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.

Disclosed is a device for scrubbing carbon dioxide-contaminated gas for use in a fuel cell. The device comprises at least one first opening for allowing gas to enter or exit the device, at least one second opening for allowing gas to exit or enter the device, and at least one sorbent that is capable of removing carbon dioxide from the gas and is arranged in a form of layers which the gas contacts when it flows from the first to the second opening. The device may further comprise one or two gas preparation units for removing solid and/or liquid contaminants from the gas and for adjusting the temperature and/or humidity of the gas.

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.

The invention relates to a stationary phase medium for adsorption chromatography, which is in form of porous microspheres suitable for being packed into a chromatographic column. The porous microspheres are made of cross-linked polymeric material and formed with interconnected macropores to constitute a porous network. The invented porous microspheres have a characteristic size ratio of porous network diameter to microsphere particle size, and the porous network is in fluid communication with the ambient via multiple openings, so that molecules are convectively transported through the porous network. Accordingly, the invention shows low back pressure and high binding capacity to molecules at high mobile phase velocities.

The present invention relates to a chromatographic material comprising a polymer network material-based self-supporting bi-continuous separation matrix for adsorptive material separation in liquid media, and a method of producing the chromatographic material comprising a polymer network material-based self-supporting bi-continuous separation matrix.

A porous sorbent ceramic product includes a three-dimensional structure having an electrically conductive ceramic material, wherein the conductive ceramic material has an open cell structure with a plurality of intra-material pores, a sorbent additive primarily present in the intra-material pores of the conductive ceramic material for adsorption of a gas, and at least two electrodes in electrical communication with the conductive ceramic material.

The present invention relates to calcium hydroxide particles having a total pore volume greater than 0.18 cm.sup.3/g, said total pore volume being calculated with the BJH method for a range of pores having a diameter of between 20 and 1000 , said particles being characterized in that the BJH partial pore volume for the range of pores having a diameter of between 20 and 100 corresponds to more than 20% of said BJH total pore volume.

To provide a molded article which can have excellent strength, can also have high durability during repeated use, and can maintain high adsorption performance even when the content of a binder resin is reduced. A molded article containing cerium oxide particles and a binder resin, wherein cerium oxide particles which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 15 m and in each of which a crystallite size is 40 to 200 are used.

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.

A method of forming a product for separating gases includes forming a three-dimensional ceramic support, heating the three-dimensional ceramic support at a temperature for an effective duration of time to result in the conductive ceramic material having a plurality of intra-material pores, and incorporating a sorbent additive into the intra-material pores of the conductive ceramic material. Moreover, the three-dimensional ceramic support includes an electrically conductive ceramic material configured for joule heating.