Abstract: A high pressure tubular reactor for production of nanoparticles by precipitation has unidirectional fluid flows of precursor and supercritical water directed from inner and outer coaxial inlets to an outlet via a reaction zone immediately downstream of the inlets. The inner inlet is for supercritical fluid, and the outer inlet is for a precursor.

Abstract: A process for upgrading a precious metals-containing concentrate or residue results in near-quantitave removal of base metals and several impurity elements at elevated temperatures. The precious metals-containing concentrate or residue is exposed to oxygen or an oxygen-containing environment in an oxidative pre-treatment step followed by treatment with a hydrochlorinating agent in a hydrochlorination step to form an upgraded concentrate or residue.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for separating and refining scandium capable of efficiently separating and refining the scandium from a solution containing the scandium, with improved stripping, while securing separability (selectivity) of the scandium from impurity elements. The method of the present invention involves mixing a solution containing the scandium with an organic solvent containing a trioctylphosphine oxide to extract the scandium into the organic solvent; and mixing the organic solvent with a stripping starting solution containing any one or more of water, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and oxalic acid to strip the scandium from the organic solvent.

Abstract: Methods, and related products and compositions, of increasing the stability of a Bayer process liquor are described. A method of increasing the stability of a Bayer process liquor includes contacting the Bayer process liquor with a ppm quantity of a low molecular weight dextran. Also described are methods, and related products and compositions, for controlling the precipitation of aluminum-containing compounds from a Bayer process liquor.

Abstract: Provided are embodiments of a method of synthesizing nano scale electrode materials using an ultrafast combustion technique and nano scale electrode materials synthesized using the method. The method does not require a process of annealing reaction products required for synthesis of electrode materials or any other additional processes, such as cleaning, filtering, and drying processes, so that it can take only several seconds to several minutes to obtain a resultant product.

Abstract: To provide a lithium recovery method which is capable of efficiently recovering lithium without containing impurities, such as phosphorus and fluorine. In the present invention, an alkali is added to a discharge liquid and/or a cleaning liquid containing lithium discharged in a process of recovering valuable metals from a lithium ion battery, an acidic solvent extractant is caused to be in contact with the discharge liquid and/or the cleaning liquid under a condition of pH 9 or less and a temperature of 0 to 25° C. and lithium ions are extracted, and the acidic solvent extractant having extracted the lithium ions is caused to be in contact with an acid solution of pH 3 or less and the lithium ions are stripped.

Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of high purity rare metal compounds such as oxides utilizing TBP (Tri-Butyl Phosphate)-nitrate solvent extraction technique adapted to manufacture nuclear grade rare metal compounds such as zirconium oxide wherein the said process substantially aids in reducing the specific generation of ammonium nitrate effluent volume thereby increasing its concentration when the said effluent comprising ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate are utilized for stripping of the said rare metal compound from the organic solvent in the said process of production of high purity rare metal oxide powder.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing high-purity lithium carbonate. The method includes: removing magnesium and boron from a brine; separating and removing the remaining magnesium and calcium; concentrating the resulting brine by spray drying to form a powder; washing the powder to concentrate lithium; and carbonating the lithium ions with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).

Abstract: Nanowire synthesis and one dimensional nanowire synthesis of titanates and cobaltates. Exemplary titanates and cobaltates that are fabricated and discussed include, without limitation, strontium titanate (SrTiO3), barium titanate (BaTiO3), lead titanate (PbTiO3), calcium cobaltate (Ca3Co4O9) and sodium cobaltate (NaCo2O4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a novel method of preparing attrition resistance spinel supports for Fischer Tropsch catalysts. The process comprises: (a) combining aluminum oxide, metal compound capable of forming spinel phase, and soluble compound of a trivalent aluminum; (b) mixing the combination resulting in (a) in a manner sufficient to form a slurry comprising the aforementioned combination; and (c) processing the mixture of (b) under conditions sufficient to form metal aluminate spinel composition. Metal aluminate spinel, for example, is formed in the last step by calcining the mixture from (b) at a temperature in the range of 700 to 1300° C., but the process is also capable, of producing attrition resistant supports (e.g., having a DI of 5 or less) at a relatively lower temperature in the range of 700 to 1050° C. The invention also produces the attrition resistance with lower metal loadings than that reported for prior attrition resistant spinel supports.

Abstract: A compound MjXp which is particularly suitable for use in a battery prepared by the complexometric precursor formulation methodology wherein: Mj is at least one positive ion selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition metals and j is an integer representing the moles of said positive ion per moles of said MjXp; and Xp, a negative anion or polyanion from Groups IIIA, IV A, VA, VIA and VIIA and may be one or more anion or polyanion and p is an integer representing the moles of said negative ion per moles of said MjXp.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing lithium titanium oxide-based anode active material nanoparticles, and more particularly, a method for synthesizing lithium titanium oxide-based anode active material nanoparticles using a supercritical fluid condition is disclosed herein. The method may include (a) preparing a lithium precursor solution and a titanium precursor solution, (b) forming lithium titanium oxide-based anode active material nanoparticles by introducing the lithium precursor solution and titanium precursor solution into an reactor at a supercritical fluid condition, and (c) cleaning and drying the nanoparticles, and may further include (d) calcinating the nanoparticles at 500-1000° C. for 10 minutes to 24 hours after the step (c).

