Described herein are acidified metal oxide (“AMO”) materials useful in applications such as a battery electrode or photovoltaic component, in which the AMO material is used in conjunction with one or more acidic species. Advantageously, batteries constructed of AMO materials and incorporating acidic species, such as in the electrode or electrolyte components of the battery exhibit improved capacity as compared to a corresponding battery lacking the acidic species.

A sol of inorganic oxide particles is stably dispersed in a hydrophilic organic solvent containing a hydrocarbon such as a paraffinic hydrocarbon or a naphthenic hydrocarbon. The sol contains a dispersion medium containing an organic solvent containing a C.sub.6-18 paraffinic hydrocarbon, a C.sub.6-18 naphthenic hydrocarbon, or a mixture of these, a C.sub.4-8 alcohol having a carbon chain with a carbon-carbon bond in the molecule in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by mass in the entire dispersion medium, and inorganic oxide particles having an average particle diameter of 5 to 200 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering as a dispersoid, wherein the inorganic oxide particles contain a C.sub.1-3 alkyl group bonded to a silicon atom and a C.sub.4-18 alkyl group. The paraffinic hydrocarbon is a normal paraffinic hydrocarbon or an isoparaffinic hydrocarbon. The naphthenic hydrocarbon is a saturated aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon substitutable with a C.sub.1-10 alkyl group.

A sol of inorganic oxide particles is stably dispersed in a hydrophilic organic solvent containing a hydrocarbon such as a paraffinic hydrocarbon or a naphthenic hydrocarbon. The sol contains a dispersion medium containing an organic solvent containing a C.sub.6-18 paraffinic hydrocarbon, a C.sub.6-18 naphthenic hydrocarbon, or a mixture of these, a C.sub.4-8 alcohol having a carbon chain with a carbon-carbon bond in the molecule in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by mass in the entire dispersion medium, and inorganic oxide particles having an average particle diameter of 5 to 200 nm as measured by dynamic light scattering as a dispersoid, wherein the inorganic oxide particles contain a C.sub.1-3 alkyl group bonded to a silicon atom and a C.sub.4-18 alkyl group. The paraffinic hydrocarbon is a normal paraffinic hydrocarbon or an isoparaffinic hydrocarbon. The naphthenic hydrocarbon is a saturated aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon substitutable with a C.sub.1-10 alkyl group.

A sintered body that includes zirconia containing a stabilizing element; and a plastic deformation region, wherein the stabilizing element includes at least one rare-earth element other than yttrium, and the stabilizing element content is 1.5% or more by mole and less than 3.0% by mole.

A process of forming a sintered article includes heating a green portion of a tape of polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals in organic binder at a binder removal zone to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the binder; horizontally conveying the portion of tape with organic binder removed from the binder removal zone to a sintering zone; and sintering polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals of the portion of tape at the sintering zone, wherein the tape simultaneously extends through the removal and sintering zones.

A process of forming a sintered article includes heating a green portion of a tape of polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals in organic binder at a binder removal zone to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the binder; horizontally conveying the portion of tape with organic binder removed from the binder removal zone to a sintering zone; and sintering polycrystalline ceramic and/or minerals of the portion of tape at the sintering zone, wherein the tape simultaneously extends through the removal and sintering zones.

Disclosed is a combined process for preparing zirconium oxide, methyl chlorosilane and/or polycrystalline silicon and a combined system comprising: preparing zirconium oxide by using zircon sand, carbon, chlorine gas, silicon, and hydrogen chloride as raw materials, the products separated during preparing zirconium oxide include gas phase products and liquid phase products, methyl chlorosilane is prepared from the gas phase separated during preparing zirconium oxide, and polycrystalline silicon is prepared by using the liquid phase products as raw materials. In this invention, not only carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride and other waste gases generated are used as raw materials for producing methyl chlorosilane, but also a by-product silicon tetrachloride generated is used as a raw material for producing polycrystalline silicon, thereby effectively recycling waste gases and silicon tetrachloride, reducing the treatment cost of waste gases and silicon tetrachloride and the production cost of methyl chlorosilane and polycrystalline silicon, and avoiding environmental pollution.

Disclosed is a combined process for preparing zirconium oxide, methyl chlorosilane and/or polycrystalline silicon and a combined system comprising: preparing zirconium oxide by using zircon sand, carbon, chlorine gas, silicon, and hydrogen chloride as raw materials, the products separated during preparing zirconium oxide include gas phase products and liquid phase products, methyl chlorosilane is prepared from the gas phase separated during preparing zirconium oxide, and polycrystalline silicon is prepared by using the liquid phase products as raw materials. In this invention, not only carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride and other waste gases generated are used as raw materials for producing methyl chlorosilane, but also a by-product silicon tetrachloride generated is used as a raw material for producing polycrystalline silicon, thereby effectively recycling waste gases and silicon tetrachloride, reducing the treatment cost of waste gases and silicon tetrachloride and the production cost of methyl chlorosilane and polycrystalline silicon, and avoiding environmental pollution.

A battery comprising an acidified metal oxide (“AMO”) material, preferably in monodispersed nanoparticulate form 20 nm or less in size, having a pH<7 when suspended in a 5 wt % aqueous solution and a Hammett function H.sub.0>−12, at least on its surface.

A battery comprising an acidified metal oxide (“AMO”) material, preferably in monodispersed nanoparticulate form 20 nm or less in size, having a pH<7 when suspended in a 5 wt % aqueous solution and a Hammett function H.sub.0>−12, at least on its surface.