Abstract: A composite filter aid may include a silicate substrate and a precipitated magnesium silicate having a mole ratio of SiO2:MgO greater than about 1.0:1. A method for making a composite filter aid may include providing a silicate substrate, precipitating a magnesium silicate onto the silicate substrate to form a composite filter aid, wherein the mole ratio of SiO2:MgO of the magnesium silicate is greater than about 1.0:1. A method for filtering a non-aqueous liquid may include providing a non-aqueous liquid for filtering and filtering the non-aqueous liquid through a composite filter aid.

Abstract: A chill-proofing composite filter aid may include a filtration component and an adsorption component including precipitated silica at least partially coating the filtration component. The composite filter aid may have a pore volume of at least about 0.15 cm3/gram at an average pore size between 3 nanometers and 15 nanometers. A method for removing particles from a fluid may include providing a chill-proofing composite filter aid, pre-coating a filter element with the composite filter aid, and passing a fluid containing particles to be adsorbed through the coated filter element. A method of making a chill-proofing composite filter aid may include providing a filtration component, and at least partially coating the filtration component with an adsorption component including precipitated silica. The composite filter aid may have a pore volume of at least about 0.15 cm3/gram at an average pore size between 3 nanometers and 15 nanometers.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises at least first instructions and second instructions. The first instructions, when executed, compute a first plurality of routes. Each route of the first plurality of routes corresponds to a respective net of a plurality of nets in an integrated circuit layout, and represents a theoretically optimal route of the respective net according to a graph theory based algorithm. The second instructions, when executed, compare each of the first plurality of routes to a corresponding route of a current plurality of routes, each of the current plurality of routes corresponding to the respective net of the plurality of nets and currently existing in the integrated circuit layout. A method is also contemplated.