A positive-electrode active material contains a lithium composite oxide containing at least one selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, N, and S. The crystal structure of the lithium composite oxide belongs to a space group C2/m. An XRD pattern of the lithium composite oxide comprises a first peak within the first range of 44 degrees to 46 degrees of a diffraction angle 2θ and a second peak within the second range of 18 degrees to 20 degrees of the diffraction angle 2θ. The ratio of the second integrated intensity of the second peak to the first integrated intensity of the first peak is within a range of 0.05 to 0.90.

A layered-oxide positive electrode active material may have a molecular formula of Na.sub.xMn.sub.aFe.sub.bNi.sub.cM.sub.dN.sub.eO.sub.2-δQ.sub.f, where a doping element M is selected from at least one of Cu, Li, Ti, Zr, K, Sb, Nb, Mg, Ca, Mo, Zn, Cr, W, Bi, Sn, Ge, or Al, a doping element N is selected from at least one of Si, P, B, S, or Se, a doping element Q is selected from at least one of F, Cl, or N, 0.66≤x≤1, 0<a≤0.70, 0<b≤0.70, 0<c≤0.23, 0≤d<0.30, 0≤e≤0.30, 0≤f≤0.30, 0≤δ≤0.30, a+b+c+d+e=1, 0<e+f≤0.30, 0<(e+f)/a≤0.30, 0.20≤d+e+f≤0.30, and (b+c)/a≤1.5.

A layered-oxide positive electrode active material may have a molecular formula of Na.sub.xMn.sub.aFe.sub.bNi.sub.cM.sub.dN.sub.eO.sub.2-δQ.sub.f, where a doping element M is selected from at least one of Cu, Li, Ti, Zr, K, Sb, Nb, Mg, Ca, Mo, Zn, Cr, W, Bi, Sn, Ge, or Al, a doping element N is selected from at least one of Si, P, B, S, or Se, a doping element Q is selected from at least one of F, Cl, or N, 0.66≤x≤1, 0<a≤0.70, 0<b≤0.70, 0<c≤0.23, 0≤d<0.30, 0≤e≤0.30, 0≤f≤0.30, 0≤δ≤0.30, a+b+c+d+e=1, 0<e+f≤0.30, 0<(e+f)/a≤0.30, 0.20≤d+e+f≤0.30, and (b+c)/a≤1.5.

A method of reducing color in an alkanolamine, the method comprising: contacting the alkanolamine with an amount of an aqueous solution effective to provide 5 to 1000 parts per million by weight of an alkali metal borohydride, based on parts by weight of the alkanolamine; and 0.5 to 10,000 parts per million by weight of an alkali metal hydroxide, based on parts by weight of the alkanolamine; preferably wherein the color-reduced alkanolamine is not distilled after the contacting.

A method of reducing color in an alkanolamine, the method comprising: contacting the alkanolamine with an amount of an aqueous solution effective to provide 5 to 1000 parts per million by weight of an alkali metal borohydride, based on parts by weight of the alkanolamine; and 0.5 to 10,000 parts per million by weight of an alkali metal hydroxide, based on parts by weight of the alkanolamine; preferably wherein the color-reduced alkanolamine is not distilled after the contacting.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for causing sufficient deformation in precursor particles even when a soft high-purity metal is used for an outer layer material in mechanical milling, and manufacturing an MgB.sub.2 superconducting wire. A method for manufacturing an MgB.sub.2 superconducting wire in which an MgB.sub.2 filament is covered by an outer layer material, the method comprising: subjecting magnesium powder and boron powder to a shock that is insufficient for MgB.sub.2 to be clearly produced, and producing precursor particles in which boron particles are dispersed inside a magnesium matrix; filling a metal tub with the precursor particles; processing the metal tube filled with precursor particles to form a wire; and heat-treating the wire to synthesize the MgB.sub.2; wherein the method is characterized in that a portion of the wire-drawing step includes swaging.

The present invention provides carbon-based clathrate compounds, including a carbon-based clathrate compound that includes a clathrate lattice with atoms of at least one element selected from the group consisting of carbon and boron as a host cage structure; guest atoms encapsulated within the clathrate lattice; and, substitution atoms that may be substituted for at least one portion of the carbon and boron atoms that constitute the clathrate lattice. In one embodiment, the invention provides a carbon-based clathrate compound of the formula LaB.sub.3C.sub.3.

The invention relates to a method for producing a non-oxide ceramic powder comprising a nitride, a carbide, a boride or at least one MAX phase with the general composition Mn+1AXn, where M=at least one element from the group of transition elements (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf and Ta), A=at least one A group element from the group (Si, Al, Ga, Ge, As, Cd, In, Sn, Tl and Pb), X=carbon (C) and/or nitrogen (N) and/or boron (B), and n=1, 2 or 3. According to the invention, corresponding quantities of elementary starting materials or other precursors are mixed with at least one metal halide salt (NZ), compressed (pellet), and heated for synthesis with a metal halide salt (NZ). The compressed pellet is first enveloped with another metal halide salt, compressed again, arranged in a salt bath and heated therewith until the melting temperature of the salt is exceeded. Optionally, melted silicate can be added, which prevents the salt from evaporating at high temperatures. Advantageously, the method can be carried out in the presence of air.

To provide a method for producing lanthanum hexaboride-containing composite particles which are capable of forming a formed product having sufficiently high transparency and which are excellent in weather resistance, by a simple operation without calcination treatment at high temperature, and a method for producing a formed product using it. Also provided is a method for producing composite particles, which involves: reacting at least one silica precursor selected from a tetraalkoxysilane, its hydrolysate and its condensate, in the presence of lanthanum hexaboride particles, a volatile base, water and an organic solvent to obtain a first reaction mixture, and reacting the first reaction mixture with at least one silicon compound selected from an amino-modified silicone, an alkylsilane and an aminosilane, or the silicon compound and the silica precursor added, to obtain a second reaction mixture containing lanthanum hexaboride-containing composite particles.

A positive-electrode active material contains a lithium composite oxide containing manganese. The crystal structure of the lithium composite oxide belongs to a space group Fd-3m. The integrated intensity ratio I.sub.(111)/I.sub.(400) of a first peak I.sub.(111) on the (111) plane to a second peak I.sub.(400) on the (400) plane in an XRD pattern of the lithium composite oxide satisfies 0.05≤I.sub.(111)/I.sub.(400)≤0.90.