A composite filter aid may include diatomaceous earth, natural glass, and a precipitated silica binder, wherein the filter aid has a permeability ranging from 3 to 20 darcys. A composite filter aid may include diatomaceous earth, perlite, and a precipitated silica binder, wherein the filter aid has an alpha density less than 15 lbs/ft.sup.3. A method for making a composite material may include blending diatomaceous earth and perlite, adding alkali silicate to the blended diatomaceous earth and perlite, and precipitating the alkali silicate as a binder to make the composite material. A method for filtering a beverage may include using a composite filter aid and/or composite material.

A capture mass for heavy metals, in particular mercury, contained in a gaseous or liquid feed, said mass comprising: copper which is present at least in part in the sulphide form, Cu.sub.xS.sub.y, a porous support based on alumina; characterized in that said porous support has a total pore volume (TPV) in the range 0.8 to 1.5 cm.sup.3/g, a mesopore volume (V.sub.6 nm-100 nm) in the range 0.5 to 1.3 cm.sup.3/g, and a macropore volume (V.sub.100 nm) in the range 0.33 to 0.45 cm.sup.3/g, it being understood that the ratio between the mesopore volume and the macropore volume (V.sub.6 nm-100 nm/V.sub.100 nm) is in the range 1 to 5.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) an activator; 2) one or more metallocene catalyst compounds; 3) a support comprising an organosilica material, which is a mesoporous organosilica material. The organosilica material is a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2 SiCh.sub.2].sub.3(i), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silic-on atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 salkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

The present invention relates to cerium oxide particles that have excellent heat resistance especially useful for catalysts, functional ceramics, solid electrolyte for fuel cells, polishing, ultraviolet absorbers and the like, and particularly suitable for use as a catalyst or co-catalyst material, for instance in catalysis for purifying vehicle exhaust gas. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing such cerium oxide particles, and a catalyst, such as for purifying exhaust gas, utilizing these cerium oxide particles.

A method of storing gas comprises providing a recipient for receiving the gas and providing a porous gas storage material. The gas storage material comprises a cross-linked polymeric framework and a plurality of pores for gas sorption. The cross-linked polymeric framework comprises aromatic ring-containing monomeric units comprising at least two aromatic rings. The aromatic ring-containing monomeric units are linked by covalent cross-linking between aromatic rings to form a stable, rigid nanoporous material for storing the gas at pressures significantly greater than the atmospheric pressure, for example in excess of 100 bar. A possible application is the storage and transportation of compressed natural gas.

A photovoltaic module comprising: (a) a photovoltaic laminate including: two or more electrically conducting dements extending through the photovoltaic laminate so that power is moved from one photovoltaic module towards another photovoltaic module or towards an inverter; and (b) one or more connectors connected to each of the two or more electrically conducting elements by a connection joint, each of the one or more connectors include: two or more opposing terminals that each are connected to and extend from one of the two or more electrically conducing elements; wherein a dielectric space is located between the two or more opposing terminals and the dielectric space blocks material used to form a connection joint from passing from a first terminal to a second terminal, the material from the connection joint cools before the material passes from one terminal to a second terminal, the material fails to travel from the first terminal to the second terminal, or a combination thereof.

A catalyst system comprising a combination of: 1) one or more catalyst compounds comprising at least one oxygen linkage, such as a phenoxide transition metal compound; 2) a support comprising an organosilica material, which may be a mesoporous organosilica material; and 3) an optional activator. Useful catalysts include biphenyl phenol catalysts (BPP). The organosilica material may be a polymer of at least one monomer of Formula [Z.sup.1OZ.sup.2SiCH.sub.2].sub.3 (I), where Z.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, or a bond to a silicon atom of another monomer and Z.sup.2 represents a hydroxyl group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkoxy group, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl group, or an oxygen atom bonded to a silicon atom of another monomer. This invention further relates to processes to polymerize olefins comprising contacting one or more olefins with the above catalyst system.

The present disclosure pertains to materials for CO.sub.2 adsorption at pressures above 1 bar, where the materials include a porous material with a surface area of at least 2,800 m.sup.2/g, and a total pore volume of at least 1.35 cm.sup.3/g, where a majority of pores of the porous material have diameters of less than 2 nm as measured from N.sub.2 sorption isotherms using the BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) method. The present disclosure also pertains to materials for separation of CO.sub.2 from natural gas at partial pressures of either component above 1 bar, where the materials include a porous material with a surface area of at least 2,200 m.sup.2/g, and a total pore volume of at least 1.00 cm.sup.3/g, where a majority of pores of the porous material have diameters of greater than 1 nm and less than 2 nm as measured from N.sub.2 sorption isotherms using the BET method.

A filter apparatus for removing small molecule chemotherapy agents from blood is provided. The filter apparatus comprises a housing with an extraction media comprised of polymer coated carbon cores. Also provided are methods of treating a subject with cancer of an organ or region comprising administering a chemotherapeutic agent to the organ or region, collecting blood laded with chemotherapeutic agent from the isolated organ, filtering the blood laden with chemotherapeutic agent to reduce the chemotherapeutic agent in the blood and returning the blood to the subject.

The present disclosure provides a method for synthesizing fibrous silica nanospheres, the method can include, in sequence, the steps of: a) providing a reaction mixture comprising a silica precursor, a hydrolyzing agent, a template molecule, a cosurfactant and one or more solvents; b) maintaining the reaction mixture under stirring for a length of time; c) heating the reaction mixture to a temperature for a length of time; d) cooling the reaction mixture to obtain a solid, and (e) calcinating the solid to pro duce fibrous silica nanospheres, wherein desirable product characteristics such as particle size, fiber density, surface area, pore volume and pore size can be obtained by controlling one or more parameters of the method. The present disclosure further provides a method for synthesizing fibrous silica nanospheres using conventional heating such as refluxing the reactants in an open reactor, thereby eliminating the need for microwave heating in a closed reactor or the need for any pressure reactors.