A product for adsorbing one or more heavy metals from a liquid is disclosed. The product may comprise attapulgite that has been surface functionalized with a surface coating agent that includes one or more mercury affinity functional groups that chemically bond to the attapulgite surface, wherein the weight percentage of components of the product includes: 91-99 wt. % attapulgite and 1-9 wt. % surface coating agent that includes the one or more mercury affinity functional groups. The product has a surface area in the range of 115-145 m.sup.2/g as measured using the BET method. The heavy metal includes mercury and/or lead. Also disclosed is a method of producing the product and a method of adsorbing at least one heavy metal in a liquid using the product.

A multifunctional hybrid material based on sepiolite for environmental recovery and bio-remediation is described. In particular, the invention describes the design and development of suitably functionalized hybrid nanomaterials starting from sepiolite and the subsequent study of the absorbent and degrading properties in relation to aromatic hydrocarbons, by activating hydrocarbon-clastic bacteria. These nanomaterials have been prepared in order to remove hydrocarbon pollutants (e.g. oil) in natural matrices (marine environment), with potential applications in the field of environmental remediation.

The present invention relates to a hydroxyapatite-supporting porous silica particle, in which hydroxyapatite is supported on a surface a spherical porous silica particle and inner surfaces of pores of the spherical porous silica particle, and in which the hydroxyapatite-supporting porous silica particle has a circularity of 0.760 or larger, a method for producing the hydroxyapatite-supporting porous silica particles, and a composition containing the hydroxyapatite-supporting porous silica particle.

A method of fabricating a magnetically-controlled graphene-based micro-/nano-motor includes: (a) mixing FeCl.sub.3 crystal powder with deionized water to obtain a FeCl.sub.3 solution; (b) completely immersing a carbon-based microsphere in the FeCl.sub.3 solution; transferring the carbon-based microsphere from the FeCl.sub.3 solution followed by heating to allow crystallization of FeCl.sub.3 on the surface of the carbon-based microsphere to obtain a FeCl.sub.3-carbon-based microsphere; (c) heating the FeCl.sub.3-carbon-based microsphere in a vacuum chamber until there is no moisture in the vacuum chamber; continuously removing gas in the vacuum chamber and introducing oxygen; and treating the FeCl.sub.3-carbon-based microsphere with a laser in an oxygen-enriched environment to obtain the magnetically controlled graphene-based micro-/nano-motor. A magnetically-controlled graphene-based micro-/nano-motor is further provided.

A superabsorbent polymers and a method of forming the same are provided. The method is processed by adding calcined shell powders to a free radical polymerization. The superabsorbent polymers with more micropores can be obtained. Therefore, absorptivity and permeability for the liquid of the superabsorbent polymers are increased, and diffusibility and liquid conductivity of the superabsorbent polymers are also improved.

In one aspect, composite particles are described herein. A composite particle comprises a substrate, composite metallic or metal oxide nanoparticles supported by the substrate and an amphiphilic or hydrophilic component associated with the substrate, wherein the composite metallic or metal oxide nanoparticles comprise iron and at least one additional transition metal.

The present invention provides novel chromatographic materials, e.g., for chromatographic separations, processes for its preparation and separations devices containing the chromatographic material; separations devices, chromatographic columns and kits comprising the same; and methods for the preparation thereof. The chromatographic materials of the invention are chromatographic materials comprising having a narrow particle size distribution.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter which remove acidic gas in the atmosphere with high efficiency and has excellent water resistance. A filter comprising: an aluminium substrate; and an adsorption layer on a surface of the aluminium substrate, wherein the adsorption layer contains activated carbon, a manganese oxide, and an acrylic resin having a pH of 3.0 to 6.5.

An adsorbent having a microwave absorption property is provided. The adsorbent having an improved microwave absorption property, which has a core-shell structure including a silicon carbide bead disposed therein, and an adsorbing material disposed outside the silicon carbide bead, can be provided. Also, the adsorbent may further include a plurality of silicon carbide particles dispersed and disposed therein and having a diameter of 1 μm to 10 μm, and the adsorbing material may be ion-exchanged with a cation. Therefore, the adsorbent can be useful in improving desorption efficiency since the adsorbent may be rapidly heated by microwaves to reach the desorption temperature due to high reactivity to microwaves. Also, the adsorbent can be useful in maintaining full adsorption capacity without having an influence on adsorption quantity since the silicon carbide bead is disposed in the inner core of the adsorbent. Further, when the adsorbent is applied to conventional systems for removing organic compounds using microwaves or dehumidification systems, the adsorbent can be semi-permanently used, and may also have an effect of enhancing the energy efficiency by 30% or more, compared to adsorbents used in the conventional systems.

Structured adsorbent beds comprising a high cell density substrate, such as greater than about 1040 cpsi, and a coating comprising adsorbent particles, such as DDR and a binder, such as SiO.sub.2 are provided herein. Methods of preparing the structured adsorbent bed and gas separation processes using the structured adsorbent bed are also provided herein.