Embodiments of the invention include silica fiber compositions useful for treatment of animal wounds and tissue, as well as for other applications in industry. The fiber compositions may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

A filler composition comprising fibrous basic magnesium sulfate particles and non-fibrous inorganic micro-particles having an average particle diameter in the range of 0.001 to 0.5 m in a ratio by weight in the range of 100:0.001 to 100:50, is used for providing a molded resin product which shows impact resistance and rigidity balanced at a high level.

Provided are nanophosphor-attached inorganic particles that can suppress the degradation of the nanophosphor when sealed in glass, and a wavelength conversion member using the nanophosphor-attached inorganic particles. The nanophosphor-attached inorganic particle 10 include: inorganic particles 1 having an average particle diameter of 1 m or more; and a nanophosphor 2 attached to surfaces of the inorganic particles 1.

A positive electrode active material includes: a composite particle that includes a particle containing a lithium transition metal composite oxide of Li and Co and a layer that is provided on a surface of the particle and includes an oxide of Li, Ni and Mn. Ni and Mn have a concentration distribution centered on the center from a surface of the composite particle, in a depth range in which a ratio d (%) satisfies 0.04%d0.20%, a mole fraction r.sub.n of Ni and a mole fraction r.sub.m of Mn are within ranges of 0.05r.sub.n and 0.05r.sub.m, respectively, and a ratio r.sub.n2/r.sub.n1 and a ratio r.sub.m2/r.sub.m1 are within ranges of 0.85r.sub.n2/r.sub.n11.0 and 0.85r.sub.m2/r.sub.m11.0, respectively.

The present disclosure is related to a method of fabricating a stacked nanographene structure which is assembled into quantum wires or ribbons. While it has been demonstrated that nanowires can be fabricated from various raw carbon materials including PAHs, research and industry has not produced a self-assembled nanowire produced from asphaltene materials that exhibits a metallic character and electronic structure. The following methods and materials can be used to produce new class of materials consisting of a self-assembled quantum wire out of asphaltene.

The disclosure discloses a method for producing -calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers by using fermentation broth for producing lactic acid with a calcium salt method as a raw material and synchronously recovering a lactic acid monomer. The method comprises the following steps: 1) after fermentation of lactic acid is ended, heating fermentation broth; 2) stirring, and adding sulfuric acid for reaction; 3) after the reaction is ended, filtering and collecting a solid part, namely -calcium sulfite hemihydrate whiskers, and collecting a liquid part, namely a free lactic acid solution containing the lactic acid monomer; and 4) washing and drying the obtained -calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers to obtain a -calcium sulfate hemihydrate whisker finished product, filtering and concentrating the obtained free lactic acid solution to obtain a lactic acid crude product, and refining the lactic acid crude product to obtain a high-purity lactic acid monomer. The disclosure can replace the efficient separation of lactic acid in production of lactic acid with the existing calcium salt method and high value-added transformation of a calcium sulfite byproduct, thereby significantly reducing the refining cost of lactic acid and formation of wastes and facilitating improvement of lactic acid production quality and simplification of a post-extraction process technology.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a composite metal oxide hollow fibre. A certain stoichiometry of composite metal oxide raw material and a polymer binding agent are added to an organic solvent, and mixed mechanically to obtain an evenly dispersed spinning solution having a suitable viscosity. After defoaming treatment, the spinning solution is extruded through a spinneret and, after undergoing a certain dry spinning process, enters an external coagulation bath; during this period, a phase inversion process occurs and composite metal oxide hollow fibre blanks are formed. The blanks are immersed in the external coagulation bath and the organic solvent is displaced; after natural drying, the blanks undergo a heat treatment process; during this period, polymer burn off, in situ reaction, and in situ sintering processes occur to obtain the composite metal oxide hollow fibre.

The invention relates to titanium oxide aerogels, in particular to titanium oxide binary or ternary (e.g. titanium oxide-carbon) aerogel monoliths possessing ordered meso- and macroporosity. The porous scaffold can be made with or without addition of binders and/or surfactants. The aerogel obtained by this method has a specific surface area greater than 60 m2/g and porosity larger than 60%. The surface area ranges from 60 to 300 m2/g. The porosity can reach as high as 99.6%. The size of the titanium oxide crystals are between 5 nm and 100 nm. The aerogel contains 100% titanium oxide. The composite (binary or ternary) aerogel can be prepared by adding at least 10% carbon in the form of (carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon microfibers, exfoliated graphene, cellulose fibers, polymer fibers, metallic and metal oxide nano and microfibers etc.). The aerogel can be prepared with a predeterminable shape. It can be shaped in a mold having a shape of a cylinder, cube, sheet or sphere. The aerogel can be also transformed into a supported or self-standing film with a thickness. The material can be used as a self-cleaning filter e.g. in a solar-thermal water and air purification system, in mesoscopic solar cells e.g. dye sensitized solar cells, multifunctional filler in polymer composites, in ceramics, in metals, thermoelectric material to convert (waste) heat into electricity, heat insulation material and electrode material in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors.

A method of producing carbon nanofibers is disclosed that substantially impacts the carbon nanofibers' chemical and physical properties. Such carbon nanofibers include a semi-graphitic carbon material characterized by wavy graphite planes ranging from 0.1 nm to 1 nm and oriented parallel to an axis of a respective carbon nanofiber, the semi-graphitic carbon material also being characterized by an inclusion of 4 to 10 atomic percent of nitrogen heteroatoms, the nitrogen heteroatoms including a combined percentage of quaternary and pyridinic nitrogen groups equal to or greater than 60% of the nitrogen heteroatoms. The method of manufacture includes, for example, preparing a Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based precursor solution, providing the PAN-based precursor solution to a spinneret and then performing an electro-spinning operation on the PAN-based precursor solution to create the one or more PAN-based nanofibers. The electro-spinning operation includes passing the PAN-based precursor solution from the spinneret to a collector at a distance between 1 cm to 30 cm while providing an Alternating Current (AC) voltage between the spinneret and the collector, the AC voltage including a frequency ranging from 20 Hz to 100,000 Hz and either a Peak-to-Peak (P-P) voltage ranging from 100 V to 30,000 V or a Root-Mean-Square (RMS) voltage ranging from 100 V to 30,000 V. Afterwards, post-electro-spinning operations, stabilizing treatments and pyrolysis treatments are performed.

Provided is a positive electrode active material precursor for a rechargeable lithium battery including a nickel-based composite metal hydroxide including a secondary particle in which a plurality of primary particles are agglomerated, wherein the secondary particle includes a central portion and a surface portion, and the surface portion includes a primary particle coated with manganese oxide, manganese hydroxide, or a mixture thereof.