Immobilized diluents in a smoking article are provided, wherein diluents can be immobilized through absorption and/or adsorption of the diluents into immobilizing materials, such as sorbents like silica gels. By immobilizing diluents, the diluents can be available for vaporization, while still being protected from migration and/or loss of the diluents in a smoking article.

The invention concerns high-performance adsorbents based on activated carbon of high meso- and macroporosity which are present in the form of discrete grains of activated carbon, wherein: at least 55% of the total pore volume of the high-performance adsorbents are formed by pores (i.e. meso- and macropores) having pore diameters of more than 20 , the high-performance adsorbents have a measure of central tendency pore diameter of more than 25 , and the high-performance adsorbents have a BET surface area of at least 1250 m.sup.2/g. These high-performance adsorbents are obtainable by a novel process comprising specific two-stage activation, and have, in addition to the aforementioned properties, an excellent abrasion and bursting resistance, so that they are useful for a multiplicity of different applications.

A method for calcining diatomaceous earth may include adding at least one lattice interfering agent to the diatomaceous earth to form a composite material. The method may further include heating the composite material at a temperature of at least about 800 C. for at least about 15 minutes to form an at least partially calcined composite material. The at least one lattice interfering agent may include at least one cation of at least one of aluminum and titanium. A diatomaceous earth product may include the at least partially calcined composite material formed from the above-noted method for calcining diatomaceous earth. A filter aid may include the diatomaceous earth product.

A mesosilicalite nanocarrier having a hierarchical silicalite characterized by a molar ratio of aluminum to silica in a range of 1:3000 to 1:1000. The hierarchical silicalite includes mesopores of a hexagonal structure, and micropores of silicalite structure with a microporous volume in the range of 0.05 cc/g to 0.1 cc/g. The nanocarrier has a mesophase content in the range of 30 wt % to 70 wt %, a microphase content in the range of 30 wt % to 70 wt %, and a mean pore diameter in the range of 1.5 nm to 5.5 nm. A method of preparing the stable mesosilicalite nanocarrier with hierarchical micro/mesopores to load an antioxidant or drug for targeted drug delivery is also described.

In one aspect, an oxygenated hierarchically porous carbon (an O-HPC) is provided, the O-HPC comprising: a hierarchically porous carbon (an UPC), the HPC comprising a surface, the surface comprising: (A) first order pores having an average diameter of between about 1 m and about 10 m; and (B) walls separating the first order pores, the walls comprising: (1) second order pores having a peak diameter between about 7 nm and about 130 nm; and (2) third order pores having an average diameter of less than about 4 nm, wherein at least a portion of the HPC surface has been subjected to O.sub.2 plasma to oxygenate and induce a negative charge to the surface. In one aspect, the O-HPC further comprises metal nanoparticles dispersed within the first, second, and third order pores. Methods for making and using the metal nanoparticle-impregnated O-HPCs are also provided.

Disclosed is a gravity fed purification system having a purification media having a layer of low ash catalytic carbon having a nominal particle size range of about 20 mesh to about 50 mesh, wherein the purification system is able to produce a flow rate of about 1000 to about 1500 cc/min with a pressure head of about 300 to about 350 cc.

An inorganic oxide material doped with nano-rare earth oxide particles that is capable of trapping one or more of NO.sub.x or SO.sub.x at a temperature that is less than 400 C. The nano-rare earth oxide particles have a particle size that is less than 10 nanometers. The catalyst support can trap at least 0.5% NO.sub.2 at a temperature less than 350 C. and/or at least 0.4% SO.sub.2 at a temperature less than 325 C. The catalyst support can trap at least 0.5% NO.sub.2 and/or at least 0.2% SO.sub.2 at a temperature that is less than 250 C. after being aged at 800 C. for 16 hours in a 10% steam environment. The catalyst support exhibits at least a 25% increase in capacity for at least one of NO.sub.x or SO.sub.x trapping at a temperature that is less than 400 C. when compared to a conventional rare earth doped support in a 10% steam environment.

The invention provides superficially porous metal oxide particles with precisely controlled particle density and to methods for their preparation and use, as well as to separation devices (e.g., high pressure liquid chromatography) having superficially porous particles.

The present invention relates to a process for trapping silicon compounds in a gaseous or liquid feedstock, comprising bringing the feedstock into contact with a trapping mass with a liquid hourly space velocity LHSV of less than 5 h.sup.1 or a gas hourly space velocity GHSV of less than 500 h.sup.1.

Disclosed are methods for thermally treating a particle material which used in a chromatographic separation device. The particle material is thermally treated for purposes of controlling and reducing its porosity. Also disclosed are chromatographic separation devices utilizing the thermally treated particle material of the present invention.