1-33. (canceled)
34. A lithium-ion battery cell, comprising:
at least one glass-based component comprising a substantially oxidic, temperature-stable, poorly thermally conductive particle,
said particle being selected from the group consisting of a glass material, a glass-based material, and a glass-ceramic material,
wherein said glass-based component is in a position within the battery cell selected from the group consisting of in a separator, at the separator, in an anode, at the anode, in a cathode, at a cathode, and in a liquid or polymer electrolyte,
wherein said glass-based component has a thermal conductivity of less than 2.5 WK\xb7m and is suitable to separate andor locally restrict thermal anomalies.
35. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein for the component with:
a being the reciprocal thermal diffusivity;
b being the slope of the viscosity curve as a function of temperature; and
c being the absolute value of the transformation temperature,
which are defined as follows:
a
=
\u03c1
\xb7
c
P
\u03bb
wherein
\u03c1 is the density in gcc;
cP is the specific heat capacity in J(g\xb7K); and
\u03bb is the thermal conductivity in W(m\xb7K), wherein the thermal conductivity is measured at 90\xb0 C. or given for this specified temperature; and
b
=
T
7.6
–
T
13
13
–
7.6
=
T
7.6
–
T
13
5.4
with T in K, wherein T7.6 and T13 denote the temperatures at which the decadic logarithm of the respective viscosity \u03b7, measured in dPa\xb7s, takes the values of 7.6 and 13, respectively; and
c=Tg K;
the following applies to preferred glasses of a first variation 1:
a*b*c\u226750 s\xb7K2m2 \xd7108; and
the following applies to preferred glasses of a second variation 2:
a(b*c)\u226720 s(m2\xb7K2).
36. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein the thermal conductivity is less than 2.5 W\xb7K\u22121\xb7m\u22121.
37. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component is an inorganic, multi-functional constituent selected from the group consisting of glass, glass-ceramic, phase-demixed glass, and multi-phase glass.
38. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 37, wherein said component is chemically stable in an electrolyte solution comprising LiPF6 so that during a one-week storage of the powder in the electrolyte solution at 60\xb0 C., not more than 1 mass % of the glass-based material is dissolved.
39. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component is a predominantly oxidic glass and has a fraction of non-oxidic elements that does not exceed 35 mass %.
40. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component comprises at least 80% of oxygen as an anion and is free of chalcogenide anions except oxygen.
41. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component is an oxide-based multicomponent glass.
42. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component is selected from the group consisting of silicate glass, borate glass, phosphate glass, and aluminate glass.
43. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component has a composition of (in wt %):
Silicatic Glass
Min
Max
SiO2
45
100
TiO2
0
10
ZrO2
0
10
Al2O3
0
42
B2O3
0
30
Fe2O3
0
0.5
P2O5
0
10
MgO
0
20
CaO
0
20
BaO
0
20
MnO
0
20
ZnO
0
10
Li2O
0
50
Na2O
0
10
K2O
0
10
La2O3
0
10
SrO
0
10
Halogen (elementary)
0
20
As2O3
0
1.5
Sb2O3
0
1.5
Cs2O
0
10
Nb2O3
0
40
RE (except La2O3)
0
5
SnO2
0
1.5
NiO
0
20
CoO
0
20
Ta2O5
0
25
SnO
0
1.5
SrO
0
20
or
Phosphate Glass A
Min
Max
SiO2
0
30
TiO2
0
40
ZrO2
0
10
Al2O3
0
30
B2O3
0
30
Fe2O3
0
0.5
P2O5
20
100
MgO
0
20
CaO
0
20
BaO
0
20
MnO
0
20
ZnO
0
10
Li2O
0
50
Na2O
0
10
K2O
0
10
La2O3
0
10
SrO
0
10
Halogen (elementary)
0
35
As2O3
0
1.5
Sb2O3
0
1.5
Cs2O
0
10
Nb2O3
0
40
