Provided is a fuel reformer for a vehicle. The vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank in which fuel of the internal combustion engine is stored, and a fuel supply device configured to supply the fuel in the fuel tank to the internal combustion engine. The fuel reformer includes an irradiator configured to emit light from an irradiation portion. The irradiation portion is disposed at a position where the fuel stored in the fuel tank is irradiated with the light without the light passing through a gas phase region in the fuel tank.

A method of decoloring an ionic liquid includes preparing a discolored ionic liquid, and decoloring the discolored ionic liquid through irradiation with UV rays. An ionic liquid that is discolored due to heat treatment upon purification is decolored and can thus be reused. The method of decoloring the ionic liquid is effective because an ionic liquid, which is discolored due to heat treatment upon purification, can be decolored in a simple manner and also because an ionic liquid, which is discolored and is thus difficult to apply to the purification of an organic material, can be decolored in a simple manner, and can thus be reused in the form of a high-purity ionic liquid.

A light irradiation device includes a light source having a plurality of solid-state elements disposed on a substrate to be defined by a first direction and a second direction in a plurality of rows and irradiate the irradiation target with light from a third direction, an optical element refracting light from the solid-state elements, emitting the light and narrowing a spread angle of light to be emitted from the solid-state elements relative to the third direction, a first reflection portion having at least two first reflection surfaces on a downstream side in the third direction of the irradiation target and reflecting a part of light incident on the first reflection surface to the irradiation target, and a second reflection portion having a pair of second reflection surfaces disposed between the optical element and the first reflection portion and guiding light from the optical element to the first reflection surface.

Supported chromium catalysts with an average valence less than +6 and having a hydrocarbon-containing or halogenated hydrocarbon-containing ligand attached to at least one bonding site on the chromium are disclosed, as well as ethylene-based polymers with terminal alkane, aromatic, or halogenated hydrocarbon chain ends. Another ethylene polymer characterized by at least 2 wt. % of the polymer having a molecular weight greater than 1,000,000 g/mol and at least 1.5 wt. % of the polymer having a molecular weight less than 1000 g/mol is provided, as well as an ethylene homopolymer with at least 3.5 methyl short chain branches and less than 0.6 butyl short chain branches per 1000 total carbon atoms.

Catalyst preparation systems and methods for preparing reduced chromium catalysts are disclosed, and can comprise irradiating a supported chromium catalyst containing hexavalent chromium with a light beam having a wavelength within the UV-visible light spectrum. Such reduced chromium catalysts have improved catalytic activity compared to chromium catalysts reduced by other means. The use of the reduced chromium catalyst in polymerization reactor systems and olefin polymerization processes also is disclosed, resulting in polymers with a higher melt index.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials. For example, systems and methods are described that can be used to treat feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, in a vault in which the equipment is protected from radiation and hazardous gases by equipment enclosures. The equipment enclosures may be purged with gas.

This invention relates to cost-effective methods for synthesizing metallic nanoparticles in high yield using non-dendrimeric branched polymeric templates, such as branched polyethyleneimine. This invention also provides a high-throughput apparatus for synthesizing metallic nanoparticles under conditions that produce less waste than conventional nanoparticle synthesis methods. Also provided are metallic nanoparticles and multi-metallic nanoparticle compositions made by methods and high-throughput apparatus of the invention.

A variety of particles forming microencapsulated thermochromic materials are provided. The particles can include a thermochromic core and a metal oxide shell encapsulating the thermochromic core. The thermochromic core can include one or both of an organic thermochromic material and an inorganic salt thermochromic material. In some aspects, the particles include a dye selected from a crystal violet lactone dye, a fluoran dye, and a combination thereof. In still further aspects, the particles include a color developer selected from a hydroxybenzoate, a 4, 4-dihydroxydiphenyl propane, a hydroxycoumarin derivative, a lauryl gallate, and a combination thereof. In some aspects, the metal oxide shell is a TiO.sub.2 shell. The particles can be used in cements and paints and for a variety of building materials. Methods of making the particles and building materials and methods of use, for example, for removing a volatile organic carbon from a building material, are also provided.

Methods and systems are described for processing cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials into useful intermediates and products, such as energy and fuels. For example, conveying systems and methods, such as highly efficient vibratory conveyors, are described for the processing of the cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing bromotrichloromethane comprising a) providing bromine in chloroform; and b) radiation of the resulting solution with light in the range of 350 to 550 nm, wherein said solution of bromine in chloroform is not radiated with radiation of a wavelength below 350 nm.