Abstract: The present invention is, in one aspect, a process for removing low-valent sulfur from carbon containing such low-valent sulfur (sulfur-containing carbon), having the step of contacting the sulfur-containing carbon with a platinum oxide in an aqueous environment, for a time sufficient to remove a desired amount of low-valent sulfur from the sulfur-containing carbon, especially from the surface of the carbon. Another aspect of the invention is an electrode, comprising an electrocatalyst or active material for a fuel cell or battery, disposed in a carbon matrix, where the carbon matrix is essentially free of low-valent sulfur adjacent to the active material of the battery electrode or electrocatalyst of the fuel cell electrode. Such an electrode will be suitable for use in a fuel cell or in a battery. Another aspect of the invention is a fuel cell or a battery using this electrode.

Abstract: The circuit uses a current sensing device that is controlled by the telephone line current. The telephone lines are connected to the contacts of a push-button switch, and a diode bridge is connected across contacts of the switch. Further, the circuit has a DC slow-release relay that is located across the output of the diode bridge. The telephone lines are also connected to the relay contacts of the DC slow release relay. A capacitor is placed across the telephone lines, and another capacitor is placed between the diode bridge and one of the relay contacts of the DC slow-release relay. The two capacitors act to shunt any radio frequencies that occur in the circuit as a result of an attempt to obtain information by RF saturation techniques.

Abstract: A high temperature superconducting composite rod, wire or tape is formed by filling the open cells of a reticulated foam structure made of silver, silver alloy, gold or gold alloy with a superconducting ceramic oxide or precursor, compacting the filled structure and forming it into a rod, wire or tape and heating it to melt and/or texture the superconducting ceramic oxide. The resulting composite has continuous ligaments of metal throughout a continuous region of superconducting ceramic oxide.

Abstract: This invention relates to a new class of novel inorganic-organic hybrid ceramics that are formed from novel linear polymers of varying molecular weight and varying carborane content.

Abstract: A new technique of optical bandgap thermometry allows one to accurately measure the temperature of semiconductor samples by using the temperature dependent reflective properties of the samples. The disclosed technique uses specular reflection at an oblique angle of incidence. Light from a light source such as quartz halogen lamp is chopped and focused by a lens. The light then is focused onto the sample at an oblique angle of incidence. The light is specularly reflected by the sample and is focused by a lens into a spectrometer. The spectrometer is used to determine the spectrum of the light reflected from the sample. The reflectance varies with temperature and the temperature of the sample is calculated as a function of the reflectance spectrum.

Abstract: A GMR stack has at least two ferromagnetic layers (e.g.,CoFe) spaced from each other by a nonferromagnetic layer (e.g., Cu). A layer of a phase-breaking material (such as Ta or a Ta-base alloy) between the nonferromagnetic layer and at least one of the two ferromagnetic layers prevents the undesirable growth of large-grained structures in the ferromagnetic layers.

Abstract: A field emitter cell includes a thin film edge emitter normal to a gate layer. The field emitter is a multilayer structure including a low work function material sandwiched between two protective layers. The field emitter may be fabricated from a composite starting structure including a conductive substrate layer, an insulation layer, a standoff layer and a gate layer, with a perforation extending from the gate layer into the substrate layer. The emitter material is conformally deposited by chemical beam deposition along the sidewalls of the perforation. Alternatively, the starting material may be a conductive substrate having a protrusion thereon. The emitter layer, standoff layer, insulation layer, and gate layer are sequentially deposited, and the unwanted portions of each are preferentially removed to provide the desired structure.

Abstract: In one embodiment, this invention pertains to desalination of seawater by eding methane into seawater at a depth generally exceeding 100 meters to form methane hydrate which rises to where it is decomposed into methane and water, and recoverig water. Methane is recycled to depth to form more buoyant hydrate.

Abstract: A sealed, metal oxide, electrodeless discharge lamp having a high emission ntensity in the visible 400-700 nm range. Within the sealed container assembly of the lamp there is a source of metal atoms capable of forming a volatile oxide and a source of an oxygen containing gas. The lamp produces a plasma and volatilizes the metal into the plasma. Preferably the lamp is at a low pressure of about 20-40 torr and the metals are molybdenum or tungsten. Power is applied by inductively coupled electromagnetic radiation. A regenerative agent such as a halogen is added for recycling any deposited metal into the gas phase and to form a volatile compound with the source of metal atoms. The agent lowers the temperatures needed to volatilize the metal into the plasma. The lamp is operated by first providing energy at a low level to initiate the plasma and then supplying the metal atoms into the plasma.

