A non-thermal plasma is generated to selectively convert a precursor to a product. More specifically, plasma forming material and a precursor material are provided to a reaction zone of a vessel. The reaction zone is exposed to microwave radiation, including exposing the plasma forming material and the precursor material to the microwave radiation. The exposure of the plasma forming material to the microwave radiation selectively converts the plasma forming material to a non-thermal plasma including formation of one or more streamers. The precursor material is mixed with the plasma forming material and the precursor material is exposed to the non-thermal plasma including exposing the precursor material to the one or more streamers. The exposure of the precursor material to the streamers and the microwave radiation selectively converts the precursor material to a product.

Presented are systems and methods to simultaneously produce and store energy in the form of chemical products such as hydrogen and other chemical products, thereby, reducing or eliminating the need to store energy in lithium-ion batteries. In various embodiments this is accomplished by converting energy from a renewable energy source to generate and accelerate an electron beam so as to generate electromagnetic radiation at frequencies equal to absorption frequencies of chemical reactants in order to produce the desired chemical products.

An autoclave for welding thermoplastic composite parts comprises a sealed process chamber, a pressure source, a microwave source and a workpiece supporting member configured to support at least two thermoplastic composite parts which contact each other in an abutting section within the process chamber. The pressure source is configured to generate positive pressure in the process chamber which is higher than an ambient pressure surrounding the process chamber while the microwave source emits microwaves towards the abutting section in order to locally melt the thermoplastic composite parts and weld them together in the region of the abutting section.

A ferromagnetic-particle manufacturing apparatus includes: a single mode cavity that resonates with a microwave of a predetermined wavelength; a microwave oscillator electrically connected to the single mode cavity and configured to introduce the microwave of a predetermined wavelength into the single mode cavity; a pipe disposed to pass through an inside of the single mode cavity, the pipe being formed of a dielectric material; a pump configured to introduce, from one end of the pipe, an alkaline reaction liquid containing metal ions of a ferromagnetic metal; an impedance measuring device configured to measure an impedance of the single mode cavity; and a pump-flowrate deciding unit configured to decide, based on a measurement result of the impedance measuring device, a pump flowrate by which the impedance of the single mode cavity becomes a predetermined value or more; wherein the pump is configured to introduce the reaction liquid at the pump flowrate decided by the pump-flowrate deciding unit; and wherein ferromagnetic particles are generated by reacting the reaction liquid.

Methods and systems include supplying pulsed microwave radiation through a waveguide, where the microwave radiation propagates in a direction along the waveguide. A pressure within the waveguide is at least 0.1 atmosphere. A supply gas is provided at a first location along a length of the waveguide, a majority of the supply gas flowing in the direction of the microwave radiation propagation. A plasma is generated in the supply gas, and a process gas is added into the waveguide at a second location downstream from the first location. A majority of the process gas flows in the direction of the microwave propagation at a rate greater than 5 slm. An average energy of the plasma is controlled to convert the process gas into separated components, by controlling at least one of a pulsing frequency of the pulsed microwave radiation, and a duty cycle of the pulsed microwave radiation.

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.

A method of treating particles by disaggregating, deagglomerating, exfoliating, cleaning, functionalising, doping, decorating and/or repairing said particles, in which the particles are subjected to plasma treatment in a treatment chamber containing a plurality of electrodes which project therein and wherein plasma is generated by said electrodes which are moved during the plasma treatment to agitate the particles.

A method for producing conductive carbon coated particles of an at least partially lithiated electroactive core material comprises the step of premixing an oxidant electroactive material with a metallated reductant followed by chemically reacting the oxidant electroactive material with the metallated reductant, said reductant being a coating precursor, said metal being at least one alkaline and/or at least one alkaline earth metal, and said chemically reacting being performed under conditions allowing reduction and metallation of the electroactive material via insertion/intercalation of the alkaline metal cation(s) and/or the alkaline earth metal cation(s) and coating formation via a polymerisation reaction like polyanionic or radicalic polymerisation of the reductant.

Microwave based systems and methods are provided for obtaining carbonaceous compounds from polypropylene-containing products. In one example, embodiment, a method is provided for recovering at least one organic decomposition product from a polypropylene-containing product, the method comprising: placing the polypropylene-containing product in a reduction zone of a material recovery system; flowing an inert gas through the reduction zone from a reduction inlet to a reduction outlet to purge the reduction zone and maintain a positive pressure therein; applying electromagnetic wave energy from an electromagnetic wave generator to the reduction zone via a bifurcated waveguide assembly, while maintaining the polypropylene-containing product in a stationary position for at least a portion of the applying, to yield at least one gaseous organic decomposition product; and exhausting the at least one gaseous organic decomposition product from the reduction zone along with the inert gas through the reduction outlet.

A nanometer-size-particle production apparatus and method are provided which can prevent the occurrence of waste fluids, and which makes quick and continuous syntheses feasible while suppressing damages to the electrode. The nanometer-size-particle production apparatus is for synthesizing nanometer size particles in a liquid by means of plasma in the liquid.