Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to processes for forming or otherwise creating a transparent, conductive film from a heavy hydrocarbon material. It allows for what is often considered to be waste material to be transformed into a useful product, such as a heating element. Such heating elements can be incorporated into many contexts where it can be important to have transparency and/or a thin heating element, such as in windshields. The process involves dissolving a heavy hydrocarbon material in a solvent, casting the heavy hydrocarbon solution that results from the dissolving onto a substrate to form a film, and then annealing the film. The disclosure also provides for objects in which such resulting films can be used, such as Joule heaters.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to processes for forming or otherwise creating a transparent, conductive film from a heavy hydrocarbon material. It allows for what is often considered to be waste material to be transformed into a useful product, such as a heating element. Such heating elements can be incorporated into many contexts where it can be important to have transparency and/or a thin heating element, such as in windshields. The process involves dissolving a heavy hydrocarbon material in a solvent, casting the heavy hydrocarbon solution that results from the dissolving onto a substrate to form a film, and then annealing the film. The disclosure also provides for objects in which such resulting films can be used, such as Joule heaters.

Abstract: The invention provides processes for preparing and using an analytical tool for determining coke content on a catalyst composition. The analytical tool is particularly desirable in that it allows the determination of an average coke on catalyst level as well as a distribution of coke on catalyst levels of an unknown catalyst sample. The processes correlate color information with coke content, and provide an easy way to determine the amount of coke on the catalyst based on the color of the catalyst.