Abstract: The present invention is directed to silicon carbide whisker recovery from a mixture of silicon carbide whiskers and carbonaceous silicon carbide particles. The invention involves shredding the mixture down to a specified size, dispersing the mixture in water to form an aqueous mixture, agitating the aqueous mixture, mixing the aqueous mixture with an immiscible organic solvent which is lighter than water, agitating the resulting water-organic solvent mixture, allowing the organic solvent and its contents to rise above the water and its contents, separating the two liquid phases into an organic solvent phase and an aqueous phase and, lastly, performing a solid-liquid separation on each of the two phases, thereby obtaining from the aqueous solution the desired silicon carbide whiskers and obtaining from the organic solvent solution a carbonaceous silicon carbide particle product.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to electric current-producing cells having specified mixed cathodes. The cells comprise: (a) an anode having as its anode-active material one or more metals selected from the group consisting of the Periodic Table Group IA metals, Group IB metals, Group IIA metals and Group IIB metals; (b) a cathode having as its cathode-active material a mixture containing: (i) one or more cathode-active, high energy density chalcogenide compounds selected from the group consisting of VS.sub.a, VO.sub.a, C.sub.x S, MoO.sub.z and MoS.sub.z, wherein a is a numerical value of about 1.8 to about 2.7, wherein x is a numerical value of about 4 to about 16 and wherein z is a numerical value of about 2.5 to about 3.5; and (ii) one or more cathode-active, high rate chalcogenide compounds selected from the group consisting of TiS.sub.y, TiSe.sub.y and VSe.sub.y wherein y is a numerical value of about 1.8 to about 2.

Abstract: A method of preparing electrically conductive pyrochlore compounds having the formula:A.sub.2 [B.sub.2-x A.sub.x ]0.sub.7-yis disclosed wherein A is selected from lead, bismuth and mixtures thereof, B is selected from ruthenium, iridium and mixtures thereof, O.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.0 and 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1. The method involves reacting A and B cations using at least one solid reactant source of these cations in a liquid alkaline medium having a pH of at least about 13.5 in the presence of an oxygen source at a temperature below about 200.degree. C. for a sufficient time for reaction to occur.

Abstract: Stoichiometric titanium disulfide having a high degree of crystalline perfection and particularly suited for use as an active cathode material is prepared by heating particulate metallic titanium to a reaction temperature between about 475.degree. and 600.degree. C., contacting the heated titanium with an atmosphere having a sulfur partial pressure substantially equal to the equilibrium sulfur partial pressure at the reaction temperature to form titanium disulfide, and maintaining the reactants at the reaction temperature sufficiently to insure complete reaction. A battery is described which employs a lithium anode, an electrolyte of lithium perchlorate dissolved in an organic solvent and stoichiometric titanium disulfide having a single hexagonal phase and a particle size surface area between about 2 and 4 square meters per gram.

Abstract: Ions are intercalated in chalcogenides by flowing a current through a system comprising a cathode which contains the chalcogenides (e.g., TaS.sub.2 is a suitable chalcogenide), an anode containing electronically conductive material which is not a source of the intercalating ions (a suitable anode material would be gold) and an electrolyte comprising or containing at least one ionically conducting material which will electrochemically release ions of the species which are to be intercalated in the chalcogenide (e.g., dilute HCl, in which case hydrogen ions would be intercalated in the chalcogenide). The voltage is applied at a level sufficient to permit electrochemical decomposition of the electrolyte to thereby release the ions to be intercalated into the chalcogenide. Alternatively, the anode may act as the source of the intercalating ions and the electrolyte would comprise or contain at least one compound of the same species as that of the ions to be intercalated (e.g.