Abstract: A volume hologram is created by exposing a volume holographic optical storage medium comprising a doped optically transparent glass matrix having a scattering coefficient of less than 10.sup.-5 cm.sup.-1 to an interference pattern created by intersecting a spatially modulated object beam with a reference beam, the object beam and the reference beam each having a wavelength of less than about 300 nm. The glass matrix may be doped with any of the following: (1) nanocrystalline semiconductor particles and an activator, (2) an alkaline earth sulfide, Sm ions, and an additional dopant selected from the group consisting of Eu ions and Ce ions, (3) ZnS and an additional dopant selected from the group consisting of Pb ions, Cu ions, and Mn ions and (4) Cu or Ce ions.

Abstract: A system for remote optical communications includes a base station and a remote station. The remote station includes a retroreflector, a multiple quantum well modulator (MQW), and drive circuitry that drives the MQW. A base station transmitter sends an interrogating light beam to the MQW, which modulates the light beam based on the information in the electrical signal from the drive circuitry. The retroreflector reflects the modulated light beam to the base station for detection by a receiver.

Abstract: Sol-gel process conducted under an inert gas in a solvent at a temperature up to the boiling points of the solvent and by-products by reacting a chalcogen source, a glass network former-intermediate metal in the form of an alkoxide or a non-alkoxide and a catalyst to form a homogeneous product having average particle size of below 100 nm with catalyst, if the catalyst is a catalyst dopant, uniformly dispersed in the particles.

Abstract: A polyfunctional amine, such as cyclam, substituted with 4-(N,N-dimethylao) benzonitrile, exhibits triple fluorescence and complexes with metal ions. The complexation of metal ions with the fluorophore changes the triple fluorescence characteristics of the fluorophore. Thus, this substituted polyfunctional amine provides an effective indicator for the qualitative and quantitative detection of metals.

Abstract: Multifunctional chelating groups are covalently bound to acrylate or methylate monomers. These monomers are polymerized. The resulting polymers are highly substituted with chelating groups and are useful for removing metals from fluids such as liquid hydrocarbons. An example of a polymer according to this invention has the following structure: ##STR1## wherein Q is a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic group having 1 to about 200 carbon atoms and is typically an unsubstituted unbranched alkylene, a substituted unbranched alkylene, a substituted branched alkylene, or an unsubstituted branched alkylene, and is an integer having a value of at least 1.

Abstract: This invention describes a process for locating the position, orientation d depth of fiber optic sensors embedded in a composite material. The process encompasses the coating of the fiber optic sensor with an X-ray opaque material prior to embedding the sensor in a composite material and then mapping the composite material using radiographic techniques to accurately establish the location, orientation and depth of the sensor. A radiographic film or electronically recorded record of the exact placement of the sensors is prepared that may be referenced during machining operations, correlation of test results and accurate mapping of the structure.

Abstract: An actuator composed of a plurality of telescoping piezoelectric members ch produces a displacement that is the sum of the length of the members.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the measurement of fast neutrons is described. he apparatus comprises a proton radiator with a doped glass, such as a Nd-doped glass containing ZnS:Cu. The dosimeter may be read by either laser heating or infrared stimulation of the glass or by direct scintillation. The fast neutron dose in a mixed field of gamma rays and fast neutrons can be measured by comparison of a dosimeter without a proton radiator and a dosimeter with a proton radiator.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for developing a conditioned electron beam of high quality for an exemplary application to a free-electron source of coherent radiation. The system comprises: a source for producing an electron beam of relatively high energy, a microwave source for generating a microwave field, and a wiggler for generating transverse to the electron beam a periodic magnetic field which cooperates with the microwave field to interact with the electron beam and develop a conditioned electron beam of high quality.

Abstract: A waveguide-based sensing system includes a plurality of waveguides secured within a waveguide holder. Each waveguide has a sensing surface with athed analyte recognition elements. The end faces of the sensing surfaces are perpendicular (or at least approximately perpendicular) to the sensing surfaces. The sensing surfaces are directly excited by light directed normal thereto and emit optical signals responsive to the presence of an analyte. These optical signals are coupled into the waveguides. The optical signals travel along the length of the waveguides to the end surfaces, which integrate the optical signals over the length of the waveguides. The integrated optical signals emitted from the end surfaces of the fibers are then detected and analyzed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for monitoring a stainless steel decarburization cess includes a flame emission spatial imaging spectrometer and a telescopic lens system coupled to the spectrometer. The telescopic lens system is positioned to direct light from the furnace flame into the spectrometer. The flame emission imaging spectrometer and the telescopic lens system are located at a remote distance away from the harsh environment of the furnace flame.