A process disclosed herein is related to the isolation and purification of substantially pure chemicals, including silica gel, sodium silicate, aluminum silicate, iron oxide, and rare earth elements (or rare earth metals, REEs), from massive industrial waste coal ash. In one embodiment, the process includes a plurality of caustic extractions of coal ash at an elevated temperature, followed by an acidic treatment to dissolve aluminum silicate and REEs. The dissolved aluminum silicate is precipitated out by pH adjustment as a solid product while REEs remain in the solution. REEs are captured and enriched using an ion exchange column. Alternatively, the solution containing aluminum silicate and REEs is heated to produce silica gel, which is easily separated from the enriched REEs solution. REEs are then isolated and purified from the enriched solution to afford substantially pure individual REE by a ligand-assisted chromatography. Additionally, a simplified process using one caustic extraction and one acidic extraction with an ion exchange process was also investigated and optimized to afford a comparable efficiency.

The present invention relates to magnetic single-core nanoparticles, in particular stable dispersible magnetic single-core nanoparticles (e.g. single-core magnetite nanoparticles) having a diameter between 20 and 200 nm in varied morphology, and the continuous aqueous synthesis thereof, in particular using micromixers. The method is simple, quick and cost-effective to perform and is carried out without organic solvents. The single-core nanoparticles produced by the method form stable dispersions in aqueous media, i.e. not having a tendency to assemble or aggregate. In addition, the method offers the possibility of producing anisotropic, super-paramagnetic, plate-shaped nanoparticles which, due to their shape anisotrophy, are extremely suitable for use in polymer matrices for magnet field-controlled release of active substances.

The present invention relates to magnetic single-core nanoparticles, in particular stable dispersible magnetic single-core nanoparticles (e.g. single-core magnetite nanoparticles) having a diameter between 20 and 200 nm in varied morphology, and the continuous aqueous synthesis thereof, in particular using micromixers. The method is simple, quick and cost-effective to perform and is carried out without organic solvents. The single-core nanoparticles produced by the method form stable dispersions in aqueous media, i.e. not having a tendency to assemble or aggregate. In addition, the method offers the possibility of producing anisotropic, super-paramagnetic, plate-shaped nanoparticles which, due to their shape anisotrophy, are extremely suitable for use in polymer matrices for magnet field-controlled release of active substances.

The invention provides a core-shell particle which can provide, by being calcinated, epsilon type iron oxide-based compound particles that have a small coefficient of variation of primary particle diameter and show excellent SNR and running durability when employed in a magnetic recording medium as well as applications thereof. The core-shell particle includes: a core including at least one iron oxide selected from Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 or Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, or iron oxyhydroxide; and a shell that coats the core, the shell including a polycondensate of a metal alkoxide and a metal element other than iron, as well as applications thereof.

The invention provides a core-shell particle which can provide, by being calcinated, epsilon type iron oxide-based compound particles that have a small coefficient of variation of primary particle diameter and show excellent SNR and running durability when employed in a magnetic recording medium as well as applications thereof. The core-shell particle includes: a core including at least one iron oxide selected from Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 or Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, or iron oxyhydroxide; and a shell that coats the core, the shell including a polycondensate of a metal alkoxide and a metal element other than iron, as well as applications thereof.

The present disclosure provides stimuli-responsive particles, methods of preparing stimuli-responsive particles, and methods of using the stimuli-response particles. Unlike conventional platforms, (e.g., polymers, liposomes, dendrimers) the particles of the present disclosure have precise size control of the particle diameter, high uniformity, high stability, high active agent uptake capacity, minimal premature active agent leakage, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Additionally, the present disclosure provides magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems and methods of using the MRI systems in combination with the stimuli-responsive particles described herein.

The present disclosure relates to the field of resource-oriented utilization technologies for wastewater salt muds and more particular to a resource-oriented utilization method for a high-salt salt mud containing sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. The method includes: performing two stages of oxidation, i.e. Fenton-like treatment and chlorine dioxide treatment, in sequence on a salt mud solution, and then replacing a sodium salt with an ammonium salt to prepare a pure alkali and a mixed ammonium salt. In the method, multi-stage oxidation process is performed to effectively use ingredients such as sodium chloride and sodium sulfate so as to thoroughly eliminate organic matters and heavy metals in the high-salt salt mud, and achieve resource-oriented utilization of the salt mud, thus saving burial treatment costs, and producing good economic benefits as well as good environmental benefits.

A method for producing high purity iron oxide nanoparticles using nanoparticle-producing cells, including: a) a pre-growth step that includes amplifying the nanoparticle-producing cell(s) in a pre-growth and/or fed-batch medium/media, and b) a growth step that includes amplifying the nanoparticle-producing cell(s) originating from the pre-growth step in a growth and/or fed-batch medium/media, wherein the pre-growth and/or growth and/or fed-batch medium/media comprise(s), per kilogram or liter of pre-growth and/or growth and/or fed-batch medium/media: i) no more than 0.005 gram of yeast extract, and ii) no more than 0.001 gram of CMR agent selected from boric acid and nitrilotriacetic acid, wherein the fed-batch medium when it is present is a medium that supplements the pre-growth and/or growth medium/media, and wherein more nanoparticles are produced in the growth step than in the pre-growth step.

A method of selectively and efficiently adsorbing an anion such as a phosphate ion which adversely affect the environment when discharged without any treatment, or an anion which can be used beneficially when recovered, from waste water or a solution including such ion using an adsorbent. A method of adsorbing an anion of interest from an aqueous solution (A) containing the anion of interest and the other anion using an anion adsorbent, including performing at least (1) a step of contacting the aqueous solution (A) having a pH of 5.8 or less with the anion adsorbent to allow the anions to be adsorbed to the anion adsorbent, and then (2) a step of contacting water or an aqueous solution (B) having a pH of 5.2 to 11 with the anion adsorbent to desorb at least a part of the other anion adsorbed to the anion adsorbent from the anion adsorbent.

An adsorbent consisting of iron oxyhydroxide, having a high adsorption rate and high adsorption efficiency compared with conventional products. The adsorbent particle is an adsorbent particle having a crystal structure of β-iron oxyhydroxide, having an average crystallite diameter of 10 nm or less as measured by X-ray diffraction, wherein 90% or more of volume of adsorbent particle is constituted of granular crystals having crystal particle diameter of 20 nm or less, or columnar crystals having width of 10 nm or less and length of 30 nm or less. The adsorbent particle have at least either of the following characteristics: (A) the adsorbent particle contains metal element other than iron in amount of 0.1 to 20% by mass with respect to iron element, or (B) the adsorbent particle contains sulfur oxoacid ions in an amount of 0.01 to 20% by mass in terms of sulfur element with respect to iron element.