The present disclosure relates to tellurite crystals, growing methods of the same, and applications thereof; the crystals a chemical formula of MTe.sub.3O.sub.8, wherein M=Ti, Zr, Hf, which belongs to an Ia-3 space group of a cubic crystal system, wherein a transmittance waveband ranges from visible light to infrared light, with a transparency ≥70%. According to the present disclosure, a growing method of a tellurite crystal is provided, wherein the crystal may be grown using a flux method, a Czochralski method, or a Bridgman-Stockbarger method. The tellurite crystals may be used as an acousto-optic crystal for fabricating an optical modulation device. The present disclosure takes the lead internationally in growing the tellurite single crystals, the size and quality of which sufficiently meet the demands of practical applications of the tellurite single crystals.

The present invention relates to a method for removing radioactive element thorium in a rare earth mineral, comprising: mixing the rare earth mineral with selenium dioxide in water, reacting radioactive element thorium with selenium dioxide by hydrothermal method, cooling to form a crystal, and separating the crystal to remove the radioactive element thorium. In the invention, tetravalent element thorium is selectively bound to inorganic ligand selenium dioxide in a hydrothermal environment to form a crystal, thereby achieving removal of radioactive element thorium. The method has high crystallization rate and high decontamination efficiency, and removes thorium from trivalent lanthanide element by crystallization solidification under a uniform reaction condition. Compared to a conventional industrial method for thorium separation, the method has low energy consumption and high separation ratio, enables one-step solidification separation, and effectively avoids the disadvantages of redundant separation operations and a large amount of organic and radioactive liquid wastes.

The present disclosure relates generally to the production of tellurium and selenium nanostructures in bacteria. The nanostructures are unique in size, shape, length and stability.

To concentrate metals such as gallium from ore which is extracted from mines or used electronic components while suppressing the quantity of waste liquid generated is difficult. A first solid metal compound which contains a metal selected from a group consisting of gallium, indium, germanium, tellurium, and cesium at a first metal content in a mixture of the first solid metal compound is reduced to form a gaseous metal compound, the gaseous metal compound is oxidized to form a second solid metal compound, and the second solid metal compound is collected at a second metal content which is higher than the first metal content.

The present disclosure relates to tellurite crystals, growing methods of the same, and applications thereof; the crystals a chemical formula of MTe.sub.3O.sub.8, wherein M=Ti, Zr, Hf, which belongs to an Ia-3 space group of a cubic crystal system, wherein a transmittance waveband ranges from visible light to infrared light, with a transparency 70%. According to the present disclosure, a growing method of a tellurite crystal is provided, wherein the crystal may be grown using a flux method, a Czochralski method, or a Bridgman-Stockbarger method. The tellurite crystals may be used as an acousto-optic crystal for fabricating an optical modulation device. The present disclosure takes the lead internationally in growing the tellurite single crystals, the size and quality of which sufficiently meet the demands of practical applications of the tellurite single crystals.

The present invention relates to a method for removing radioactive element thorium in a rare earth mineral, comprising: mixing the rare earth mineral with selenium dioxide in water, reacting radioactive element thorium with selenium dioxide by hydrothermal method, cooling to form a crystal, and separating the crystal to remove the radioactive element thorium. In the invention, tetravalent element thorium is selectively bound to inorganic ligand selenium dioxide in a hydrothermal environment to form a crystal, thereby achieving removal of radioactive element thorium. The method has high crystallization rate and high decontamination efficiency, and removes thorium from trivalent lanthanide element by crystallization solidification under a uniform reaction condition. Compared to a conventional industrial method for thorium separation, the method has low energy consumption and high separation ratio, enables one-step solidification separation, and effectively avoids the disadvantages of redundant separation operations and a large amount of organic and radioactive liquid wastes.

The invention provides an electroconductive paste comprising metallic particles, an inorganic reaction system, and an organic vehicle. The inorganic reaction system includes a lead-tellurium-magnesium composition of Formula (II): Pb.sub.aTe.sub.b(Mg.sub.wCa.sub.xSr.sub.yBa.sub.z)-M.sub.d-Oe, wherein 0<a, b, or d1, 0w, x, y, z1, w+x+y+z=c, at least one of w, x, y and z is greater than zero, the sum of a, b, c and d is 1, 0<c0.2, 0d0.5, a:b is between about 10:90 and about 90:10, (a+c+d):b is between about 10:90 and about 90:10, M is one or more elements, and e is a number sufficient to balance the Pb, Te, MgCaSrBa and M components.

Described herein is a conductive composition that includes a silver powder, an organic medium, an optional inorganic additive, elemental thallium and/or a thallium containing compound, elemental tellurium and/or a tellurium containing compound, and optionally, a glass frit. The composition may be a paste. Other inorganic additives and glass may be present in the composition. Further described are devices such as semiconductors, photovoltaic devices, and solar cells in which the substrates thereof are coated with the conductive compositions. Such devices exhibit improved efficiency.

The invention provides an electroconductive paste comprising metallic particles, an inorganic reaction system, and an organic vehicle. The inorganic reaction system includes a lead-tellurium-magnesium composition of Formula (II): Pb.sub.aTe.sub.b(Mg.sub.wCa.sub.xSr.sub.yBa.sub.z)-M.sub.d-Oe, wherein 0<a, b, or d1, 0w, x, y, z1, w+x+y+z=c, at least one of w, x, y and z is greater than zero, the sum of a, b, c and d is 1, 0<c0.2, 0d0.5, a:b is between about 10:90 and about 90:10, (a+c+d):b is between about 10:90 and about 90:10, M is one or more elements, and e is a number sufficient to balance the Pb, Te, MgCaSrBa and M components.

The invention provides an electroconductive paste comprising metallic particles, an inorganic reaction system, and an organic vehicle. The inorganic reaction system comprises a lead-tellurium-magnesium-zinc composition of Formula (III): Pb.sub.aTe.sub.b13 (Mg.sub.wCa.sub.xSr.sub.yBa.sub.z)Zn.sub.f-M.sub.d-O.sub.e, wherein 0<a, b, d, or f1, 0w, x, y, z1, w+x+y+z=c, at least one of w, x, y, and z is greater than zero, the sum of a, b, c, d and f is 1, 0<c0.2, 0<f0.2, 0d0.5, a:b is between about 10:90 and about 90:10, (a+c+f+d):b is between about 10:90 and about 90:10, M is one or more elements, and e is a number sufficient to balance the Pb, Te, MgCaSrBa, Zn, and M components.