A method and system for producing nano-active powder materials. The method can be used with a reactor system comprising stages in which input particles flow under gravity progressively through stages of the reactor. A powder injector first stage in which ground input precursor powder is injected into the reactor. An externally heated preheater stage may be in the reactor, in which the precursor powder is heated to a temperature of calcination reaction. An externally heated calciner stage in the reactor, in which primary precursor volatile constituents can be rapidly removed calcination reactions as a high purity gas stream to produce the desired nano-active product. A post-processing reactor stage in which there is a change of the gas stream composition to produce the desired hot powder product by virtue of the nano-activity of the first powder material. A powder ejector stage in which the hot powder product is ejected from the reactor.

A method and system for producing nano-active powder materials. The method can be used with a reactor system comprising stages in which input particles flow under gravity progressively through stages of the reactor. A powder injector first stage in which ground input precursor powder is injected into the reactor. An externally heated preheater stage may be in the reactor, in which the precursor powder is heated to a temperature of calcination reaction. An externally heated calciner stage in the reactor, in which primary precursor volatile constituents can be rapidly removed calcination reactions as a high purity gas stream to produce the desired nano-active product. A post-processing reactor stage in which there is a change of the gas stream composition to produce the desired hot powder product by virtue of the nano-activity of the first powder material. A powder ejector stage in which the hot powder product is ejected from the reactor.

The present invention describes an integrated process for carbon dioxide capture, sequestration and utilisation, which comprises: a) providing an aqueous slurry comprising an aqueous solution and a particulate solid comprising an activated magnesium silicate mineral; b) in a dissolution stage, contacting a CO.sub.2-containing gas stream with the aqueous slurry to dissolve magnesium from the mineral to provide a magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution and a magnesium depleted solid residue; c) recovering at least a portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue; d) in a separate acid treatment stage, reacting the recovered portion of the magnesium depleted solid residue with a solution comprising a mineral acid or acid salt to further dissolve magnesium and other metals and to provide an acid-treated solid residue; e) recovering the acid-treated solid residue; and f) in a separate precipitation stage, precipitating magnesium carbonate from the magnesium ion enriched aqueous solution.

Provided is a method for preparing a metal oxide or a metal hydroxide nano thin-film material by a molten salt method, which mainly comprises the following steps: heating a low-melting-point salt to a molten state, adding a substrate into the molten salt before or after melting for reaction; adding a metal source and continuing the reaction for a period of time; removing the substrate, cooling the substrate to a room temperature, cleaning and drying the substrate to obtain the metal oxide or metal hydroxide nano thin-film material; wherein, the mass ratio of the low-melting-point salt to the metal source is 100-1.5:1. The metal oxide and metal hydroxide nano-film materials with various nano-morphologies prepared by the method of the present application have morphologies that can be regulated and controlled by the types and proportions of the low-melting-point salts and metal sources.

Provided is a method for preparing a metal oxide or a metal hydroxide nano thin-film material by a molten salt method, which mainly comprises the following steps: heating a low-melting-point salt to a molten state, adding a substrate into the molten salt before or after melting for reaction; adding a metal source and continuing the reaction for a period of time; removing the substrate, cooling the substrate to a room temperature, cleaning and drying the substrate to obtain the metal oxide or metal hydroxide nano thin-film material; wherein, the mass ratio of the low-melting-point salt to the metal source is 100-1.5:1. The metal oxide and metal hydroxide nano-film materials with various nano-morphologies prepared by the method of the present application have morphologies that can be regulated and controlled by the types and proportions of the low-melting-point salts and metal sources.

A spray pyrolysis system and method are described for manufacture of mixed metal oxide compositions, e.g., mixed metal oxide catalyst compositions having utility for gas processing applications such as hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, reduction, and oxidation. Mixed metal oxide automotive exhaust catalyst compositions produced by such system and method achieve a substantial reduction in temperatures required for removal of automotive exhaust pollutant species, as compared to catalyst produced by conventional batch precipitation techniques. The spray pyrolysis system and method enable catalytic metal(s) to be integrally incorporated in the mixed metal oxide composition, thereby obviating a separate catalytic metal impregnation operation.

Provided is a metal oxide production apparatus that implements a flux evaporation method. The production apparatus includes a firing furnace configured to subject a metal compound to firing in the presence of flux, a cooling pipe connected to the firing furnace and configured to convert vaporized flux resulting from the firing into powder, and a recovery means configured to recover powdered flux converted in the cooling pipe. Furthermore, provided is a metal oxide production method comprising a step (1) of subjecting a metal compound to firing in the presence of flux and obtaining a metal oxide and vaporized flux, a step (2) of converting the vaporized flux into powder by cooling the vaporized flux, and a step (3) of recovering powdered flux resulting from the converting.

Provided is a metal oxide production apparatus that implements a flux evaporation method. The production apparatus includes a firing furnace configured to subject a metal compound to firing in the presence of flux, a cooling pipe connected to the firing furnace and configured to convert vaporized flux resulting from the firing into powder, and a recovery means configured to recover powdered flux converted in the cooling pipe. Furthermore, provided is a metal oxide production method comprising a step (1) of subjecting a metal compound to firing in the presence of flux and obtaining a metal oxide and vaporized flux, a step (2) of converting the vaporized flux into powder by cooling the vaporized flux, and a step (3) of recovering powdered flux resulting from the converting.

In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a three-dimensional printed template created using an additive manufacturing technique, infilling the template with an aerogel precursor solution, allowing formation of a sol-gel, and converting the sol-gel to an aerogel. In another embodiment, a product includes an aerogel having inner channels corresponding to outer walls of a three-dimensional printed template around which the aerogel was formed.

In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a three-dimensional printed template created using an additive manufacturing technique, infilling the template with an aerogel precursor solution, allowing formation of a sol-gel, and converting the sol-gel to an aerogel. In another embodiment, a product includes an aerogel having inner channels corresponding to outer walls of a three-dimensional printed template around which the aerogel was formed.