A copper oxide coated pigment including a particle having an outer surface, and a layer of copper oxide on the outer surface. The pigment has a reflectivity of electromagnetic radiation in a visible spectrum less than or equal to 5%, and a reflectivity of electromagnetic radiation in a near-IR and LiDAR spectrum greater than or equal to 5%. The particle is cobalt oxide or carbon black. A method for forming copper oxide coated particles includes combining a precipitating agent with a solution of copper nitrate and particles, forming coated particles. The particles are cobalt oxide or carbon black. Washing the particles, obtaining washed coated particles, and filtering the washed coated particles, obtaining filtered coated particles. Drying the filtered coated particles, obtaining dried coated particles, and calcining the dried coated particles to form the copper oxide coated particles.

Disclosed are actuators containing an active layer comprising at least one metal hydroxide, the active layer having a first volume under no stimulation and a second volume either greater than or smaller than the first volume under stimulation; and a passive layer comprising a porous polymer membrane, the passive layer having an elastic modulus at least half of an elastic modulus of the active layer.

A method of recovering cobalt and nickel includes the steps of: adding alkaline to an acidic solution containing aluminum together with cobalt and nickel, adjusting pH of the acidic solution to 5 to 7, and converting the cobalt, the nickel and the aluminum into hydroxides thereof; recovering the hydroxides by solid-liquid separation, mixing the recovered hydroxides with an alkaline solution, and leaching aluminum contained in the hydroxides under a liquid condition of pH 8 or more; and recovering a cobalt hydroxide and a nickel hydroxide that aluminum is separated therefrom by solid-separation on a leachate.

A method of recovering cobalt and nickel includes the steps of: adding alkaline to an acidic solution containing aluminum together with cobalt and nickel, adjusting pH of the acidic solution to 5 to 7, and converting the cobalt, the nickel and the aluminum into hydroxides thereof; recovering the hydroxides by solid-liquid separation, mixing the recovered hydroxides with an alkaline solution, and leaching aluminum contained in the hydroxides under a liquid condition of pH 8 or more; and recovering a cobalt hydroxide and a nickel hydroxide that aluminum is separated therefrom by solid-separation on a leachate.

A composite material comprising NiMoO.sub.4—CoMoO.sub.4 nanosheets can be an electrode in a hybrid supercapacitor. A hybrid supercapacitor having a cathode comprising the composite material exhibits a large operating window, high energy density and high cycling stability. The heterostructure material may be formed by a one-step chemical bath deposition process.

A composite material comprising NiMoO.sub.4—CoMoO.sub.4 nanosheets can be an electrode in a hybrid supercapacitor. A hybrid supercapacitor having a cathode comprising the composite material exhibits a large operating window, high energy density and high cycling stability. The heterostructure material may be formed by a one-step chemical bath deposition process.

A nickel-hydrogen secondary battery includes an electrode group comprising a separator, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode, and the positive electrode contains a positive electrode active material including a base particle comprising a nickel hydroxide particle containing Mn in solid solution and a conductive layer comprising a Co compound and covering the surface of the base particle, wherein the X-ray absorption edge energy of Mn detected within 6500 to 6600 eV by measurement with an XAFS method is 6548 eV or higher.

A nickel-hydrogen secondary battery includes an electrode group comprising a separator, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode, and the positive electrode contains a positive electrode active material including a base particle comprising a nickel hydroxide particle containing Mn in solid solution and a conductive layer comprising a Co compound and covering the surface of the base particle, wherein the X-ray absorption edge energy of Mn detected within 6500 to 6600 eV by measurement with an XAFS method is 6548 eV or higher.

A process for generating a metal sulfate that involves crystallizing a metal sulfate from an aqueous solution to form a crystallized metal sulfate in a mother liquor with uncrystallized metal sulfate remaining in the mother liquor; separating the crystallized metal sulfate from the mother liquor; basifying a portion of the mother liquor to convert the uncrystallized metal sulfate to a basic metal salt; and using the basic metal salt upstream of crystallizing the metal sulfate. So crystallized, the generated metal sulfate may be battery-grade or electroplating-grade.

A method for producing a nickel cobalt complex hydroxide includes first crystallization of supplying a solution containing Ni, Co and Mn, a complex ion forming agent and a basic solution separately and simultaneously to one reaction vessel to obtain nickel cobalt complex hydroxide particles, and a second crystallization of, after the first crystallization, further supplying a solution containing nickel, cobalt, and manganese, a solution of a complex ion forming agent, a basic solution, and a solution containing said element M separately and simultaneously to the reaction vessel to crystallize a complex hydroxide particles containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and said element M on the nickel cobalt complex hydroxide particles crystallizing a complex hydroxide particles comprising Ni, Co, Mn and the element M on the nickel cobalt complex hydroxide particles.