The present disclosure relates to methodologies, systems and apparatus for generating lithium ion battery materials. Starting materials are combined to form a homogeneous precursor solution including lithium, and a droplet maker is used to generate droplets of the precursor solution having controlled size. These droplets are introduced into a microwave generated plasma, where micron or sub-micron scale lithium-containing particles are formed. These lithium-containing particles are collected and formed into a slurry to form lithium ion battery materials.

Zero-Rare Earth Metal (ZREM) and Zero-platinum group metals (ZPGM) compositions of varied binary spinel oxides are disclosed as oxygen storage material (OSM) to be used within TWC systems. The ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems comprise binary non-Cu spinel oxides of Co—Fe, Fe—Mn, Co—Mn, or Mn—Fe. The oxygen storage capacity (OSC) property associated with the non-Cu ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems is determined employing isothermal OSC oscillating condition testing. Further, the OSC test results compare the OSC properties of a ZREM-ZPGM reference OSM system including a Cu—Mn binary spinel oxide and PGM reference catalysts including Ce-based OSMs. The non-Cu spinel oxides ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems exhibit significantly improved OSC properties, which are greater than the OSC property of the Ce-based OSM PGM reference systems.

The present invention provides an electrocatalytic material and a method for making an electrocatalytic material. There is also provided an electrocatalytic material comprising amorphous metal or mixed metal oxides. There is also provided methods of forming an electrocatalyst, comprising an amorphous metal oxide film.

An object is to provide the ferrite particles used as a magnetic filler or a raw material for a molded product excellent in dispersibility as a powder and excellent in uniformity after molding and result the surface with small unevenness; and a method of manufacturing the particles. To achieve the object, Mn—Mg ferrite particles having an average particle size of 1 to 2000 nm and having a spherical shape are employed. It is preferable that the ferrite particles are produced by a method including subjecting of a ferrite raw material obtained through preparation of a ferrite composition to flame-spraying in air for ferritization followed by rapid cooling for solidifying of the ferrite.

An object of the present invention or a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide, as a material for use as a positive electrode of a sodium secondary battery, a novel material that allows the resulting battery to have capacity characteristics superior to those of conventional batteries. The composite metal oxide of the present invention has a composition represented by the general formula Na.sub.xMe.sub.yO.sub.2, where Me is at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, and Ni, x satisfies 0.8<x≦1.0, and y satisfies 0.95≦y<1.05, and consists of a P2 structure. The sodium secondary battery of the present invention includes: a positive electrode (13) containing the composite metal oxide of the present invention; a negative electrode (16) containing a material capable of absorbing and desorbing Na ions; and an electrolyte containing Na ions and anions.

Ferrite particles have, as a main component, a material represented by a composition formula M.sub.xFe.sub.3−xO.sub.4 (where M is at least one type of metal selected from a group made of Mg, Mn, Ca, Ti, Cu, Zn, Sr and Ni, 0<x<1), where the maximum height Rz of the particles falls within a range of 1.40 μm to 1.90 μm, and the degree of distortion Rsk of the particles falls within a range of −0.25 to −0.07. In this way, when the ferrite particles are used as the carrier of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, even if an image formation speed is increased, the occurrence of a failure is reduced for a long period of time.

The present invention refers to the method for synthesis an absorbent material consisting of a phase of tetravalent manganese feroxyhyte (δ-Fe.sub.(1-x)Mn.sub.xOOH) with a negatively charged grain surface in which a percentage of iron has been isomorphically substituted by manganese atoms at 0.05-25%. Its' production is carried out in two continuous flow stirred-tank reactors arranged in serial configuration, where mild acidic conditions (pH 5-6) prevail in the first reactor and mild alkaline conditions (pH 9-10) together with high redox potential (600-700 mV) in the second reactor. The material can be used to uptake mercury, as well as other heavy metals from both water and hot gas streams. Specifically, the adsorption capacity is determined by the magnitude of the negative surface charge and the isoelectric point that can be both adjusted by the synthesis process parameters.

A method for preparing an infrared radiation ceramic material includes mixing and ball milling raw materials of Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, MnO.sub.2 and CuO in a mass ratio to obtain a mixed powder; pressing the mixed powder; adjusting laser spot, laser power and laser sintering time of a laser; irradiating or sintering by a first laser the pressed mixed powder in a crucible for a high-temperature solid-phase reaction to obtain an AB.sub.2O.sub.4 type ferrite powder; obtaining a first mixture by mixing the AB.sub.2O.sub.4 type ferrite powder and a cordierite powder in a mass ratio; adding a sintering aid and a nucleating agent for ball milling; obtaining a second mixture by mixing the first mixture and a binder for aging; pressing the second mixture; and irradiating or sintering the pressed second mixture by a second laser to obtain the infrared radiation ceramic material.

A composite oxide black pigment has characteristics to absorb visible rays and near infrared rays, and is composed of an oxide of main constituent metals including copper, manganese and iron. In a wavelength region of 400 to 1,000 nm, the composite oxide black pigment has a minimum wavelength, at which a transmittance becomes minimum, in a wavelength region of 600 to 800 nm, a molar ratio of manganese/iron is 3/1 to 30/1, and a molar ratio of copper/(manganese+iron) is 1/2 to 1.2/2. Its sole use makes it possible to obtain a transparent vivid bluish, neutral gray color, and also to maximize an absorption in a near infrared region. It is, therefore, excellent in near infrared absorption characteristics.

The present application discloses a positive electrode active material satisfying the chemical formula L.sub.xNa.sub.yM.sub.zCu.sub.αFe.sub.βMn.sub.γO.sub.2+δ−0.5ηX.sub.η and a preparation method therefor, a sodium ion battery and an apparatus including such battery, wherein L is a doping element at alkali metal site, M is a doping element at transition metal site, and X is a doping element at oxygen site, 0≤x<0.35, 0.65≤y≤1, 0<α≤0.3, 0<β≤0.5, 0<γ≤0.5, −0.03≤δ≤0.03, 0≤η≤0.1, z+α+β+γ=1, mx+y+nz+2α+3β+4γ=2(2+δ), m is the valence state of L, and n is the valence state of M; and the pH of the positive electrode active material is 10.5-13, wherein L is a doping element at alkali metal site, M is a doping element at transition metal site, and X is a doping element at oxygen site.