A polycrystalline element includes a table formed of polycrystalline diamond. The table includes a first surface; a second surface spaced apart from the first surface; and at least one side extending between the first surface and the second surface. The table also includes a plurality of extensions also formed of polycrystalline diamond, wherein at least one extension of the plurality of extensions extends away from at least one of the first surface and the at least one side. A radial line extends radially outward from a center axis of the first surface intersects each of a long axis of a subset of a plurality of extensions. Optionally, the polycrystalline diamond of at least one extension of the plurality of extensions is contiguous with the polycrystalline diamond of the table. The polycrystalline element may be used in downhole tools for boring and well drilling, machine tools, and bearings.

Methods for synthesizing single crystalline Ni-rich cathode materials are disclosed. The Ni-rich cathode material may have a formula LiNi.sub.XMn.sub.yM.sub.zCo.sub.1-x-y-zO.sub.2, where M represents one or more dopant metals, x0.6, 0.01y<0.2, 0z0.05, and x+y+z1.0. The methods are cost-effective, and include methods for solid-state, molten-salt, and flash-sintering syntheses.

A polycrystalline element includes a table formed of polycrystalline diamond. The table includes a first surface; a second surface spaced apart from the first surface; and at least one side extending between the first surface and the second surface. The table also includes a plurality of extensions also formed of polycrystalline diamond, wherein at least one extension of the plurality of extensions extends away from at least one of the first surface and the at least one side. Optionally, the polycrystalline diamond of at least one extension of the plurality of extensions is contiguous with the polycrystalline diamond of the table. The polycrystalline element may be used in downhole tools for boring and well drilling, machine tools, and bearings.

A lithium battery with an improved cathode. The cathode comprises the epsilon polymorph of vanadyl phosphate, -VOPO.sub.4, made from solvothermally synthesized H.sub.2VOPO.sub.4, and optimized to reversibly intercalate two Li-ions to reach full theoretical capacity with a coulombic efficiency of 98%. This material adopts a stable 3D tunnel structure and can extract two Li-ions per vanadium ion, giving a theoretical capacity of 305 mAh/g, with an upper charge/discharge plateau at around 4.0 V, and one lower at around 2.5 V The -VOPO4 particles may be modified with niobium (Nb) to improve the cycling stability.

A lithium battery with a cathode fabricated using an improved method for slurry formulation and electrode production. The cathode comprises the epsilon polymorph of vanadyl phosphate, -VOPO.sub.4, made from solvothermally synthesized H.sub.2VOPO.sub.4, and optimized to reversibly intercalate two Li-ions to reach full theoretical capacity with a coulombic efficiency of 98%. This material adopts a stable 3D tunnel structure and can extract two Li-ions per vanadium ion, giving a theoretical capacity of 305 mAh/g, with an upper charge/discharge plateau at around 4.0 V, and one lower at around 2.5 V. The -VOPO4 particles may be modified with niobium (Nb) to improve the cycling stability.

This invention discloses a boron-containing titanium-based composite powder for 3D printing, consisting of 0.5%-2% by weight of titanium diboride and 98%-99.5% by weight of titanium sponge. The invention further discloses a method of preparing such composite powder, where the element boron is introduced to the titanium powder through rapid solidification, which significantly improves the solid solubility of boron in Ti, enabling the introduction of part of the boron into the titanium matrix to form supersaturated solid solutions. The reinforcement phase TiB in the boron-containing titanium-based composite powder prepared herein can be precisely controlled in grain size ranging from the nanometer scale to the micrometer scale through temperature or energy density, thereby preparing the titanium-based composite materials with different sizes of reinforcement phases to meet different mechanical requirements.

A composite having a composition expressed by A.sub.nX.sub.yM.sub.m wherein, A represents a lanthanoid that is in a trivalent state at least partially or entirely, X represents an element that is a Group-2 element in the periodic table selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, or a lanthanoid that is different from A, M represents an element that is a Group-1 element in the periodic table, a Group-2 element selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, or a lanthanoid that is different from A and X, n satisfies 0<n<1, y satisfies 0<y<1, m satisfies 0m<1, and n+y+m=1.

A polycrystalline silicon wafer is provided. The polycrystalline silicon wafer, includes a plurality of silicon grains, wherein the carbon content of the polycrystalline silicon wafer is greater than 4 ppma, and the resistivity of the polycrystalline silicon wafer is greater than or equal to 1.55 -cm.

The present invention relates to a molecular sieve, particularly to an ultra-macroporous molecular sieve. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the molecular sieve and to its application as an adsorbent, a catalyst, or the like. The molecular sieve has a unique X-ray diffraction pattern and a unique crystal particle morphology. The molecular sieve can be produced by using a compound represented by the following formula (I),

##STR00001## wherein the definition of each group and value is the same as that provided in the specification, as an organic template. The molecular sieve is capable of adsorbing more/larger molecules, thereby exhibiting excellent adsorptive/catalytic properties.

A seed crystal is a crystal of zeolite that is to be deposited on a support when producing a zeolite membrane complex that includes the support and a zeolite membrane formed on the support. A volume-cumulative particle size distribution of the seed crystal, measured by a laser diffraction scattering method, has a coefficient of variation of 0.5 or less and a kurtosis of 5 or less. Use of these seed crystals improves the bonding of zeolite crystals when producing the zeolite membrane. As a result, a dense zeolite membrane can be formed.