RE (except La2O3)
0
5
SnO2
0
1.5
NiO
0
20
CoO
0
20
Ta2O5
0
10
SnO
0
65
SrO
0
20
or
Phosphate Glass B
Min
Max
SiO2
0
30
TiO2
0
40
ZrO2
0
10
Al2O3
0
30
B2O3
0
30
Fe2O3
0
7.5
P2O5
20
100
MgO
0
20
CaO
0
20
BaO
0
20
MnO
0
20
ZnO
0
20
Li2O
0
50
Na2O
0
35
K2O
0
30
La2O3
0
10
SrO
0
10
Halogen (elementary)
0
35
As2O3
0
1.5
Sb2O3
0
1.5
Cs2O
0
10
Nb2O3
0
40
RE (except La2O3)
0
5
SnO2
0
1.5
NiO
0
20
CoO
0
20
Ta2O5
0
20
SnO
0
30
SrO
0
5
CuO
0
20
Bi2O3
0
30
Sb2O5
0
5
or
Borate Glass
Min
Max
SiO2
0
30
TiO2
0
10
ZrO2
0
10
Al2O3
0
30
B2O3
20
100
Fe2O3
0
0.5
P2O5
0
10
MgO
0
20
CaO
0
20
BaO
0
20
MnO
0
20
ZnO
0
10
Li2O
0
50
Na2O
0
10
K2O
0
10
La2O3
0
50
SrO
0
10
Halogen (elementary)
0
20
As2O3
0
1.5
Sb2O3
0
1.5
Cs2O
0
10
Nb2O3
0
40
RE (except La2O3)
0
5
SnO2
0
1.5
NiO
0
20
CoO
0
20
Ta2O5
0
10
SnO
0
1.5
SrO
0
20
or
Aluminate Glass
Min
Max
SiO2
0
30
TiO2
0
10
ZrO2
0
10
Al2O3
25
100
B2O3
0
30
Fe2O3
0
0.5
P2O5
0
10
MgO
0
20
CaO
0
20
BaO
0
20
MnO
0
20
ZnO
0
10
Li2O
0
50
Na2O
0
10
K2O
0
10
La2O3
0
10
SrO
0
10
Halogen (elementary)
0
20
As2O3
0
1.5
Sb2O3
0
1.5
Cs2O
0
10
Nb2O3
0
40
RE (except La2O3)
0
5
SnO2
0
1.5
NiO
0
20
CoO
0
20
Ta2O5
0
10
SnO
0
1.5
SrO
0
20
44. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said glass-based component has a composition of (expressed in wt %):
Borate
Phosphate
Aluminate
Silicate
Phosphate
Type
Glass (1)
Glass (1)
Glass (1)
Glass (1)
Glass (2)
SiO2
20
60
1
TiO2
ZrO2
Al2O3
15
25
17
4
B2O3
25
45
7
1
Fe2O3
Cr2O3
P2O5
35
70
MgO
15
2
1
CaO
10
15
10
3.5
BaO
15
3.5
10
MnO
ZnO
5
5
PbO
Li2O
3
Na2O
2
0.5
K2O
10
2
SnO
60
SnO2
0.5
NiO
1
CoO
1
a(b * c)
99
780
116
42
139
s(K2 \xb7 m2)
or
Phosphate
Phosphate
Phosphate
Phosphate
Phosphate
Type
Glass (3)
Glass (4)
Glass (5)
Glass (6)
Glass (7)
SiO2
0.9
TiO2
0.5
ZrO2
Al2O3
1.5
0.9
5.6
12.7
B2O3
Fe2O3
6.6
Cr2O3
P2O5
59.3
58.0
81.5
65.3
70.4
MgO
0.9
CaO
SrO
2.7
BaO
1.4
MnO
ZnO
16.0
7.0
PbO
Li2O
0.5
5.15
Na2O
32.4
1.5
10.3
K2O
1.5
0.2
28.2
CuO
8.3
Bi2O3
19.5
Sb2O3
0.25
SnO2
1.0
a(b * c)
702
288
494
1085
393
s(K2 \xb7 m2)
45. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 43, wherein constituents of said glass-based component are provided in a mixing ratio of low-melting to high-melting glasses from 50:50 to 80:20.
46. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, comprising a volume fraction of crystalline ceramic particles to respective glasses of up to 95% by volume.
47. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said at least one component is a powder.
48. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein said powder intercepts HF by forming Si\u2014F bonds.
49. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein said powder exhibits an ionic conductivity of less than 10\u22125 Scm at room temperature.
50. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein said powder has a specific surface area ranging from 1 sqmg to 50 sqmg.
51. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein said powder has a dielectric constant \u2208r ranging from 3 to 25,000.
52. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein said powder is provided with D90 particle sizes from 100 nm to 10 \u03bcm.
53. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein the powder has particles with a surface texture or silanized surface.
54. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 47, wherein said powder is in agglomerated form.
55. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein the lithium-ion cell is rechargeable.
56. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said component is the separator.
57. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said component is the cathode.
58. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said component is the anode.
