Abstract: A method of the invention for treatment of particulate material for metal recovery includes heating a furnace to a first temperature, feeding a particulate material into the furnace, and before or after heating of the raw material, feeding a reducing gas flow through the furnace. The particulate material is heated in the furnace for volatilizing one or more metals contained in the ash into the gas flow, and the volatilized particles are recovered in one or more collection units. A system for treatment of particulate material for metal recovery includes a heated furnace for receiving flows of reduction gas and particulate material, a collection unit for volatilized particles, and a collection unit for non-volatilized material.

Abstract: Provided is a method for forming catalytic nanocoating on a metal surface. The method comprises pretreating the metal surface by means of heat treatment at 500-800° C., forming a metaloxide support, and depositing catalytic nanosized metal and/or metaloxide particles on the metaloxide support and coating the metal surface with catalytic nanosized metal and/or metaloxide particles. Further, the invention relates to a catalyst and a use.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the carbon coating of metallic nanoparticles. The metallic nanoparticles, which are produced using the metal-salt hydrogen-reduction method, can be coated with carbon by adding a hydrocarbon (for example, ethylene, ethane, or acetylene) to the hydrogen using in the synthesis. The carbon layer protects the metallic particles from oxidation, which greatly facilitates the handling and further processing of the particles. By altering the concentration of the hydrocarbon, it is possible, in addition, to influence the size of the metallic particles created, because the coating takes place simultaneously with the creation of the particles, thus stopping the growth process. A carbon coating at most two graphene layers thick behaves like a semiconductor. As a thicker layer, the coating is a conductor. If the hydrocarbon concentration is further increased, a metal-CNT composite material is formed in the process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming cobalt nanoparticles and coating them with copper or copper oxide, in which process a copper salt is mixed to a cobalt salt so that the formed salt mixture obtains a cobalt:copper ratio of >1:1, and a reduction is carried out with a reducing gas, whereby nanoparticles are formed while a coating is formed onto their surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming cobalt nanoparticles and coating them with copper or copper oxide, in which process a copper salt is mixed to a cobalt salt so that the formed salt mixture obtains a cobalt:copper ratio of >1:1, and a reduction is carried out with a reducing gas, whereby nanoparticles are formed while a coating is formed onto their surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the carbon coating of metallic nanoparticles. The metallic nanoparticles, which are produced using the metal-salt hydrogen-reduction method, can be coated with carbon by adding a hydrocarbon (for example, ethylene, ethane, or acetylene) to the hydrogen using in the synthesis. The carbon layer protects the metallic particles from oxidation, which greatly facilitates the handling and further processing of the particles. By altering the concentration of the hydrocarbon, it is possible, in addition, to influence the size of the metallic particles created, because the coating takes place simultaneously with the creation of the particles, thus stopping the growth process. A carbon coating at most two graphene layers thick behaves like a semiconductor. As a thicker layer, the coating is a conductor. If the hydrocarbon concentration is further increased, a metal-CNT composite material is formed in the process.

Abstract: By means of the invention, nanoparticles, which can be pure metal, alloys of two or more metals, a mixture of agglomerates, or particles possessing a shell structure, are manufactured in a gas phase. Due to the low temperature of the gas exiting from the apparatus, metallic nanoparticles can also be mixed with temperature-sensitive materials, such as polymers. The method is economical and is suitable for industrial-scale production. A first embodiment of the invention is the manufacture of metallic nanoparticles for ink used in printed electronics.

Abstract: A device for delivering a powdered medicament by inhalation comprises an air inlet passage having low pressure-drop and low turbulence for stabilizing air flow before aerosolization, a dosing cup in the region of reduced air velocity to delay aerosolization, a high pressure drop throat to generate a high velocity flow, a rapidly expanding diverging passage to create a free jet of air with high turbulence and an outlet passage having large cross-sectional area to control the rate of dissipation of the free jet. The device is simple yet capable of consistently providing uniform and effective powder aerosolization and deagglomeration over a variety of patient inhalation profiles.

Abstract: A method for preparing particles suitable for pulmonary drug delivery by inhalation, and inhalation compositions comprising such particles are provided. The method comprises providing a liquid feed stock comprising one or several active agents, atomising the liquid feed stock, suspending the droplets in a carrier gas, and passing the carrier gas and droplets through a heated tube flow reactor under predetermined residence time and temperature history, and collecting the particles produced. Fine uniform crystalline spherical uncharged particles with narrow aerodynamic particle size distribution between about 1 to 5 &mgr;m and rough surfaces, are obtained. The particles show improved dispersibility and stability.

Abstract: A device for delivering a powdered medicament by inhalation comprises an air inlet passage having low pressure-drop and low turbulence for stabilizing air flow before aerosolization, a dosing cup in the region of reduced air velocity to delay aerosolization, a high pressure drop throat to generate a high velocity flow, a rapidly expanding diverging passage to create a free jet of air with high turbulence and an outlet passage having large cross-sectional area to control the rate of dissipation of the free jet. The device is simple yet capable of consistently providing uniform and effective powder aerosolization and deagglomeration over a variety of patient inhalation profiles.