Methods and systems for producing activated carbon from a particulate coal feedstock that involve one or more of the introduction of a buffering gas, a moisture spray, a finest carbon fraction as a fuel, and certain gas ratios. Different methods and system configurations allow the production of activated carbon or other heat-treated carbons while concurrently avoiding adverse reaction conditions.

The invention relates to a method for producing solid particles from an inorganic solid containing at least one alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal, comprising at least the following steps: a) providing the inorganic solid containing at least one alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal; b) extracting the at least one alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal from the inorganic solid containing alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal to obtain an extract containing the alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal and an alkali metal-depleted and/or alkaline earth metal-depleted residue; c) separating the extract from the residue; d) processing the residue to obtain the solid particles, wherein at least one of the processing steps is selected from a group comprising transporting, filling, packaging, washing, drying, adjusting the pH value, separating according to a mean grain size and/or mass and/or density, adjusting a mean grain size, magnetic separating, calcining, thermal rounding and surface coating.

Provided are a positive electrode active material that can provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery having high energy density and excellent output characteristics, a nickel-manganese composite hydroxide as a precursor thereof, and methods for producing these. A nickel-manganese composite hydroxide is represented by General Formula (1): Ni.sub.xMn.sub.yM.sub.z(OH).sub.2+α and contains a secondary particle formed of a plurality of flocculated primary particles. The nickel-manganese composite hydroxide has a half width of a diffraction peak of a (001) plane of at least 0.35° and up to 0.50° and has a degree of sparsity/density represented by [(a void area within the secondary particle/a cross section of the secondary particle)×100](%) within a range of greater than 10% and up to 25%.

A method for preparation of a dual phase filler for elastomers for manufacturing technical rubber items, including such for microwave protection. The method involves the following stages: first stage—1/10 of the silicasol impregnating solution obtained by its dilution in distilled water at a 1:10 ratio is pulverized over the carbon black at constant stirring; second stage—the carbon black pulverized with the silicasol impregnating solution is let stay in air at room temperature for 24 hours; third stage: a two-step thermal activation in a drying cabinet is carried out—at first at 80° C. for 2 hours, and then at 250° C. for 2 hours; fourth stage—9/10 of the impregnating solution that remained from the first stage is pulverized successively over the already impregnated carbon black at constant stirring. It again is let stay for 24 in air at room temperature; fifth stage: a three-step thermal activation in a drying cabinet is carried out—at first at 80° C. for 2 hours, then at 150° C. for 4 hours and finally at 250° C. for 4 hours. The dual phase filler includes SiO.sub.2 in amounts 1 to 10% and carbon black 90 to 99%. It has the following parameters: specific surface area /BET/−20-50 m.sup.2/g, Iodine adsorption number—15-30 mg/g, Oil absorption number—50-90 ml/100 g, mesopore volume—0.05-0.20 cm.sup.3(STP)/g, mesopore diameter—10-20 nm. According to the invention the advantages ensured by the method are in the implementation of a multistage thermal activation at not very high temperature; in yielding improved texture of the dual phase filler obtained and in better insulation of the carbon black aggregates by the silica phase.

An adduct consists of derivatives of serinol pyrrole and of carbon allotropes in which the carbon is sp.sup.2 hybridized, such as carbon nanotubes, graham or nano-graphites or carbon black, in order to improve the chemical-physical properties of the allotropes increasing above all their dispersibility and stability in liquid media and in polymer matrices, and a process for preparation of the adduct.

A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is used for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The positive electrode active material includes a composite oxide containing at least lithium, nickel, and manganese and contains aggregated particles of primary particles having an average particle diameter of 1.0 μm or more. The primary particles have a layered crystal structure and a spinel crystal structure.

A process of preparing precipitated silica is disclosed. Said process comprises of reacting an aqueous solution of a metal silicate with a mineral acid in the presence of a surfactant solution comprising gelatin and C8-C20 sulfosuccinate blend, at a reaction temperature in a range of about 70 to 100° C. with constant stirring such that a reaction mixture having a pH of about 10.Math.0.3 is obtained; optionally, allowing the reaction mixture to age at a temperature in a range of about 70 to 100° C. for a time period in range of 10 to 100 minutes; adjusting the pH of the reaction mixture to about 4, followed by aging said mixture at a temperature in a range of about 70 to 100° C. for a time period in a range of 10 minutes to 2 hours; and recovering the precipitated silica from the reaction mixture.

Surface-modified layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are disclosed, as well as processes by which they are made, and uses of the LDHs in composite materials. The surface-modified LDHs of the invention are more organophilic than their unmodified analogues, which allows the LDHs to be incorporated in a wide variety of materials, wherein the interesting functionality of LDHs may be exploited.

A precipitated silica having an SiOH.sub.isolated absorbance ratio of greater than or equal to 1.5, a silanol group density of 1 to 3.0 SiOH/nm.sup.2, a modified tapped density of 1 to 50 g/l, and a pH of 3-5, when measured as a aqueous suspension of 5.00 g of the precipitated silica in 100 ml. of deionized water allows preparation of storage-stable RTV-1 silicone rubber formulations without stabilizer. A process for preparing the precipitated silica and its use in thickening sealants is provided.

The disclosure relates to a method for preparing a silica embedded carbon black composite aggregate and the silica embedded carbon black composite aggregate prepared thereby. The disclosure further relates to the use of the silica embedded carbon black composite aggregates in compositions such as rubber compositions.