Abstract: The invention relates to modifications of a non-ammoniacal thiosulfate process of leaching precious metals (e.g. gold or silver) from precious metal-containing ores. The process involves leaching the ore with an aqueous lixiviant containing a soluble thiosulfate other than ammonium thiosulfate, a copper compound and an organic compound that serves as a copper ligand (i.e. a ligand-forming compound). Four modifications of this process are effective for increasing the amount of precious metal that can be extracted, reducing the consumption of materials, or for improving the rate of extraction. These four process, which may be used singly or in any combination, include (a) additions of soluble lead (e.g. as lead nitrate), (b) additions of thiourea, (c) increases in dissolved oxygen, and (d) increases of temperature at ambient pressure. This avoids the use environmentally harmful chemicals and allows for extraction from a variety of ores, e.g., containing substantial amounts of sulfides and/or quartz.

Abstract: There are provided methods for separating iron ions from aluminum ions. For example, the methods can comprise providing a basic aqueous composition comprising said iron ions and said aluminum ions and having a pH of about 10.5 to about 13 and a temperature of about 50 ° C. to about 150 ° C.; reacting said basic aqueous composition with hematite so as to promote, catalyze and/or enhance formation of hematite and to obtain a liquid phase comprising said aluminum ions and a solid phase comprising said so-formed hematite generated with said iron ions; and separating said liquid phase from said solid phase.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing high-purity alumina material is disclosed, which includes the steps of: reacting aluminum metal with a mixture of organic base and water to form aluminum hydroxide suspension; removing water by filtration to form aluminum hydroxide slurry, and drying/baking the slurry to form aluminum oxide powders. The method is amenable to mass production of high-purity aluminum oxide containing total silica and non-aluminum metal impurities less than 0.005% and having a bulk density higher than 3.0 g/cc. In addition, the invention also provides high-purity aluminum oxide prepared by using the method disclosed and bulk products prepared therefrom.

Abstract: The process described herein demonstrates a more efficient and effective way to remove certain chemicals from industrial waste water. Specifically, the invention set forth demonstrates a method comprised of at least two steps in which up to 96% of potassium can be removed from an aqueous solution comprising potassium hydroxide.

Abstract: A heat-insulating material is provided in which thermal conductivity is controlled not to increase and good insulation properties are held even in a high temperature range. The heat-insulating material is formed of a spinel porous sintered body having a porosity of 65 to 90 vol. % and represented by a chemical formula XAl2O4 (X=Zn, Fe, Mg, Ni, or Mn) which is arranged such that large pores having a diameter of greater than 1000 ?m occupy 25 vol. % or less of the total pore volume, fine pores having a diameter of 0.45 ?m or less occupy 5 to 40 vol. % of the volume of the pores having a diameter of 1000 ?m or less, at least one pore-diameter distribution peak is within a range of 0.14 to 10 ?m, and is formed of sintered particles having a calculated average particle diameter of 0.04 to 1 ?m.

Abstract: A method for co-producing alumina and activated calcium silicate from high-alumina fly ash, comprising the steps that: high-alumina fly ash reacts with sodium hydroxide solution to obtain desiliconized solution and desiliconized fly ash; milk of lime is added to the desiliconized solution to obtain activated calcium silicate; limestone and sodium carbonate solution are added to the desiliconized fly ash to blend raw slurry, the raw slurry is baked into clinker, and sodium aluminate crude solution is obtained from dissolution of the clinker; the sodium aluminate crude solution is subjected to the processes of first-stage deep desiliconization, second-stage deep desiliconization, carbonization decomposition, seed precipitation and etc to obtain alumina.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mesoporous titania bead and the preparation method thereof, wherein said mesoporous titania bead has a diameter of 200-1000 nm, specific surface area of 50-100 m2/g, porosity of 40-60%, pore radius of 5-20 nm, pore volume of 0.20-0.30 cm3/g, and the titania comprised in the bead is anatase titania.

Abstract: A method of forming a powder MjXp wherein Mj is a positive ion or several positive ions selected from alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or transition metal; and Xp is a monoatomic or a polyatomic anion selected from Groups IIIA, IVA, VA, VIA or VIIA; called complexometric precursor formulation or CPF. The method includes the steps of: providing a first reactor vessel with a first gas diffuser and an first agitator; providing a second reactor vessel with a second gas diffuser and a second agitator; charging the first reactor vessel with a first solution comprising a first salt of Mj; introducing gas into the first solution through the first gas diffuser, charging the second reactor vessel with a second solution comprising a salt of Mp; adding the second solution to the first solution to form a complexcelle; drying the complexcelle, to obtain a dry powder; and calcining the dried powder of said MjXp.