Nickel with improved technology

The original conductor materials were stainless steel or platinum. These materials were later replaced with more corrosion-resistant alloys with improved fatigue resistance such as MP35N (SPS Technologies Cleveland OH), an alloy of nickel, chromium, cobalt, and molybdenum. In order to further reduce the resistance to current flow, specialized conductors were designed, including DBS (drawn brazed strand) and DFT (drawn filled tube)... 

The oxidation of cyclohexane to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, known as KA-od (ketone—alcohol, cyclohexanone—cyclohexanol cmde mixture), is used for most production (1). The earlier technology that used an oxidation catalyst such as cobalt naphthenate at 180—250°C at low conversions (2) has been improved. Cyclohexanol can be obtained through a boric acid-catalyzed cyclohexane oxidation at 140—180°C with up to 10% conversion (3). Unreacted cyclohexane is recycled and the product mixture is separated by vacuum distillation. The hydrogenation of phenol to a mixture of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone is usually carried out at elevated temperatures and pressure ia either the Hquid (4) or ia the vapor phase (5) catalyzed by nickel. 

Economically, the elimination of lead and nickel emissions will result in an improved product because exposure of the metal to combustion gases in the current process results in porosity and entrainment of hydrogen gas in the metal. Overall, AMPCO estimates an annual savings in operations and maintenance expenses of USD 1.2 million with the use of this technology. Assuming the same 70% industry adoption, economic savings by 2010 could reach USD 5.8 million. Without the new electric induction heating process, the capital costs required for compliance could be USD 3 million. 

Several generations of vanadium metal catchers have been developed (1, 2), leading to an improved activity retention at high vanadium levels on catalyst. The recent progress in nickel tolerance with new nickel encapsulation technologies is just as dramatic. 

Apart from its historical interest, this brief survey over the centuries from 1800 to 2000 helps underscore the fact that key developments in battery research and technology have always come in response to specific sector demands that have in turn followed signal scientific advances. Nowadays, the three main rechargeable systems are the lead-, nickel-, and lithium-based batteries. While the first two, with their roots in the last century, are undergoing continual refinement to improve their performance in today s applications, the last is the result of the most recent research into new materials and the one that offers greater expectations. 

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