2998results about "Photography auxillary processes" patented technology

Devices and methods are described for converting a carbon source and a hydrogen source into hydrocarbons, such as alcohols, for alternative energy sources. The influents may comprise carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas or water, obtainable from the atmosphere for through methods described herein, such as plasma generation or electrolysis. One method to produce hydrocarbons comprises the use of an electrolytic device, comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte. Another method comprises the use of ultrasonic energy to drive the reaction. The devices and methods and related devices and methods are useful, for example, to provide a fossil fuel alternative energy source, store renewable energy, sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, counteract global warming, and store carbon dioxide in a liquid fuel.

A disposable electrochemical sensor strip is provided. The sensor strip includes an isolating sheet having at least a through hole, at least a conductive raw material mounted in the through hole, a metal film covered on the conductive raw material to form an electrode which comprises an electrode working surface for processing an electrode action, and an electrode connecting surface, at least a printed conductive film mounted on the isolating sheet and having a connecting terminal for being electrically connected to the electrode connecting surface, and a signal output terminal for outputting a measured signal produced by the electrode action.

Apparatuses and methods for removing carbon dioxide and other pollutants from a gas stream are provided. The methods include obtaining hydroxide in an aqueous mixture, and mixing the hydroxide with the gas stream to produce carbonate and/or bicarbonate. Some of the apparatuses of the present invention comprise an electrolysis chamber for providing hydroxide and mixing equipment for mixing the hydroxide with a gas stream including carbon dioxide to form an admixture including carbonate and/or bicarbonate.

Catalytic materials, photoanodes, and systems for electrolysis and/or formation of water are provided which can be used for energy storage, particularly in the area of solar energy conversion, and/or production of oxygen and/or hydrogen. Compositions and methods for forming photoanodes and other devices are also provided.

The invention relates to a microfluidic device for making a liquid/liquid or gas biphasic system using a first liquid or a gas and a second liquid, non-miscible with each other, the device having a first hydrophobic surface for the second liquid, the first liquid forming a layer (6) on said first hydrophobic surface. The device comprises means for introducing a drop (7) of the second liquid into the layer of first liquid or gas and in contact with said first hydrophobic surface, and means for displacing the drop on said first hydrophobic surface along a determined path, the device having on the path of the drop, at least one wetting defect causing, upon passing of the drop over this defect, failure of the triple line of contact of the drop on the first hydrophobic surface and inclusion of first liquid (8) or gas into the drop.

The invention also relates to the associated method.

A fuel cell system, control method and current measuring device for a power unit are disclosed. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell having local areas, a current measuring device associated with at least one of the local areas to measure localized current related to a specified operating characteristic, and a control section for diagnosing an operating condition of the fuel cell in response to localized current to enable optimum control of the fuel cell depending upon a specified operating characteristic determined by localized current. The control method controls the operating condition of the fuel cell in response to localized current indicative of the specified operating characteristic of the fuel cell. The current measuring device includes an electrical conductor formed with a recessed portion, a localized current conductor received in the recessed portion, and a current sensor for detecting current flowing across the localized current conductor.

A method for generating power comprising the steps of feeding water into an electrolyzer, providing electricity to operate the electrolyzer to split at least some of the water into hydrogen and oxygen, and decompressing one or both of the hydrogen and oxygen to generate power. Water can be pressurized prior to being fed into the electrolyzer. The hydrogen and oxygen, which can be stored in insulated storage vessels, can be decompressed isentropically to yield energy, which can be used to power a generator. Heat can be extracted from the hydrogen and oxygen, such as through heat exchangers. Hydrogen and oxygen can combine in an internal combustion process to produce work and heat, which can be recycled into the thermodynamic process.

A method and apparatus for electrolytically producing oxidation reduction potential water from aqueous salt solutions for use in disinfection, sterilization, decontamination, wound cleansing. The apparatus includes an electrolysis unit having a three-compartment cell (22) comprising a cathode chamber (18), an anode chamber (16), and a saline solution chamber (20) interposed between the anode and cathod chambers. Two communicating (24, 26) membranes separate the three chambers. The center chamber includes a fluid flow inlet (21a) and outlet (21b) and contains insulative material that ensures direct voltage potential does not travel through the chamber. A supply of water flows through the cathode and anode chambers at the respective sides of the saline chamber. Saline solution flows through the center chamber, either by circulating a pre-prepared aqueous solution containing ionic species, or, alternatively, by circulating pure water or an aqueous solution of, e.g., aqueous hydrogen chloride and ammonium hydroxide, over particulate insulative material coated with a solid electrolyte. Electrical current is provided to the communicating membranes separating the chambers, thus causing an electrolytic reaction that produces both oxidative (positive) and reductive (negative) ORP water.

