392results about "Metal silicides" patented technology

In devices used for the direct conversion of heat into electricity, or vice versa, known in the art as thermoelectric power generators, thermoelectric refrigerators and thermoelectric heat pumps, the efficiency of energy conversion and / or coefficient of performance have been considerably lower than those of conventional reciprocating or rotary, heat engines and / or vapor-compression systems, employing certain refrigerants. The energy conversion efficiency of power generating devices, for example, aside from the hot and cold junction temperatures, also depends on a parameter known in the art as the thermoelectric figure of merit Z=S2σ / k, where S is the thermoelectric power, σ is the electrical conductivity and k is the thermal conductivity, of the material that constitutes the p-type, and / or n-type, thermoelements, or branches, of the said devices. In order to achieve a considerable increase in the energy conversion efficiency, a thermoelectric figure of merit of the order of 10−2 K−1, or more, is needed. It is reasonably expected that such an order of magnitude, for the figure of merit, can be realized with a composition of matter, comprising magnesium, silicon, lead and barium, and optionally comprising one, or more, additional doping materials.

The present invention relates the manufacture of metal powders, non-oxidic ceramic powders and reduced metal oxide powders using an improved flame spray pyrolysis (“FSP”) process. The invention further relates to an apparatus specifically adapted to said process, to powders / naoncomposites obtained by said process and to the use of said powders / nanocompsites.

Disclosed is an electrode material for a lithium secondary battery, a lithium secondary battery comprising the same, and a method for preparing the electrode material for a lithium secondary battery. The electrode material for a lithium secondary battery includes Si as a principal component, wherein the interplanar spacing of an Si(111) surface between 3.15 Å and 3.20 Å using X-ray diffraction. This is achieve by first alloying Si with an element selected from the group consisting of Al, B, P, Ge, Sn, Pb, Ni, Co, Mn, Mo, Cr, V, Cu, Fe, Ni, W, Ti, Zn, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, and combinations thereof, and then eluting X from the resulting alloy.

In a series of reactions for power plant energy generation designed to make beneficial use of oil bearing sands, oil bearing shale and other starting materials containing silicon dioxide, the silicon dioxide starting materials are combined with a primary energy provider containing hydrocarbon to start a first reaction. During this first reaction, the silicon dioxide containing starting material is heated and crystalline silicon is produced. Then, the crystalline silicon is used in a second reaction which runs exothermically (i.e., releases heat). The heat produced from the second reaction is employed as a secondary energy to supplement the primary energy provider when heating the starting material in the first reaction and / or to supply at least one further reaction or series of reactions with the required energy, at the end of which a silicon compound is produced.