Abstract: A method of manufacturing porous silicon particles includes providing a rotary tube furnace including a tube extending between a first opening and a second opening opposite the first opening. The method includes providing a silica precursor, a metal reducing agent, and a thermal moderator as a mixture to an interior cavity of the tube through the first opening. The method includes rotating the tube containing the mixture. The method includes performing a thermal treatment to the mixture in the tube to produce a reaction product that includes the porous silicon particles. The method further includes collecting the reaction product at the second opening, where the steps of providing the mixture, rotating the tube, performing the thermal treatment, and collecting the reaction product are performed concurrently such that the porous silicon particles are produced in a continuous manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to nucleation agents for polyethylenes wherein the nucleating agent is composed of one or more finely divided inorganic materials of halloysite that are dispersed throughout the polyethylene to increase the crystallization rate such that the polyethylenes can be more easily extruded, molded with a much shorter cycle time or thermoformed into intricate parts. The most preferred agent is halloysite nanotubular clay.