Abstract: Methods of synthesizing superabrasive particles such as diamonds and cubic boron nitride are disclosed and described. One procedure includes providing a superabrasive precursor including a source material in a metal matrix. The carbon source can contain a majority of carbon atoms oriented in a rhombohedral polytype configuration. A shock wave can be passed through the carbon source that is sufficient to convert the diamond to graphite. The superabrasive precursor can be formed by dissolving hexagonal carbon in a suitable molten metal or by mixing particulate components. Similarly, hexagonal boron nitride can be used in a metal matrix which is subjected to a shock wave having sufficient energy to form cubic boron nitride. The superabrasive particles produced using these methods can be provided at relatively high yields with reduced costs.

Abstract: A method of growing carbon nanotubes uses a synthesized mesoporous silica template with approximately cylindrical pores being formed therein. The surfaces of the pores are coated with a carbon nanotube precursor, and the template with the surfaces of the pores so-coated is then heated until the carbon nanotube precursor in each pore is converted to a carbon nanotube.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for the combustion synthesis of carbon nanotubes characterized with the combustor having an oxidizing agent inlet, a fuel inlet and an inert gas inlet, such that the inverse diffusion flame occurs within the combustor, thereby producing carbon nanotubes without using vacuum, and a method for the combustion synthesis of carbon nanotubes using the same. According to the present invention, it is possible to directly collect samples including carbon nanotubes without oxidation and a substrate may be installed with ease. Moreover, the manufacturing cost can be lowered to a level suitable for mass production so that the carbon nanotube technology can be extended to various applications.

Abstract: A single crystal diamond grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition has a hardness of 50–90 GPa and a fracture toughness of 11–20 MPa m1/2. A method for growing a single crystal diamond includes placing a seed diamond in a holder; and growing single crystal diamond at a temperature of about 1000° C. to about 1100° C. such that the single crystal diamond has a fracture toughness of 11–20 MPa m1/2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a combustion apparatus for the production of carbon nanomaterials including fullerenes and fullerenic soot. Most generally the combustion apparatus comprises one or more inlets for introducing an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrocarbon fuel gas in the combustion system such that a flame can be established from the mixed gases, a droplet delivery apparatus for introducing droplets of a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock into the flame, and a collector apparatus for collecting condensable products containing carbon nanomaterials that are generated in the combustion system. The combustion system optionally has a reaction zone downstream of the flame. If this reaction zone is present the hydrocarbon feedstock can be introduced into the flame, the reaction zone or both.

Abstract: A catalyst for purification of CO-containing exhaust gases, includes a metal oxide as a support and a catalytic component A being supported thereon as a catalytic component and including a specific noble metal element; wherein the support includes a titanium-containing oxide as the metal oxide and is a monolithically molded type porous honeycomb support obtained by a process including the steps of extrusion-molding and then calcining materials of the support; and wherein the catalytic component A is distributed with a quantitatively great inclination toward surfaces of the catalyst. A process for purification of exhaust gases to remove CO therefrom, includes the step of bringing the exhaust gases into contact with the catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a relatively simple CVD method for forming branched carbon nanotubes. In general, the method includes adding a dopant to the precursor materials. The dopant can be a material that has a thermodynamically more favorable carbide-forming reaction at the reactor conditions than does the catalyst that is provided to the reactor by a second precursor material. The doped nanoparticles formed in the reactor can adhere to the walls of the developing nanotubes and provide a nucleation site for the development of one or more branches on the nanotube. The nanotubes formed according to the invention can be recognized as such due to the presence of the doped nanoparticles adhered along the walls of the branched nanotubes.

Abstract: This invention relates to a graphite material for negative electrode of lithium secondary battery. This graphite material is obtained by carbonizing the pulverized green coke to yield coke, adding one kind or more of boron or a compound thereof to the coke, graphitizing the resulting mixture and controlling the particle size of the product graphite. This graphite material for negative electrode is characterized by showing a tap density of 0.95 g/cm3 or more after tapping 20 times or 1.15 g/cm3 or more after tapping 300 times and a BET specific surface area of 1.5 m2/g or less. A lithium secondary battery made by the use of this graphite material for negative electrode has a large discharge capacity and suffers little loss during charging and discharging.

Abstract: A method of efficiently removing active oxy-hydrogens (e.g., existing as hetero element-containing functional groups such as COOH, CHO, and OH) present in a carbon material at a relative low temperature. The invention also provides a carbon-activating material adapted for use in a polarizable electrode typically used in an electrical double-layer capacitor. The method of removing residual active oxy-hydrogens in the carbon material starts with mixing the carbon material and a transition metal or a transition metal compound. The resulting mixture is thermally processed within a stream of a reducing gas. Preferably, the transition metal or transition metal compound is removed from the thermally processed mixture.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of platy precipitated calcium carbonate comprising the steps of providing a suspension of calcium hydroxide, carbonating the suspension of calcium hydroxide, adding a polyacrylate to the suspension prior to the completion of carbonation to precipitate platy calcium carbonate. Also provided are a paper that is filled and a paper that is coated using the platy precipitated calcium carbonate according to the present invention.

