Multi-functional materials for use in reversible, high-capacity hydrogen separation and/or storage are described. Also described are systems incorporating the materials. The multi-functional materials combine a hydrogen absorbing material with a high-efficiency and anon-contact energy absorbing material in a composite nanoparticle. The non-contact energy absorbing material include magnetic and/or plasmonic materials. The magnetic or plasmonic materials of the composite nanoparticles can provide localized heating to promote release of hydrogen from the hydrogen storage component of the composite nanoparticles.

A material for moisture removal and/or water harvesting from air may include a hydrophilic material containing micropores and a low water activity material confined within the micropores of the hydrophilic material. Apparatuses containing such materials and methods for moisture removal and/or water harvesting from air by using such materials are also described.

Disclosed is a method of producing inorganic sorbents for extracting lithium from lithium-containing natural and technological brines. The method is carried by contacting a soluble niobate (V) with an acid in the presence of at least one zirconium (IV) salt to obtain a precipitate of a mixed hydrated niobium and zirconium oxide. Subsequent steps include granulating the precipitate by freezing, converting the product of granulation into a Li-form, calcining the Li-form, and converting the obtained granulated mixed lithium, niobium, and zirconium oxide into an ion-exchanger in an H-form. In the obtained H-form the inorganic sorbent is ready for use in lithium extraction processes.

A process for recovery of lithium ions from a lithium-bearing brine includes contacting the lithium-bearing brine with a lithium ion sieve (where that LIS includes an oxide of titanium or niobium) in a first stirred reactor to form a lithium ion complex with the lithium ion sieve, and decomplexing the lithium ion from the lithium ion sieve in a second stirred reactor to form the lithium ion sieve and an acidic lithium salt eluate.

A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The panel may include a getter. The getter may be laser activated in a manner which causes the getter to transform and realize a TiAlV phase (e.g., Al.sub.3V.sub.0.333Ti.sub.0.667) of crystallite material. The getter may be a thin film getter and/or may be elongated in shape.

A method of making a vacuum insulating panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer, and optionally second and/or third primer layer(s). The method may include at least one of: (i) laser heating, using a laser beam from a laser, the first seal material for firing and/or sintering the first seal material to form the first seal layer, in a manner that causes TeO.sub.4>TeO.sub.3 in the first seal material to transform into TeO.sub.3>TeO.sub.4 due to said laser heating, whereby an amount of TeO.sub.4 decreases and an amount of TeO.sub.3 increases due to said laser heating, and/or (ii) laser heating in a manner that causes V.sub.2O.sub.5>VO.sub.2 in the first seal material to transform into VO.sub.2>V.sub.2O.sub.5 due to said laser heating whereby an amount of VO.sub.2 increases and an amount of V.sub.2O.sub.5 decreases due to said laser heating, so that after said laser heating the first seal layer comprises more VO.sub.2 than V.sub.2O.sub.5 by wt. %.

A method of making a vacuum insulating panel, the vacuum insulating panel comprising a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second glass substrates, and a seal provided between at least the first and second glass substrates, the seal comprising a first seal layer and/or a second seal layer. The method may include laser heating, using a laser beam from a continuous wave near-IR laser, seal material in order to form the first seal layer; wherein the laser heating may include causing the laser beam to move at a lateral speed of from about 5-70 mm/second relative to the substrates and the first seal material so that the laser beam at least partially passes through at least one of the glass substrates and impinges upon at least the second seal layer in order to heat the second seal layer and fire and/or sinter the first seal material thereby forming the first seal layer.

A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a seal provided between at least the first substrate and the second substrate, the seal comprising a first seal layer; wherein the first seal layer comprises tellurium oxide and vanadium oxide; wherein the first seal layer comprises, on a wt. %, more tellurium oxide than vanadium oxide, and has a density of from about 2.8-4.0 g/cm.sup.3.

A vacuum insulating panel may include: a first substrate; a second substrate; a plurality of spacers provided in a gap between at least the first and second substrates, wherein the gap is at pressure less than atmospheric pressure; a pump-out/evacuation tube extending at least partly into an aperture in one of the substrates; and a pump-out/evacuation tube seal. The pump-out/evacuation tube seal may include at least one of: (a) from about 20-80 wt. % tellurium oxide, the tellurium oxide comprising TeO.sub.4 and TeO.sub.3, wherein the pump-out tube seal comprises more TeO.sub.3 than TeO.sub.4 by wt. %; and/or (b) tellurium oxide and from about 10-50 wt. % vanadium oxide, wherein the pump-out tube seal by wt. % comprises more tellurium oxide than vanadium oxide, and wherein the vanadium oxide comprises VO.sub.2 and V.sub.2O.sub.5, and wherein more V in the pump-out tube seal is in a form of VO.sub.2 than V.sub.2O.sub.5. A substantially donut-shaped laser beam may be used to heat pump-out tube material in order to form a pump-out tube seal.

A vacuum insulating panel includes first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates), a hermetic edge seal, a pump-out port, and spacers sandwiched between at least the two substrates. The gap between the substrates may be at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to provide insulating properties. The panel may include a getter. The getter may be a thin film getter and/or may be elongated in shape.