1. A method of manufacturing a material which shows anisotropic properties when interacting with electromagnetic radiation of suitable wavelength or with an electric, magnetic or electromagnetic field, said material comprising a component which comprises particles, said component being capable of interacting with said radiation or field to effect, or contribute to, said anisotropic material properties, said particles being spatially moveable under the influence of the said, or a different, radiation or field, wherein
a) the material, or a suitable precursor material, is provided at a viscosity which permits the spatial movement of the particles;
b) the material or precursor material is exposed to the radiation or field to cause a spatial movement of particles until their position corresponds to the desired anisotropic properties, and
c) the viscosity of the material or precursor material is increased such that the position of the particles obtained in the preceding step remains in the absence of the radiation or field,
d) whereby the said material may comprise at least two identical or different preformed substrates, which are connected by at least one intermediate layer, whereby the particles are completely or partially comprised by said intermediate layer, and
e) said material comprises said at least two substrates connected by said layer if a magnetic or electromagnetic field is used to spatially move the particles, and the anisotropic properties produce a threedimensionally-appearing optical effect, visible to the naked eye, upon illumination of the finished material with visible light.
2. Method according to claim 1, comprising only the method steps a) to c), wherein the radiation used to spatially move the particles, is an electric radiation or field.
3. Method according to claim 2, whereby the particles are provided with ionic or electric dipole charges and the electric radiation or field comprises an inhomogeneous or homogeneous static electric field or an alternating electric field.
4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the field used to spatially move the particles is the field of a permanent magnet or an electromagnet.
5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the spatial movement of the particles is used to cause a varying thickness of a material layer comprising said particles.
6. Method according to claim 5, wherein a surface profile of said layer is created.
7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the anisotropic properties of the material form a pattern which is not visible to the naked eye.
8. Method according claim 1, wherein the component comprises particles selected from metallic materials, oxide-coated metallic materials; ferromagnetic materials; ferrite materials and materials formed by combining nonmagnetic materials with magnetic or magnetizable materials.
9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the material or precursor material is modified thermally or via the concentration of a solvent or diluent.
10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the particles are comprised in a surface layer of the material, and said surface layer is produced by coating of a top coating or a surface coating material.
11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the particles are comprised in an intermediate layer of a laminated material, which further comprises a laminating adhesive, said adhesive bonding two sheet-like preformed substrates.
12. Method according to claim 11, wherein the spatial movement of the particles is effected while the viscosity of the adhesive, before, during or after the laminating step, is still lower, in comparison to its final value.
13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the spatial movement of the particles is effected by a permanently magnetic film, roller or plate.
14. Method according to claim 1, wherein the spatial movement of the particles is effected by an electromagnetic device.
15. A product with a top or surface coating obtainable or obtained by means of the method in accordance with claim 1.
16. A laminated product obtainable or obtained by means of the method in accordance with claim 1.
17. A laminated product comprising at least two substrates bonded by at least one intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises particles as defined in claim 1.
18. A laminated product according to claim 17, which upon inspection with the naked eye shows a threedimensionally-appearing optical effect caused by the anisotropic spatial arrangement of said particles.
19. A laminated product according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the substrates is a polymer film or a paper or cardboard material.
20. A laminated product according claim 1, wherein at least one of the substrates is a metal foil.
21. Packaging material or a container, comprising a material in accordance with claim 1, especially in the form of a bag, a stand-up pouch, a film bag, or a box.
22. A stiff covering or building part, especially a panel or wall segment, comprising a material in accordance claim 1.
23. A flexible sheet-type element, comprising a material in accordance with claim 1, especially in the form of a tarpaulin.
24. Use of the method in accordance with claim 1, for the creation of a mark, a code, a pictogram, an inscription or any other readable pattern.
25. Use of the method in accordance with claim 1, in a radiation or field shielding, reflection or transmission application.
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 process for recovering an oil product from an organism, comprising: (a) obtaining a crude extract from an organismal biomass; (b) applying said crude extract to a composition comprising a nanomaterial; and (c) recovering said oil product from said composition comprising the nanomaterial.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein said organism is grown prior to step (a).
3. The process of claim 1, wherein the crude extract is obtained in step (a) by exposing the organismal biomass to at least one water-immiscible solvent.
4. The process of claim 3, wherein the water-immiscible solvent is selected from the group consisting of carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, cyclohexane, 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, diethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, ethyl acetate, heptane, hexane, methyl-tert-butyl ether, pentane, toluene, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane.
5. The process of claim 1, further comprising step (d) wherein said oil product produced in step (c) is exposed to a treatment to remove said at least one solvent.
6. The process of claim 5, wherein said treatment comprises evaporation at a low temperature.
7. The process of claim 2, wherein said organism is an algae.
8. The process of claim 7, wherein said algae is a species of Dunaliella, Chlorella or Spirulina.
9. The process of claim 8, wherein said algae is Dunaliella Bardawil, Dunaliella sauna or Dunaliella primolecta, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella emorsonii, Chlorella minutissima, Chlorella sorokiniana, Chlorella vulgaris or Spirulina platensis.
10. The process of claim 7, wherein said algae is Cyclotella cryptica, Tetraselmis suecica, Monoraphidium, Botryococcus braunii, Stichococcus, Haematococcus pluvialis, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Tetraselmis suecica, Isochrysis galbana, Nannochloropsis, Nitzschia closterium, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Chlamydomas perigranulata or Synechocystis.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein said nanomaterial is a carbonaceous nanomaterial.
12. The process of claim 1, wherein recovery step (c) comprises applying pressure to said composition in order to recover said oil product.
13. The process of claim 12 is subjected to centrifugation or mechanical compression in order to obtain said oil product.
14. The process of claim 1, wherein said composition comprises at least 10% by weight of carbonaceous nanomaterials.
15. The process of claim 1, wherein said nanomaterial comprises carbonaceous nanoparticles, wherein the smallest dimension of said carbonaceous nanoparticles is less than 500 nm n.
16. The process of claim 15, wherein at least 50% of the nanoparticles are a material other than a carbon nanotube.
17. The process of claim 15, wherein said nanomaterial has the capacity to bind an amount of contaminant equal to at least 50% of the weight of said nanomaterial.
18. The process of claim 15, wherein at least 50% of said carbonaceous particles have the smallest dimension less than 500 nm.
19. The process of claim 15, wherein at least 50% of said carbonaceous particles have the smallest dimension less than 300 nm.
20. The process of claim 15, wherein at least 50% of said carbonaceous particles have the smallest dimension less than 200 nm.
21. The process of claim 15, wherein at least 50% of said carbonaceous particles have the smallest dimension less than 100 nm.
22. The process of claim 15, wherein said nanomaterial has the capacity to bind an amount of contaminant equal to at least 10 times the weight of said nanomaterial.
23. The process of claim 15, wherein a portion of the carbonaceous material has a tubular or spheroid configuration.
24. The process of claim 1, wherein said nanomaterial comprises graphene.
25. The process of claim 24, wherein nanomaterial comprises at least 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, or 99.9% graphene by weight.
26. A composition produced by the process of claim 6 comprising purified oil that is substantially free of any solvents or pigments.
27. The composition of claim 26, wherein said composition has less than 15% water by weight.
28. The composition of claim 26, wherein the organism from which the purified oil was produced is an algae.