The invention relates to improved particulate lithium nickel oxide materials which are useful as cathode materials in lithium secondary batteries, and methods of their manufacture.

The disclosure discloses a nickel cobalt manganese hydroxide, a cathode material, a preparation method thereof and a lithium ion battery. The nickel cobalt manganese hydroxide comprises a core and an outer layer covering the outside of the core. The core comprises flaky particles, the D.sub.50 particle diameter of the flaky particles in the core is 5-8 μm, and the D.sub.50 particle diameter of particles in the outer layer is 0.1-5 μm.

Composite particles may be produced by drying slurries containing silica particles and graphenic carbon particles in a liquid carrier. Elastomeric formulations comprising a base elastomer composition and the silica-graphenic carbon composite particles are also disclosed. The formulations possess favorable properties such as increased stiffness and are useful for many applications such as tire treads.

The present invention provides a magnetic multilayer pigment flake and a magnetic coating composition that are relatively safe for human health and the environment. The pigment flake includes one or more magnetic layers of a magnetic alloy and one or more dielectric layers of a dielectric material. The magnetic alloy is an iron-chromium alloy or an iron-chromium-aluminum alloy, having a substantially nickel-free composition. The coating composition includes a plurality of the pigment flakes disposed in a binder medium.

Disclosed herein are porous electrochromic niobium oxide films comprising a plurality of niobium oxide nanocrystals, wherein the plurality of niobium oxide nanocrystals comprise niobium oxide having a formula of NbO.sub.x where x represents the average Nb:O ratio in the niobium oxide and where x is from 2 to 2.6. Also disclosed herein are methods of making the porous electrochromic niobium oxide films, methods of use of the porous electrochromic niobium oxide films, and devices comprising the porous electrochromic niobium oxide films.

Process for making a particulate material of general formula (I),
Li.sub.1+x(Ni.sub.aCo.sub.bMn.sub.cM.sub.d).sub.1−xO.sub.2  (I) wherein the integers are defined as follows: M is selected from Al and Ti, x is in the range of from 0.015 to 0.03, a is in the range of from 0.3 to 0.6, b is in the range of from 0.05 to 0.35, c is in the range of from 0.2 to 0.5, d is in the range of from 0.001 to 0.03, with a+b+c+d=1 said process comprising the following steps: (a) co-precipitating a mixed hydroxide of nickel, cobalt and manganese from a solution of water-soluble salts of nickel, cobalt and manganese by contacting such solution with a solution of alkali metal hydroxide, (b) adding an aqueous solution of an aluminate or titanate and thereby co-precipitating a layer of a mixed hydroxide of nickel and cobalt and manganese and aluminium or titanium on the particles formed in step (a), (c) removing particles of (Ni.sub.aCo.sub.bMn.sub.cAl.sub.d)(OH).sub.2+d or (Ni.sub.aCo.sub.bMn.sub.cTi.sub.d)(OH).sub.2+2d so obtained and drying them in the presence of oxygen, (d) mixing the particles obtained in step (c) with at least one Li compound selected from Li.sub.2O, LiOH and Li.sub.2CO.sub.3, (e) calcining the mixture obtained according to step (d) at a temperature in the range of from 920 to 950° C.

Provided is a white pigment for cosmetics capable of giving a cosmetic having an excellent performance smoothly applicable onto the skin. A white pigment for cosmetics of the present invention includes a titanium phosphate powder, the titanium phosphate powder includes crystal particles of titanium phosphate, and the titanium phosphate powder has an average friction coefficient (MIU) of less than 1.45.

Processes for preparing a niobate material are provided, in which the processes include the following steps: (i) providing a niobium-containing source; (ii) providing a transitional metal source (TMS), a post-transitional metal source (PTMS), or both; (iii) dissolving (a) the niobium-containing source, and (b) the TMS, the PTMS, or both in an aqueous medium to form an intermediate solution; (iv) forming an intermediate paste by admixing an inert support material with the intermediate solution; (v) optionally coating the intermediate paste on a support substrate; and (vi) removing the inert support material by subjecting the intermediate paste to a calcination process and providing a transition-metal-niobate (TMN) and/or a post-transition-metal-niobate (PTMN). Anodes including a TMN and/or PTMN are also provided.

There is provided a titanyl sulfate hydrate powder comprising 25 to 40% by mass of titanium element in terms of TiO.sub.2, 40 to 60% by mass of sulfur element in terms of H.sub.2SO.sub.4, and niobium element in such an amount that a molar ratio of niobium element to titanium element (Nb/Ti) is 0.00005 to 0.012, with a molar ratio of the sulfur element content to the titanium element content (S/Ti) being 1.1 to 1.5, and comprising crystalline titanyl sulfate dihydrate (TiOSO.sub.4.Math.2H.sub.2O). Thus, the present invention can provide a titanyl sulfate hydrate powder with a high dissolution rate in water and a production method therefor, as well as a method for producing an aqueous titanyl sulfate solution, a method for producing an electrolyte and a method for producing a redox flow battery, using the titanyl sulfate hydrate powder.

Processes for preparing a niobate material are provided, in which the processes include the following steps: (i) providing a niobium-containing source; (ii) providing a transitional metal source (TMS), a post-transitional metal source (PTMS), or both; (iii) dissolving (a) the niobium-containing source, and (b) the TMS, the PTMS, or both in an aqueous medium to form an intermediate solution; (iv) forming an intermediate paste by admixing an inert support material with the intermediate solution; (v) optionally coating the intermediate paste on a support substrate; and (vi) removing the inert support material by subjecting the intermediate paste to a calcination process and providing a transition-metal-niobate (TMN) and/or a post-transition-metal-niobate (PTMN). Anodes including a TMN and/or PTMN are also provided.