An automated self-propelled pool cleaner having a housing, a water pump for moving water through the housing, drive means for moving the pool cleaner over the surface of the salt water pool to be cleaned, and an integral electrochemical chlorine generator mounted in the housing, includes a processor/controller that is programmed to activate the chlorine generator, the pump and drive means in predetermined operational sequences that minimize wear and tear on the water pump and drive means, while at the same time distribute and maintain a safe level of sanitizing chlorine in the pool, to thereby obviate the need for an in-line chlorinator or other chemical additive treatments; an optional automated sensor device can be provided to activate a secondary maintenance program which enables the pool cleaner to operate over prolonged periods of time as the sole means for filtering and sanitizing the pool water. An electrochemical cell manual mounting system permits the cell to be secured in place for operation and manually removed for maintenance, repair or replacement by the user without special tools or training.

The present invention discloses an electrolyzer for electrolyzing water into a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The electrolyzer is adapted to deliver this gaseous mixture to the fuel system of an internal combustion engine. The electrolyzer of the present invention comprises one or more supplemental electrode at least partially immersed in an aqueous electrolyte solution interposed between two principle electrodes. The gaseous mixture is generated by applying an electrical potential between the two principal electrodes. The electrolyzer further includes a gas reservoir region for collecting the generated gaseous mixture. The present invention further discloses a method of utilizing the electrolyzer in conjunction with the fuel system of an internal combustion engine to improve the efficiency of said internal combustion engine.

The invention relates to the deposition or attachment of materials to surfaces. It relates to a process for coating a surface with a first material and a second material, comprising the following steps: placing the first material on the said surface, inserting into the first material placed on the said surface precursor molecules of the second material, converting the said precursor molecules of the second material inserted into the first material into the said second material such that this second material becomes formed on the said surface to be coated and within the said first material placed on the said surface. The object of the process of the invention is to allow the deposition of materials of any type onto surfaces of any type.

The invention provides a colored photosensitive resin composition for forming a colored image on a transparent substrate, the colored photosensitive resin composition comprising: an alkali-soluble binder, one of a monomer and an oligomer having at least two ethylenic unsaturated double bonds, one of a photopolymerization initiator and a photopolymerization initiating system, and a pigment, said alkali-soluble binder comprising a copolymer including a structural unit having a carboxyl group, a structural unit represented by the following general formula (1), and a structural unit comprising a (meth)acrylate having at least one of an aromatic ring and an alicyclic ring:

wherein R¹ represents one of a hydrogen atom and a methyl group; and each of R² to R⁶ independently represents one of a hydrogen atom, a substituted and unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted and unsubstituted aryl group, a halogen atom and a cyano group.

The invention relates to various embodiments of an environmentally beneficial method for reducing carbon dioxide. The methods in accordance with the invention include electrochemically or photoelectrochemically reducing the carbon dioxide in a divided electrochemical cell that includes an anode, e.g., an inert metal counterelectrode, in one cell compartment and a metal or p-type semiconductor cathode electrode in another cell compartment that also contains an aqueous solution of an electrolyte and a catalyst of one or more substituted or unsubstituted aromatic amines to produce therein a reduced organic product.

An environmentally beneficial method of producing methanol from varied sources of carbon dioxide including flue gases of fossil fuel burning power plants, industrial exhaust gases or the atmosphere itself. Converting carbon dioxide by an electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide in a divided electrochemical cell that includes an anode in one compartment and a metal cathode electrode in a compartment that also contains an aqueous solution comprising methanol and an electrolyte. An anion-conducting membrane can be provided between the anode and cathode to produce at the cathode therein a reaction mixture containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can be subsequently used to produce methanol while also producing oxygen in the cell at the anode. The oxygen produced at the anode can be recycled for efficient combustion of fossil fuels in power plants to exclusively produce CO₂ exhausts for capture and recycling as the source of CO₂ for the cell.

Automatic control systems, and corresponding processes, for controlling either an anode adjuster in a chlor/alkali cell or at least one average middle temperature of a distillation column wherein the combination of feedback control from at least one real unit operation variable and an embedded real-time dynamic simulation of that variable are used.

The invention discloses a waste lead recovering method for lead-acid storage batteries. The method comprises the following steps: fine stuff such as diachylon and the like are added in a reaction kettle with a stirring device; reducing agent (FeSO4) and dilute sulfuric acid are simultaneously added; stirring reaction is carried out at the temperature of 50-60 DEG C for 50-70 minutes so as to reduce lead dioxide into lead sulfate; the lead sulfate is added into the reaction kettle with the stirring device; water is simultaneously added into the reaction kettle for size mixing; then sodium carbonate is added; desulfuration is carried out at the temperature of 50-60 DEG C so as to obtain solid lead carbonate; the lead carbonate is put into a smelting furnace and then decomposed at the temperature of 320-350 DEG C so as to obtain lead oxide; and reducing agent (carbon) is added into the smelting furnace to reduce the lead oxide into metal lead at the temperature of 700-800 DEG C. The method recovers the lead by means of the combination of the wet and the dry processes, thereby avoiding the harm to the environment caused by lead dust, lead vapor, lead skim, sulfur dioxide gas, and the like by adopting fire smelting. The method has the advantages of high lead recovery rate, low energy consumption and no environment pollution.