59. The lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, wherein said component is the liquid electrolyte.
60. An inorganic constituent for a lithium-ion cell as claimed in claim 34, which is produced using a process step of melting at temperatures below 2000\xb0 C. and cooling rapidly.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for treating a sludge comprising the steps of:
conditioning the sludge;
continuously feeding the conditioned sludge through at least one pressure vessel;
adding a reactive mixture to the conditioned sludge to form a fertilizer mix, wherein the reactive mixture comprises a hot salt; and
maintaining the fertilizer mix in a stress condition for a retention period;
wherein the sludge is continuously pumpable throughout the at least one pressure vessel.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hot salt comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate and combinations thereof.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hot salt is a hot melt.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the reactive mixture comprises the separate additions of concentrated acid and a base.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the reactive mixture comprises the separate additions of a sludge previously treated with a concentrated acid and a base.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein adding the reactive mixture comprises the separate additions of a previously ammoniated conditioned sludge and a concentrated acid.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the concentrated acid is sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the stress condition comprises agitating the mix and results in partial or complete hydrolysis, denaturation, sterilization, or combinations thereof of components of the sludge.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the components of the sludge are selected from the group consisting of personal pharmaceutical compounds, antibiotics, hormones, hormone-like molecules, other biologically active compounds, macromolecules including proteins, and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sludge is selected from the group consisting of municipal dewatered biosolids, heat-dried biosolids, pharmaceutical fermentation wastes, microbial digests of organic products, food stuffs, food byproducts, animal manures, digested animal manures, organic sludges comprised primarily of microorganisms, and combinations thereof.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sludge is a dry or dewatered sludge containing between 12% and 40% solids, between 18% and 30% solids, between 33% and 99% solids, or between 90% and 99% solids.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditioning step comprises adding one or more oxidizing agents, one or more acids, or a combination thereof to the sludge.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more oxidizing agents are selected from a group consisting of calcium ferrate, sodium ferrate, potassium ferrate, hydrogen peroxide, calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, potassium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, ozone, oxygen, and combinations thereof, and wherein the one or more acids comprise phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting the pH of the mix.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the pH of the mix is adjusted to a value from 4.5 to 6.0 by the addition of a pH control agent.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the pH control agent is selected from the group consisting of calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, anhydrous ammonia, cement kiln dust, lime kiln dust, fluidized bed ash, Class C fly ash and Class F fly ash, multistage burner fly ash, alum, water treatment sludge, wood ash, and combinations thereof.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein steam is produced within the pressure vessel and the temperature of the mix increases due to an exothermic reaction of the components of the mix, and wherein the steam is subsequently removed to create a drying effect on the mix.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the temperature increase of the mix exceeds 100\xb0 C., 121\xb0 C., 126\xb0 C. or 137\xb0 C. and, wherein the pressure increase of the mix exceeds 20, 30 or 38 pounds per square inch.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the retention period is a minimum of one minute, from 5 to 30 minutes, or from 10 to 20 minutes.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sludge is made pumpable by mixing the sludge with a force sufficient to make it pumpable or by adding a liquid.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the liquid is blowdown acid-water from a scrubber system.
22. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the sludge in a pugmill.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the sludge is heated by a heated shaft, heated paddle blades, a heated jacketed sleeve surrounding the pugmill, or a combination thereof.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the sludge is heated to 80\xb0 F., 95\xb0 F. or 111\xb0 F.
25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of adding one or more plant nutrients and one or more hardening agents to the mix in the mixer or pugmill,
wherein the one or more plant nutrients are selected from the group consisting of urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, urea ammonium nitrate, liquid urea, potash, iron oxide, soluble iron, chelated iron and combinations thereof; and
wherein the one or more hardening agents are selected from the group consisting of ferric oxides, alum, attapulgite clay, industrial molasses, lignon, ligno sulfonate, urea formaldehyde polymerizer and combinations thereof.
26. The method of claim 1, wherein vaporized ammonia is added to the pressure vessel.
27. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming the mix into granules or pellets by granulation or extrusion, and subsequently drying the pellets.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the granules or pellets are dried to greater than 90 weight percent solids, to greater than 98 weight percent solids, or to greater than 99 weight percent solids.
29. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of passing the dried granules or pellets through one or more screens to separate oversized materials and undersized materials from proper-sized product.
30. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of
passing the mix through a second mixer or pugmill,
forming the mix into granules or pellets by granulation or extrusion,
drying the granules or pellets,
passing the dried granules or pellets through one or more screens to separate oversized materials and undersized materials from proper-sized product, and
reintroducing the crushed oversized materials to the mix in the second mixer or pugmill.
31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of crushing the oversized materials in a crusher or mill.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein the undersized materials comprise dust.
33. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of cooling the dried granules or pellets in a cooling apparatus, wherein the dried granules or pellets are cooled to 140\xb0 F. or less, 130\xb0 F. or less, or 120\xb0 F. or less.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the cooling apparatus is a fluidized bed, a rotating drum.
35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of coating the dried granules or pellets with a dedusting or glazing material to reduce abrasion and dust generation, wherein the dedusting material is applied to the granules or pellets within the cooling apparatus.
36. The method of claim 1 wherein there are three pressure vessels, each filled successively, to permit a continuous batch processing of the fertilizer mix under defined temperature and atmospheric pressure conditions and retention time.
37. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passing the mix through a mixer or pugmill that follows the pressure vessel in the processing sequence.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein the mix formed in the pressure vessel is an ammonia melt containing incomplete ammoniation with excess acid.
39. The method of claim 38, wherein the mix is treated with ammonia to complete the ammoniation process forming an ammonium salt in a sparger in the mixer or pugmill.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein the ammonia is converted from a liquid to superheated ammonia vapor prior to being introduced into the sparger.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein the conversion to superheated ammonia vapor is accomplished by applying a direct heater to an ammonia delivery line or by applying excess heat recovered by a heat exchanger from elsewhere in the process to the liquid ammonia.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the ammonia vapor is superheated with the temperature controlled at 120-200\xb0 F., or at 170-180\xb0 F., and a pressure controlled at 90 to 120 psig.