Disclosed are a method for manufacturing an electrode, an electrode manufactured thereby, a membrane-electrode assembly including the electrode, and a fuel cell containing the membrane-electrode assembly. The method includes the steps of: preparing an electrode forming composition by mixing a catalyst with an ionomer; applying a low-frequency acoustic energy to the electrode forming composition to perform resonant vibratory mixing so as to coat the ionomer on the surface of the catalyst; and coating the electrode forming composition to manufacture an electrode.

Disclosed are a method for manufacturing an electrode, an electrode manufactured thereby, a membrane-electrode assembly including the electrode, and a fuel cell containing the membrane-electrode assembly. The method includes the steps of: preparing an electrode forming composition by mixing a catalyst with an ionomer; applying a low-frequency acoustic energy to the electrode forming composition to perform resonant vibratory mixing so as to coat the ionomer on the surface of the catalyst; and coating the electrode forming composition to manufacture an electrode.

A composition and method for fabricating graphitic nanocomposites in solid state matrices is presented. The process for fabricating graphitic nanocomposites in solid state matrices may include selecting one or a mixture of specific graphitic nanomaterials. The graphitic nanomaterial(s) may be functionalizing with a moiety similar to the building blocks of the solid state matrices. The functionalized graphitic nanomaterials are mixed with the building blocks of the solid state matrices. The mixture may be cured, which causes in situ formation of the sol-gel solid state matrices that entraps and/or covalently links with the graphitic nanomaterials during the network growing process. This process allows the nanomaterials to be introduced into the matrices homogeneously without forming large aggregations.

An apparatus for manufacturing a lithium-ion secondary cell negative-electrode carbon material by heat-treating carbon particles while causing the carbon particles to flow within a heat-treatment furnace, the apparatus having a heat-treatment furnace provided with a carbon-particle supply opening for supplying the carbon particles into the interior, and a negative-electrode carbon material recovery opening for taking out the negative-electrode carbon material from the interior and a cooling tank connected in an airtight manner to the negative-electrode carbon material recovery opening of the heat-treatment furnace, and provided with a cooling means.

An apparatus for manufacturing a lithium-ion secondary cell negative-electrode carbon material by heat-treating carbon particles while causing the carbon particles to flow within a heat-treatment furnace, the apparatus having a heat-treatment furnace provided with a carbon-particle supply opening for supplying the carbon particles into the interior, and a negative-electrode carbon material recovery opening for taking out the negative-electrode carbon material from the interior and a cooling tank connected in an airtight manner to the negative-electrode carbon material recovery opening of the heat-treatment furnace, and provided with a cooling means.

There are disclosed methods for producing curable elastomeric compositions comprising carbon black particles, as well as their corresponding cured products. Such compositions, once cured, can be used for the preparation of numerous articles of wide industrial applicability.

There are disclosed methods for producing curable elastomeric compositions comprising carbon black particles, as well as their corresponding cured products. Such compositions, once cured, can be used for the preparation of numerous articles of wide industrial applicability.

The present invention relates to elastomer compositions comprising adducts between compounds of formula (I) preferably derived from natural sources such as mucic, pyromucic, glucaric, glycaric, galactaric, muconic acid and/or linear derivatives thereof containing ester or amide groups and/or cyclic derivatives thereof with heteroatoms in the ring, such as oxygen or nitrogen, and carbon allotropes in which the carbon is sp.sup.2 hybridized, such as for example carbon nanotubes, graphene or nanographites, carbon black.

The present invention relates to elastomer compositions comprising adducts between compounds of formula (I) preferably derived from natural sources such as mucic, pyromucic, glucaric, glycaric, galactaric, muconic acid and/or linear derivatives thereof containing ester or amide groups and/or cyclic derivatives thereof with heteroatoms in the ring, such as oxygen or nitrogen, and carbon allotropes in which the carbon is sp.sup.2 hybridized, such as for example carbon nanotubes, graphene or nanographites, carbon black.

A stable form which uses a carbon material having electrical conductivity as a raw material and that the electrical conductivity of the carbon material is retained and/or improved, and which improves the electricity generation properties when used in a catalyst layer for a fuel cell. The present invention is directed to, e.g., a calcined material of a mixture of an aromatic compound having a phenolic hydroxyl group and a carbon material having electrical conductivity.