Disclosed herein are structures comprising a titanium, zirconium, or hafnium powder particle with titanium carbide, zirconium carbide, or hafnium carbide (respectively) nano-whiskers grown directly from and anchored to the powder particle. Also disclosed are methods for fabrication of such structures, involving heating the powder particles and exposing the particles to an organic gas.

A nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube reinforced diamond composite and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the field of materials science. The nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube reinforced diamond composite is composed of nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube composite powders, matrix powders and diamond grains, wherein the nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube composite powders are the composites of nanometer niobium carbide which are evenly distributed in the surface defects and interior of the carbon nanotube, the nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube reinforced diamond composite is prepared by mixing the nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube composite powders, matrix powders and diamond grains uniformly and sintering with a hot pressing technique.

A nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube reinforced diamond composite and a preparation method thereof, belonging to the field of materials science. The nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube reinforced diamond composite is composed of nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube composite powders, matrix powders and diamond grains, wherein the nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube composite powders are the composites of nanometer niobium carbide which are evenly distributed in the surface defects and interior of the carbon nanotube, the nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube reinforced diamond composite is prepared by mixing the nanometer niobium carbide/carbon nanotube composite powders, matrix powders and diamond grains uniformly and sintering with a hot pressing technique.

Methods are disclosed for dispersing nanoparticles in solvents, involving the use of a cationic species and an anionic species, where at least one of the ionic species is soluble in the nonpolar solvent and the other ionic species has a relatively strong affinity for the surface of the nanoparticles. The cationic species and the anionic species together form a cluster of ion pairs shielding the nanoparticles and enhancing their dispersibility in the nonpolar solvent.

Methods are disclosed for dispersing nanoparticles in solvents, involving the use of a cationic species and an anionic species, where at least one of the ionic species is soluble in the nonpolar solvent and the other ionic species has a relatively strong affinity for the surface of the nanoparticles. The cationic species and the anionic species together form a cluster of ion pairs shielding the nanoparticles and enhancing their dispersibility in the nonpolar solvent.

The disclosure provides for methods of oxidizing carbide anions, or negative ions, from salt like carbides at low temperatures below about 600 C. In another aspect, the disclosure provides for reactions with intermediate transition metal carbides. In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides for a system of reactions where salt-like carbide anions and intermediate carbide anions are oxidized to produce pure carbon of various allotropes.

The disclosure provides for methods of oxidizing carbide anions, or negative ions, from salt like carbides at low temperatures below about 600 C. In another aspect, the disclosure provides for reactions with intermediate transition metal carbides. In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides for a system of reactions where salt-like carbide anions and intermediate carbide anions are oxidized to produce pure carbon of various allotropes.

A thermoelectric composite includes: a first layer including a thermoelectric semiconductor material; and a second layer including a conductive inorganic filler, wherein the first and second layers are stacked in layered form constituting a superlattice structure.

A thermoelectric composite includes: a first layer including a thermoelectric semiconductor material; and a second layer including a conductive inorganic filler, wherein the first and second layers are stacked in layered form constituting a superlattice structure.

A universal or all-purpose laser marking composition for forming satisfactorily dark laser marks on a wide variety of substrates is provided. The marking composition comprises an enhancer of nitrides, carbides, silicides, and combinations thereof. The enhancer may be selected one or more of ferromanganese, ferrosilicon, Fe.sub.xSi.sub.(1-x) where X can range from about 0.005 to 0.995, Fe.sub.5Si.sub.2, MgFeSi, SiC, CaSi, (Co)Mo, MoSi.sub.2, TiSi.sub.2, ZrSi.sub.2, WSi.sub.2, MnSi.sub.2, YSi, Cu.sub.5Si, Ni.sub.2Si, Fe.sub.3C, Fe.sub.7C.sub.3 and Fe.sub.2C, MoC, Mo.sub.2C, Mo.sub.3C.sub.2, YC.sub.2, WC, Al.sub.4C.sub.3, Mg.sub.2C, Mg.sub.2C.sub.3, CaC.sub.2, LaC.sub.2, Ta.sub.4C.sub.3, Fe.sub.2N, Fe.sub.3N, Fe.sub.4N, Fe.sub.7N.sub.3, Fe.sub.16N.sub.2, MoN, Mo.sub.2N, W.sub.2N, WN, WN.sub.2, and combinations thereof and combinations thereof. Upon disposing the marking composition on a substrate and exposing the marking composition to laser radiation, the marking composition absorbs the laser radiation, increases in temperature, chemically bonds with the substrate, and when formed on each of a metal, glass, ceramic, stone, and plastic substrates, the mark has a negative L dark contrast value of at least 1 compared to a mark formed by the marking composition without the enhancer.