A method for producing a modified sawdust sorbent. The method involves sulfonating sawdust with sulfuric acid and oxidizing the sulfonated sawdust with hydrogen peroxide. The method yields a modified sawdust sorbent containing sulfonated and oxidized cellulose. The modified sawdust sorbent has a higher surface area, higher organic dye adsorption capacity, and more rapid organic dye adsorption rate than unmodified sawdust. Also disclosed is a method of using the modified sawdust sorbent for organic dye removal from water.

Mesoporous poly (aryl ether ketone) articles are formed from blends of poly (aryl ether ketones) with pore forming additives by melt processing, and can be in the form of a monofilament, disc, film, microcapillary or other complex shapes. The method of formation provides for preparation of poly (aryl ether ketone) articles with high degree of surface area and uniform nanometer pore size. The preferred poly (aryl ether ketone)s are poly (ether ketone) and poly (ether ether ketone). The mesoporous articles formed by the method of the present invention are useful for a broad range of applications, including molecular separations and organic solvent filtration.

A solidified porous carbon material uses a plant-derived material as a raw material, a bulk density of the solidified porous carbon material is in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.3 to 0.4 grams/cm.sup.3. A value of a cumulative pore volume in the range of 0.05 to 5 μm in pore size based on a mercury press-in method is in the range of 0.4 to 1.2 cm.sup.3, preferably, 0.5 to 1.0 cm.sup.3 per 1 gram of the solidified porous carbon material.

A method of forming a gas treatment element for use in a gas treatment apparatus, such as a desiccant dryer, is disclosed. The element is formed by casting a sheet material by phase inversion of a dope mixture including a solvent, an adsorbent material such as a desiccant and a polymer binder. Layers of the sheet material are located adjacent one another and this is most readily achieved by rolling the sheet material to form the gas treatment element.

Methods making a metal-organic framework extrudate in an extruder comprising the steps of: (a) mixing a metal-organic framework material with an extrusion aid to form a metal-organic framework extrudate mixture; and (b) extruding the metal-organic framework mixture in the extruder to produce the metal-organic framework extrudate where the pressure within the extruder is reduced between about 10% to about 55% when compared to pressure within the extruder when extruding the metal-organic framework material without the extrusion aid. The extrusion aid can be a liquid extrusion aid, a solid extrusion aid and/or a polymeric extrusion aid.

The present invention relates to the field of solid materials for the adsorption of lithium. In particular, the present invention relates to a new method for the preparation of a crystallized and shaped solid material, preferably in extruded form, of the formula (LiCl).sub.x.2Al(OH).sub.3,nH.sub.2O, wherein n is between 0.01 and 10, x is between 0.4 and 1, wherein it comprises a step a) of precipitation of boehmite under specific temperature and pH conditions, a step of bringing into contact the precipitate obtained with LiCl, at least one acid extrusion-kneading shaping step, wherein the method also comprises a final hydrothermal treatment step, all of which makes it possible to increase the lithium adsorption capacity, the adsorption kinetics, as well as the lithium/boron selectivity of the materials obtained with respect to the materials of the prior art, when it is used in a lithium extraction method of saline solutions.

Disclosed herein are extraction chromatographic supports comprising a porous support, an inert filler, and metal ion binding extractant that may be used for chromatographic separation of metal ions. Also disclosed herein are methods for preparing and using the extraction chromatographic supports.

A composite material is provided comprising a porous polymeric matrix having metal-organic framework (MOF) domains dispersed within the porous polymeric matrix, each of said MOF domains in fluid communication with the external environment through the pores in the porous polymeric matrix. A process of using the composite material to chemically modify or detoxify a chemical warfare agent or a toxic industrial chemical is also provided. The chemical warfare agent or the toxic industrial chemical is brought into contact with a MOF domain within the porous polymeric matrix so that the MOFs adsorb and chemically modify the chemical warfare agent or the toxic industrial chemical. A process for producing such a composite material is also disclosed.

Mesoporous poly (aryl ether ketone) articles are formed from blends of poly (aryl ether ketones) with pore forming additives by melt processing, and can be in the form of a monofilament, disc, film, microcapillary or other complex shapes. The method of formation provides for preparation of poly (aryl ether ketone) articles with high degree of surface area and uniform nanometer pore size. The preferred poly (aryl ether ketone)s are poly (ether ketone) and poly (ether ether ketone). The mesoporous articles formed by the method of the present invention are useful for a broad range of applications, including molecular separations and organic solvent filtration.

A method for producing a modified sawdust sorbent. The method involves sulfonating sawdust with sulfuric acid and oxidizing the sulfonated sawdust with hydrogen peroxide. The method yields a modified sawdust sorbent containing sulfonated and oxidized cellulose. The modified sawdust sorbent has a higher surface area, higher organic dye adsorption capacity, and more rapid organic dye adsorption rate than unmodified sawdust. Also disclosed is a method of using the modified sawdust sorbent for organic dye removal from water.