Abstract: A method for producing nanoscaled carbon materials comprising providing, dispersed in a carrier gas, finely divided substrate particles on which to nucleate a catalyst, providing in said carrier gas a catalyst precursor material, decomposing the catalyst precursor material to form a catalytic metal in the presence of the substrate particles such that the catalyst metal is deposited on said substrate particles to form supported-catalyst particles dispersed in said carrier gas, forming a mixture of said dispersed supported-catalyst particles and a gas comprising a carbon containing gas at a temperature at which said carbon containing gas will react to form carbon when in the presence of said supported-catalyst particles, forming nanoscaled carbon materials by said carbon forming reaction and recovering the nanoscaled carbon materials.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of platy PCC comprising the steps of providing a suspension of calcium hydroxide, carbonating the suspension of calcium hydroxide, adding a condensed phosphate to the suspension prior to the completion of carbonation to precipitate platy calcium carbonate. A paper that is filled is also provided and a paper that is coated and a polymer that is filled are envisioned that use the platy PCC according to the present invention.

Abstract: Nanophase WC powder is produced by preparing a precursor including tungsten; producing gas by vaporizing or sublimating the precursor; carbonizing the gas in the atmosphere without oxygen while maintaining pressure below atmospheric pressure; and condensing the carbonized gas

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing nanophase powder, which can be used as materials for high-strength and wear-resistance cemented carbide. It purports to provide a method of producing WC powder of a 10˜20 nm grade by using vapor phase reaction with a precursor containing tungsten. For achieving said objectives, the method of producing WC-based powder according to the present invention comprises preparing a precursor containing tungsten; producing gas by vaporizing said precursor in a reactor; and carburizing said gas in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. The nanophase WC powder produced as such has high-strength and excellent wear-resistance, which can be suitably used as materials for carbide tools, carbide cement, wear-resistance components, or metal molds.

Abstract: A single crystal diamond grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition annealed at pressures in excess of 4.0 GPa and heated to temperature in excess of 1500 degrees C. that has a hardness of greater than 120 GPa. A method for manufacture a hard single crystal diamond includes growing a single crystal diamond and annealing the single crystal diamond at pressures in excess of 4.0 GPa and a temperature in excess of 1500 degrees C. to have a hardness in excess of 120 GPa.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing tungsten carbide by gas phase direct carburization of a tungsten-oxide containing starting material, wherein the starting material is reacted with a reaction gas at an increased temperature. The starting material is first heated to a first temperature greater than or equal to 600° C., before reacting with a reaction gas while increasing the temperature to a second temperature that does not exceed 850° C., wherein the reaction gas is selected from the group consisting of CO and a COH2 gas mixture comprising up to 20% by volume H2.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for economically manufacturing high quality TiC powder, TiCN powder or ultrafine nanophase TiC+Ni (Co, Al) and TiCN+Ni (Co, Al) composite powders by means of metallothermic reduction. The method comprises the steps of preparing a starting solution of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) in a carbon chloride, feeding the starting solution into a closed container containing molten magnesium (Mg) under inert atmosphere, vacuum-separating unreacted liquid-phase Mg and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) remaining after reduction of magnesium from the closed container, and collecting a TiC compound from the closed container. TiC powder, TiCN powder or ultrafine nanophase TiC+Ni (Co, Al) and TiCN+Ni (Co, Al) composite powders having a particle size of a few tens nm can be manufactured in a simpler manner using economically advantageous starting materials such as titanium tetrachloride and carbon chlorides.

Abstract: Ferroelectric metal oxide crystalline particles are produced by first producing nanoparticles of a ferroelectric metal oxide and dispersing the nanoparticles in a gas phase. Then, the nanoparticles are processed by heat treatment with the nanoparticles being maintained in the gas phase in a dispersed state. The nanoparticles may be produced by using a laser ablation method. The ferroelectric metal oxide may have a perovskite crystal structure.

Abstract: Mesoporous crystalline alumina compositions and process for the preparation thereof are described. The compositions are useful as catalysts and absorbents.

Abstract: A nano-scaled graphene plate material and a process for producing this material. The material comprises a sheet of graphite plane or a multiplicity of sheets of graphite plane. The graphite plane is composed of a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms and the plate has a length and a width parallel to the graphite plane and a thickness orthogonal to the graphite plane with at least one of the length, width, and thickness values being 100 nanometers or smaller. The process for producing nano-scaled graphene plate material comprises the steps of: a). partially or fully carbonizing a precursor polymer or heat-treating petroleum or coal tar pitch to produce a polymeric carbon containing micron- and/or nanometer-scaled graphite crystallites with each crystallite comprising one sheet or a multiplicity of sheets of graphite plane; b). exfoliating the graphite crystallites in the polymeric carbon; and c).