A large volume of waste mercury chloride catalyst (HgCl2) is generated by calcium carbide-based polyvinyl chloride production in China, which accounts for 30% of global mercury consumption. However, there are few studies on the leaching behavior and risk control of waste catalyst where mercury is in the form of HgCl2, which is more soluble than metal mercury and poses great threat to human heal...

Boron carbide (B4C) added manganese dioxide (MnO2) used as a cathode material for a Zn–MnO2 battery using aqueous lithium hydroxide (LiOH) as the electrolyte is known to have higher discharge capacity but with a lower average discharge voltage than pure MnO2 (additive free). The performance is reversed when using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as the electrolyte. Herein, the MnO2 was mixed with 0, 5...

We contrast the interaction of mercury with adsorbed orthocarborane films and semiconducting (dehydrogenated) boron carbide. Photoemission spectra reveal small shifts in orthocarborane (C2B10H12) molecular orbital binding energies as well as the shift in mercury 5d5/2 shallow core level binding energies, suggesting only small interaction between mercury and the molecular film. Mercury does, how...

Success in isolating a 2D graphene sheet from bulky graphite has triggered intensive studies of its physical properties as well as its application in devices. Graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) have provided a platform of exotic quantum phenomena such as superconductivity, but it is unclear whether such intercalation is feasible in the thinnest 2D limit (i.e., bilayer graphene). Here we re...

In forming tungsten carbide layer by low temperature and vacuum CVD, uniformity of film thickness, adhesion and gloss achieved when the effective zone of coating set is increased to 4450 x 1,100mm is described. Characteristics of tungsten carbide layer are evaluated and compared with other materials. Some practical applications to the mechanical parts of plastic injection molding machines are i...

We observe critical coupling to surface phonon-polaritons in silicon carbide by attenuated total reflection of mid-IR radiation. Reflectance measurements demonstrate critical coupling by a double scan of wavelength and incidence angle. Critical coupling occurs when prism coupling loss is equal to losses in silicon carbide and the substrate, resulting in maximal electric field enhancement.