A process for concentrating graphite particles comprising a) providing a feedstock which contains the graphite particles and an undesired material, b) adding hydrophobic magnetic particles to the feedstock which results in a loaded feedstock containing agglomerates of the magnetic particles and the graphite particles, and c) separating the agglomerates from the loaded feedstock by a magnetic field which results in isolated agglomerates.

Some embodiments of the invention include a synthetic biocidal surface comprising an array of disordered nanospikes. The biocidal surface may be lethal to cells on said surface due to piercing of cell membranes by said nanospikes. Some embodiments may include a method of producing a synthetic biocidal surface comprising an array of disordered nanospikes that may include exposing a silicon comprising substrate surface to reactive-ion etching.

Disclosed is a method for synthesizing copper sulfide nano powder using plasma synthesis. The method comprises providing a copper compound to a plasma apparatus, adding a sulfur, and performing a plasma process with respect to the copper compound and the sulfur for synthesizing a nano copper sulfide.

A method for preparing a three-dimensional graphene structure, and an energy storage device are provided, the method including forming a graphene precursor by heating a carbohydrate and a gas generator, forming a graphene structure having a cavity therein by carbonizing the graphene precursor, and forming nanopores in the graphene structure, wherein the nanopores pass through an outer surface and an inner surface of the graphene structure, and are connected with the cavity.

A hexagonal BN powder including aggregates of primary particles of hexagonal BN containing boron and oxygen as impurity elements at a content of 1.00 to 30.00% and 0 to 1.00% by mass, respectively, which has a peak A in a predetermined particle diameter range and a 50% volume cumulative particle diameter D.sub.50 (d1) of 30.0 to 200.0 l in a particle size distribution curve, and in which a ratio of a height (a1) of the peak A before treatment to a height (a2) of the peak A after treatment is 0.80 to 1.00 and a ratio of D.sub.50 (d1) before treatment to D.sub.50 (d2) after treatment is 0.80 to 1.00 when the hexagonal BN powder is ultrasonically treated under a predetermined condition for 1 minute. Also disclosed is a method for producing the hexagonal BN powder, a composition and a heat dissipation material.

To provide a boron nitride powder having excellent heat conductivity and high particle strength. Provided is a boron nitride powder which comprises bulky boron nitride formed such that scaly primary particles of hexagonal boron nitride are aggregated to form bulky particles, and which has the following characteristics (A) to (C): (A) a particle strength of the bulky particles at a cumulative breakdown rate of 63.2% is 5.0 MPa or more; (B) an average particle size of the boron nitride powder is 2 m or more and 20 m or less; and (C) an orientation index of the boron nitride powder as determined from X-ray diffraction is 20 or less.

Copper sulfide of the formula Cu.sub.xS.sub.y, wherein x and y are integer or non-integer values, wherein (i) the copper sulfide has a sulfur 2p XPS spectrum with peaks at 162.3 eV (1 ev), 163.8 eV (1 ev) and 68.5 eV (1 ev), characterised in that the peak at 168.5 eV has a lower value of counts per second (CPS) than both the peak at 162.3 eV and the peak at 163.8 eV; and (ii) the copper sulfide has a copper 2p XPS spectrum with peaks at 932.0 eV (2ev) and 933.6 eV (3eV) and characterised in that the XPS spectrum does not comprise identifiable satellite peaks at 939.8 eV and 943.1 eV (3 eV).

JMZ-5, an aluminosilicate having an SZR framework type and a sea-urchin type morphology is described. A calcined product, JMZ-5C, formed from JMZ-5 is also described. JMZ-6, an aluminosilicate having an SZR framework type and a needle, aggregate morphology is described. A calcined product, JMZ-6C, formed from JMZ-6 is also described. Methods of preparing these zeolites and their metal-containing calcined counterparts are described along with methods of using these zeolites and their metal containing calcined counterparts in treating exhaust gases.

The invention provides a process for the preparation of bismuth oxyhalide, comprising a precipitation of bismuth oxyhalide in an acidic aqueous medium in the presence of a reducing agent. Also provided are bismuth oxyhalide compounds doped with elemental bismuth Bi.sup.(0). The use of Bi.sup.(0) doped bismuth oxyhalide as photocatalysts in water purification is also described.

Calibration devices including germanium-68 source material are disclosed. The source material may be a matrix material (e.g., zeolite) in which germanium-68 is isomorphously substituted for central atoms in tetrahedra within the matrix material. Methods for preparing such calibration devices are also disclosed.