A colored sapphire material and methods for coloring sapphire material using lasers are disclosed. The method for coloring the sapphire material may include positioning the sapphire material over an opaque substrate material, exposing the opaque substrate material to a laser beam passing through the sapphire material to impact the substrate material, and inducing a chemical change in a portion of the sapphire material exposed to the laser beam. The method may also include creating a visible color in the portion of the sapphire material as a result of the chemical change. The colored sapphire material may include a first transparent portion, and a second, colored portion substantially surrounded by the first portion. The second, colored portion may have a chemical composition different than that of the first portion.

Low temperature synthesis, growth and doping methods and resulting materials are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method for material transformation includes providing a target material comprising carbon and/or hydrocarbon. The method also includes placing the target material within a fluid comprising a hydrogen source. Further, the method includes applying energy to the target material such that at least some of the target material is transformed to the same material with new beneficial bonding configuration.

Low temperature synthesis, growth and doping methods and resulting materials are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method for material transformation includes providing a target material comprising carbon and/or hydrocarbon. The method also includes placing the target material within a fluid comprising a hydrogen source. Further, the method includes applying energy to the target material such that at least some of the target material is transformed to the same material with new beneficial bonding configuration.

A method of recovering desalinated activated alumina (AA) beads from a composition including salt laden (high salt absorbed) activated alumna (AA) beads and free anions and free cations, comprising the step of electrodialysis of the composition to reduce salt content of the activated alumina (AA) beads to produce a stream comprising the desalinated activated alumina (AA) beads.

A method of recovering desalinated activated alumina (AA) beads from a composition including salt laden (high salt absorbed) activated alumna (AA) beads and free anions and free cations, comprising the step of electrodialysis of the composition to reduce salt content of the activated alumina (AA) beads to produce a stream comprising the desalinated activated alumina (AA) beads.

A particulate composition contains α-alumina particles, and water-absorbing polymer particles. The content of the water-absorbing polymer particles is 2 parts by mass or more and 60 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the α-alumina particles, and the content of the α-alumina particles in the particulate composition is 50% by mass or more.

A particulate composition contains α-alumina particles, and water-absorbing polymer particles. The content of the water-absorbing polymer particles is 2 parts by mass or more and 60 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the α-alumina particles, and the content of the α-alumina particles in the particulate composition is 50% by mass or more.

A method of producing new hydrophobic aluminas by i) providing a slurry comprising an alumina compound, the slurry having a pH of above 5.5; ii) mixing an organic composition comprising carboxylic acids with long hydrocarbon chains with the slurry to form an acid modified slurry; iii) hydrothermally conditioning the acid modified slurry to form a hydrothermally aged slurry; and iv) drying the hydrothermally aged slurry. The new hydrophobic aluminas have surface modified structures distinguished by a low humidity content and very small nanoparticles. These new hydrophobic aluminas can be uniformly dispersed in a substrate, for example polymers.

A method of producing new hydrophobic aluminas by i) providing a slurry comprising an alumina compound, the slurry having a pH of above 5.5; ii) mixing an organic composition comprising carboxylic acids with long hydrocarbon chains with the slurry to form an acid modified slurry; iii) hydrothermally conditioning the acid modified slurry to form a hydrothermally aged slurry; and iv) drying the hydrothermally aged slurry. The new hydrophobic aluminas have surface modified structures distinguished by a low humidity content and very small nanoparticles. These new hydrophobic aluminas can be uniformly dispersed in a substrate, for example polymers.

In a method for recovering active metals of a lithium secondary battery according to an embodiment, a cathode active material mixture is collected from the cathode of the lithium secondary battery, the cathode active material mixture is reduced by a reducing reaction to prepare a preliminary precursor mixture, an aqueous lithium precursor solution is formed from the preliminary precursor mixture, and an aluminum-containing material is removed from the aqueous lithium precursor solution with an aluminum removing resin.