A device for producing a tetrahydroborate, the device including a reaction chamber inside which a hydrogen plasma is generated, a sample stage which is provided in the reaction chamber and on which a borate is placed, and a hydrogen ion shielding member which is provided to cover at least some of the borate to be placed.

A microwave pyrolysis reactor including an elongated hollow body defining an internal cavity, a bottom body secured to the bottom end of the elongated hollow body, and a top body secured to the top end of the elongated hollow body, the elongated hollow body and the bottom and top bodies form an enclosure for receiving a product to be pyrolyzed, wherein the elongated hollow body includes an elongated wall extending between an internal face and an external face, the elongated wall being provided with at least one fluid receiving cavity for receiving therein a temperature control fluid in order to control a temperature of the product when received in the enclosure, and with the at least one fluid receiving cavity extending at least within a bottom section of the elongated wall adjacent to the bottom body.

An internally cooled microwave stub tuner assembly with stubs having hollow ducts for receiving circulating cooling fluid while in operation. The microwave stub tuner assembly for a pyrolysis reactor includes at least one elongated hollow body plunger projecting into a waveguide cavity. Each of the hollow body portion of the plungers has at least one internal cooling duct for receiving a circulating cooling fluid and is adapted to be cooled by the circulating cooling fluid as the circulating cooling fluid enters the plunger, courses through each the internal cooling ducts and exits the plunger. Each plunger has a position adjuster for adjusting the position of the plunger within the waveguide cavity.

A plasma processing method for a gas comprises supplying a gas inside a cavity for plasma processing, supplying microwaves having a predetermined frequency and power in order to generate a plasma of the gas, and propagating the microwaves in the gas by means of a waveguide which communicates directly with the cavity so as to provide a plasma cracking processing operation for the gas inside the cavity (2).

The invention refers to a modular continuous flow device for automated chemical multistep synthesis under continuous flow conditions. The device comprises a plurality of different types of continuous flow modules and a valve assembly for connecting the continuous flow modules to each other in a parallel or radial manner. This arrangement allows conducting chemical reaction sequences by pre-synthesizing and intermediately storing or simultaneously synthesizing at least one intermediate product which is needed in the main synthetic reaction sequence in order to obtain the final product.

In order to provide a treatment apparatus that can efficiently perform microwave irradiation, a treatment apparatus includes: a vessel made of a microwave-reflecting material, and having a first end and an irradiation opening portion, which is an emitting portion of microwaves that are emitted into the vessel; a first filter located so as to partition the vessel, and configured to separate solids that are to be separated, from the contents of the vessel; and a first reflecting member located closer to the first end than the emitting portion is and so as to partition the vessel, and configured to allow at least the contents having passed through the first filter to pass through the first reflecting member, and to reflect microwaves.

A microwave induced solvothermal method to prepare lithium thiophosphate composites including α-Li.sub.3PS.sub.4 and crystalline Li.sub.7P.sub.3S.sub.11 is provided. The method is scaleable to commercial size production.

Disclosed are methods for pretreating a plant material prior to solvent extraction, wherein the methods comprise subjecting a comminuted dried plant material to non-ionizing radiation at an energy input of equal to or greater than about 0.02 kWh per 1 kg of dried plant material. Also disclosed are methods of extracting plant metabolites from a plant material, the methods comprising comminuting a dried plant material, subjecting the comminuted plant material to a non-ionizing radiation at an energy input of equal to or greater than about 0.02 kWh per 1 kg of dried plant material to thereby pretreat the plant material, contacting the pretreated plant material with a solvent, and recovering a solubilized extract therefrom.

Synthesizing upconverting nanoparticles includes heating a precursor solution comprising one or more rare earth salts, an alkali metal salt or alkaline earth salt, and a solvent comprising a plasticizer in a microwave reactor to yield a product mixture, and cooling the product mixture to yield the upconverting nanoparticles. Core-shell upconverting nanoparticles are synthesized by combining the upconverting nanoparticles with a precursor solution comprising one or more rare earth salts, an alkali metal salt or alkaline earth salt, and a solvent comprising a plasticizer to yield a nanoparticle mixture, heating the nanoparticle mixture in a microwave reactor to yield a product mixture, and cooling the product mixture to yield the core-shell upconverting nanoparticles.

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses of producing hydrogen. The methods comprise: (a) contacting a plastic with a catalyst and a gas feed; and (b) applying a microwave at a first temperature. The apparatuses comprise: a reactor for mixing plastic with a catalyst to form a mixture; an inlet for introducing a gas feed; a microwave generator; an optional temperature sensor; and an outlet configured to exhaust the product hydrogen formed in the reactor.