A system for purification of high value metals comprises an electrolytic cell in which an anode formed of a composite of a metal oxide of the metal of interest with carbon is electrochemically reduced in a molten salt electrolyte.

The invention relates to methods of writing a light-guiding structure in a bulk glass substrate. The bulk glass substrate is preferably made from a soft silica-based material having an annealing point less than about 1380°K. A pulsed laser beam is focused within the substrate while the focus is translated relative to the substrate along a scan path at a scan speed effective to induce an increase in the refractive index of the material along the scan path. Substantially no laser-induced physical damage of the material is incurred along the scan path. Various optical devices can be made using this method.

A process and a device for the treatment of water, especially for removing therefrom a large variety of pollutants, especially organic, inorganic and biological pollutants through in situ generation of ozone. Ozone is economically produced in situ at a high concentration through the interaction of electrolytically produced oxygen and UV light having a wavelength of 189 nm. The device has a set of anode and cathode for electrolytically producing nascent oxygen which reacts with UV light at a wavelength of 189 nm to produce ozone "in situ" within a vessel where the polluted water is submitted to the combinative action of ozone and other oxidation reactions. The device also has a hydrocyclone or retention tank of removing cationic pollutants such as heavy metals, free radicals as well as undesirable electrolysis byproducts such as nascent hydrogen through a secondary outlet. Oxidation by-products are subsequently removed from the exiting water stream by means of decantation, flocculation, coagulation or filtration.

Described herein is an apparatus comprising an electrochemical cell that employs a capacitive counter electrode and a faradaic working electrode. The capacitive counter electrode reduces the amount of redox products generated at the counter electrode while enabling the working electrode to generate redox products. The electrochemical cell is useful for controlling the redox products generated and/or the timing of the redox product generation. The electrochemical cell is useful in assay methods, including those using electrochemiluminescence. The electrochemical cell can be combined with additional hardware to form instrumentation for assay methods.

A method for optimizing the efficiency of a solar powered hydrogen generation system is disclosed. The system utilizes photovoltaic modules and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer to split water into hydrogen and oxygen with an efficiency greater than 12%. This high efficiency for the solar powered electrolysis of water was obtained by matching the voltage generated by photovoltaic modules to the operating voltage of the electrolyzer. Optimizing PV-electrolysis systems makes solar generated hydrogen less expensive and more practical for use as an environmentally clean and renewable fuel.

A composition that is useful in a wide variety of applications comprises a latex having water as a continuous phase and, as the dispersed phase, hydrophobic polymer particles having associated therewith both a dye and a stabilizer for the dye. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the dye is an infrared absorbing dye. The composition can be used as an inkjet ink, as a coating composition to form an infrared sensitive optical recording layer or for other purposes.

The present application refers to a method of patterning organic materials or organic/inorganic materials onto a substrate, comprising the following steps: (1) patterning of a water-soluble material “A” onto a surface of the substrate, thereby forming a substrate/material “A” surface; (2) depositing organic or organic/inorganic material “B” onto the substrate/material “A” surface; (3) lifting-off material “A” in aqueous solution; wherein, step (1) comprises the following steps: (1a) patterning of a photoresist material onto the substrate surface, thereby forming a substrate/photoresist material surface; (1b) depositing the water soluble material “A” onto the substrate/photoresist material surface; (1c) lifting-off the photoresist material in an organic solvent; or, alternatively, step (1) comprises the following steps: (1a′) depositing the water-soluble material “A” onto the substrate surface, thereby forming a substrate/material “A” surface; (1b′) patterning the photoresist material onto the substrate/material “A” surface; (1c′) etching the unmasked material “A” in aqueous solution; (1d′) lifting-off the photoresist material in an organic solvent. The present application also refers to the use of said method, to a pattern of organic materials or organic/inorganic materials prepared by said method, and to a substrate carrying such patterns. The application also refers to the use of a patterned nanoparticle film.

