The present disclosure provides a novel composite transition metal oxide-based precursor, a preparing method thereof, and a cathode active material for a secondary battery prepared from the precursor. In the present disclosure, it is possible to enhance productivity and economic efficiency due to a high reaction yield during the synthesis of a cathode active material and to enhance the initial discharge capacity and lifespan characteristics of a secondary battery including a cathode active material by using an oxide-based precursor having a high oxygen fraction instead of a hydroxide-based precursor used as a precursor of a cathode active material in the related art.

The objective of the invention is the development of a new process for producing sulfur from phosphogypsum. During this process, the phosphogypsum is mixed with a source of carbon and hydrogen forming a slurry after mixing. This source of carbon and hydrogen is a natural or synthetic organic polymer, as an example that is not limiting, biomass, used tires or plastic, kerogen or tars. The granules undergo a heat treatment (100 to 150° C.) to evaporate the mixing water.

The product obtained undergoes a heat treatment (550 to 900° C.) under a neutral atmosphere and/or partially oxidizing. The generated gases are bubbled in deionized water, sodium hypochlorite solution or a basic aqueous solution which allows the trapping, among others, of organosulfur molecules and the precipitation of sulfur S8. Non-entrapped gases are recovered to extract volatile sulfur products.

This invention relates to a process and an apparatus for synthesizing multiwall carbon nanotubes from high molecular polymeric wastes. The process comprises using induction heating in combination with catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CVD) with an array of catalytic materials to synthesize high value carbon nanotubes with better yield and purity from high molecular polymeric wastes.

A method of producing a carbon material-containing material having a precisely controlled structure under a mild condition, a carbon material-containing material covalently bonded to an inorganic matter, and an intermediate material which is useful for, for example, industrially producing carbon-coated inorganic particles, hollow carbon fine particles, and can be industrially produced under a mild condition, are provided. The method of producing a carbon material-containing material includes heating a composition containing a compound (A), which causes a condensation reaction between the same and/or different molecules, and an inorganic matter. When the compound (A) has a condensation reaction temperature of T° C., a heating temperature is (T−150)° C. or more. The carbon material-containing material includes a carbon material and an inorganic matter. At least part of the carbon material and inorganic matter are covalently bonded. The organic-inorganic composite includes a carbon material and an inorganic matter. The carbon material is soluble in a solvent.

A material, especially a glassy material of pyrophosphate type, corresponding to the general formula (I): {[(M.sup.2+).sub.1−x(R.sup.+).sub.2x].sub.2[(P.sub.2O.sub.7.sup.4−).sub.1−y(PO.sub.4.sup.3−).sub.4y/3]} n(H.sub.2O) in which x and y are positive rational numbers each between 0 and 0.8, and n is such that the weight percentage of water in the material is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 95. M.sup.2+ represents a bivalent ion of a metal chosen from calcium, magnesium, strontium, copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese and nickel, or any mixture of such bivalent ions. R.sup.+ represents a monovalent ion of a metal selected from potassium, lithium, sodium, and silver, or any mixture of such monovalent ions. This material in particular can be used in manufacturing of bone replacements or prosthesis coatings.

A production method of a battery active material of the present embodiment includes a step of obtaining a coprecipitated product containing Ti and Nb by mixing a solution with a pH of 5 or lower, in which a Ti compound is dissolved, and a solution with a pH of 5 or lower, in which a Nb compound is dissolved, such that molar ratio of Ti and Nb (Nb/Ti) is adjusted within a range of 1≦Nb/Ti≦28, and then further mixing with an alkali solution with a pH of 8 or higher; and a step of burning the coprecipitated product under condition of 635° C. or higher and 1200° C. or lower.

Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material. In other embodiments, the TE nanocomposite material can be a nanocomposite thermoelectric material having one network of p-type or n-type semiconductor domains and a low thermal conductivity semiconductor or dielectric network or domains separating the p-type or n-type domains that provides efficient phonon scattering to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical properties of the p-type or n-type semiconductor.

The present embodiments describe a method to reduce vanadium corrosion in a gas turbine by adding an oleophilic corrosion inhibitor into a combustion fuel, in which the oleophilic corrosion inhibitor comprises carbon black support particles and magnesium bonded to the carbon black support particles. The carbon black support particles comprise a particle size less than 40 nanometer (nm), and oxygen content less than 1 weight percent (wt %), and a surface area of at least 50 square meters per gram (m.sup.2/gram).

A positive electrode active material has a small difference in a crystal structure between the charged state and the discharged state. For example, the crystal structure and volume of the positive electrode active material, which has a layered rock-salt crystal structure in the discharged state and a pseudo-spinel crystal structure in the charged state at a high voltage of approximately 4.6 V, are less likely to be changed by charging and discharging as compared with those of a known positive electrode active material. In order to form the positive electrode active material having the pseudo-spinel crystal structure in the charged state, it is preferable that a halogen source such as a fluorine and a magnesium source be mixed with particles of a composite oxide containing lithium, a transition metal, and oxygen, which is synthesized in advance, and then the mixture be heated at an appropriate temperature for an appropriate time.

Disclosed herein are compounds, methods, and tools which comprise tungsten borides and mixed transition metal borides.