A system includes a first chamber, a second chamber, an ultraviolet light source and a microwave source. The first chamber includes an inlet. The second chamber is adjacent the first chamber and includes an outlet and a waveguide. The ultraviolet light source resides within the waveguide of the second chamber. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a conductor, and a lithium secondary battery including a conductor manufactured using the manufacturing method, and the method for manufacturing a conductor includes removing metal impurities in a conductor by irradiating microwave on the conductor including the metal impurities and converting the metal impurities into metal oxides. A conductor manufactured using the manufacturing method converts metal impurities included in the conductor to metal oxides that are inactive at a battery operating voltage and not eluted in an electrolyte liquid, and therefore, is capable of enhancing battery performance properties, particularly, capacity and lifespan properties without concern of metal impurity elution and a defect occurrence under a low pressure caused therefrom.

The present invention relates to a process, reactor and system to produce self-standing two-dimensional nanostructures, using a microwave-excited plasma environment. The process is based on injecting, into a reactor, a mixture of gases and precursors in stream regime. The stream is subjected to a surface wave electric field, excited by the use of microwave power which is introduced into a field applicator, generating high energy density plasmas, that break the precursors into its atomic and/or molecular constituents. The system comprises a plasma reactor with a surface wave launching zone, a transient zone with a progressively increasing cross-sectional area, and a nucleation zone. The plasma reactor together with an infrared radiation source provides a controlled adjustment of the spatial gradients, of the temperature and the gas stream velocity.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy or sugary materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

The present invention provides a microwave pyrolysis reactor (1) comprising an inner pipe element (2) and a housing (4), wherein the inner pipe element (2) is made of a microwave transparent material and comprises a first open end (5) and a second open end (6); the housing (4) comprises a first inner surface, enclosing an annular space (7,44) around the inner pipe element (2), a waste inlet (10), a solids outlet (11), a gas outlet (12), an inert gas inlet (45) and a port (13) for a microwave waveguide (14), the waste inlet and the solids outlet are in communication with the first open end and the second open end of the inner pipe element, respectively, and the port for a microwave waveguide is in communication with the annular space; and wherein the inner pipe element is arranged with the first open end at a higher vertical level than the second open end, such that a material entering the waste inlet during use is transported through the inner pipe element, from the first open end to the second open end, by gravity; and wherein the gas outlet (12) is arranged upstream the first open end of the inner pipe element and downstream the waste inlet of the housing, and the inert gas inlet (45) is arranged to provide an inert gas into the annular space (7,44) during use.

A plasma treatment apparatus which performs uniform plasma treatment on a liquid. A plasma treatment apparatus includes a coaxial waveguide having an inner conductor, a first outer conductor, and a second outer conductor; a microwave generation unit; an outside tube which is located on the outer side of the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor and which in cooperation with the first outer conductor and the second outer conductor forms a flow path through which a liquid flows; and a plasma generation region. A first protrusion of the first outer conductor and a second protrusion of the second outer conductor face each other in a non-contacting state. The plasma generation region is a region extending along a facing location where the first protrusion of the first outer conductor and the second protrusion of the second outer conductor face each other.

A system and method of forming a silicon-hybrid anode material. The silicon-hybrid anode material including a microparticle mixture of a quantity of silicon microparticles and a quantity of metal microparticles intermixed with the quantity of silicon microparticles in a selected ratio. The microparticle mixture is formed in a silicon-hybrid anode material layer having a thickness of between about 2 and about 15 m.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to relates to heterogeneous catalysts useful for the synthesis of ammonia under microwave irradiation, processes for preparing the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts, and processes for synthesizing ammonia using the heterogeneous catalysts with microwave irradiation. In various aspects, the disclosed heterogeneous catalysts comprise: a metal selected from Group 7, Group 8, Group 9, Group 10, Group 11, or combinations thereof; a metal oxide support; and optionally a promoter material. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

The present invention relates to a heating apparatus, which heats a substance in a chamber. The present invention further relates to a food production line and a method to heat a substance with radio-frequency waves.

The present disclosure relates to novel microwave systems and new applications of microwave in medical, chemical and materials manufacturing and processing, food and health industries as well as in analytical chemistry instrumentation for in situ study of microwave effects. In the case of medical applications, the microwave based damage is conducted in a way to diminish ablating or damaging the collateral tissue and to increase the probability of procedure achievement.