An ionically conductive ceramic element includes a central unit (703). The central unit (703) is composed of a plurality of integrated manifold and tube modules (IMAT) (22) joined end to end along a central axis (A). Each IMAT module (22) has a tube support portion (804) and a plurality of tubes (802) extending from the first surface (803). The tubes (802) each have a closed end (805) and an open end. The second surface (807) is at least partially open to the atmosphere. The open ends of the tubes (802) are open to the atmosphere through the second surface (807). An interior space (830) is formed in the interior of the IMAT (22) for collecting a desired product gas. A collection tube (710) is operable joined with a first end (714) of the central unit (703) for transporting the desired product gas collected in the interior space (730) of the connected IMAT modules (22).

The invention relates to a method of making a nanotubular titania substrate having a titanium dioxide surface comprised of a plurality of vertically oriented titanium dioxide nanotubes containing oxygen vacancies, including the steps of anodizing a titanium metal substrate in an acidified fluoride electrolyte and annealing the titanium oxide surface in a non-oxidating atmosphere. The invention further relates to a nanotubular titania substrate having an annealed titanium dioxide surface comprised of self-ordered titanium dioxide nanotubes containing oxygen vacancies. The invention further relates to a photo-electrolysis method for generating H₂ wherein the photo-anode is a nanotubular titania substrate of the invention. The invention also relates to an electrochemical method of synthesizing CdZn/CdZnTe nanowires, wherein a nanoporous TiO₂ template was used in combination with non-aqueous electrolyte. The invention also relates to a nanotubular titania substrate having CdTe or CdZnTe nanowires extending therefrom.

An apparatus and method to produce hydrogen gas a high pressure is disclosed. An electrolyzer is located inside a pressure vessel that is pressurized with high pressure water. The high pressure water is provided to both the anode and cathode sides of the electrolyzer by a pump in the pressure vessel Oxygen produced at the high pressure on the anode side of the electrolyzer is vented directly into the pressure vessel while hydrogen produced at the high pressure on the cathode side is routed to a separator and is deadheaded. The high pressure hydrogen is periodically routed from the separator to a storage tank by a pressure regulator.

The invention relates to a refined crystal grain aluminum alloy and the manufacturing method. It is made up from Si 0.2-7.5wt%, Mn 0.05-1.5wt%, Mg 0,05-6.0wt%, Zn 0.03-8.5wt%, Cu 0.05-7.0wt%, Ni 0.1-2.5wt%, Ti 0.01-0.15wt%, RE 0.01-0.3wt%, B 0.0001-0.10wt%, and the rest is Al. The technology feature is that it adds silicon titanium alumina, borax and or rare earth oxide or rare earth carbonate, or titanium oxide, borax and/or rare earth oxide or rare earth carbonate into aluminum cell. Add the manganese oxide, compound of copper or Ni would be also added. Comparing to traditional technology, the refiner is not added, and the refining effect is enhanced and the perdurability is prolonged. It could be used to produce wire, band, tube, panel, aluminum foil, etc.

The present disclosure relates to a limited play optical storage media and a method for limiting access to data thereon. This storage media comprises: an optically transparent substrate; a reflective layer; a data storage layer disposed between said substrate and said reflective layer; an oxygen penetrable UV coating disposed on a side of said substrate opposite said data storage layer; and a reactive layer disposed between said UV coating and said substrate, said reactive layer having an initial percent reflectivity of about 50% or greater and a subsequent percent reflectivity of about 45% or less.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the current densities in an alumina reduction cell by the measuring of magnetic fields without contact with the anodes or cathodes. The current density is modelled by determining the currents in the anodes and/or cathodes by measuring the magnetic field produced by the anodes or cathodes, or the conductors feeding them, and electronically correcting for ambient effects. The apparatus consists of Hall Effect devices to measure the magnetic field and electronics to correct, display, log and analyze the data.

The invention discloses a preparation method of lithium metal through electrolysis, which comprises the following steps: at normal temperature and normal pressure, applying direct current voltage on an anode current collector and a cathode current collector so that potassium ions in a water phase in an anode chamber penetrate through a diaphragm having lithium ion conductor characteristics under the driving of the voltage, an organic solvent in a cathode chamber is reduced to a metal lithium single substance which is deposited and enriched on the surface of the cathode current collector to obtain the product, wherein the anode chamber of an electrolysis cell is filled with an aqueous solution at least containing the lithium ions, the cathode chamber od the electrolysis cell is filled with the organic solvent having the lithium ion conductor characteristics, the diaphragm for separating the anode chamber from the cathode chamber is a lithium ion conductor ceramic membrane having the lithium ion conductor characteristics or a composite membrane of a lithium ion conductor and a polymer, and the cathode chamber is in inert gas atmosphere. The electrolysis preparation method for lithium metal avoids severe conditions which are required to prepare lithium metal by a traditional high temperature molten electrolysis process, and has the characteristics of low energy consumption, high lithium extraction efficiency and high product purity and is environment-friendly and wide in raw material sources.