiving space. The optical elements are designed to form light bundles having main emission axes which, from row to row, are tilted differently with respect to a longitudinal axis of the annular region and together form a radiation space constricted between two cone tips, the center of which radiation space is in the central region of the receiving space.

A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.

A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.