1. A method for heat treating a chemically reduced tantalum powder having one or more of the following properties:
BET: 0.1 to 12.0 m2g
Scott density: 15 to 40 ginch3
Particle size as determined by SEM: 0.02 to 10 \u03bcm, andor
Fisher sub sieve size: 0.15 to 10 \u03bcm, and wherein
said method comprising heat treating said chemically reduced tantalum powder that is in a flowable state with microwave energy at a level of from about 0.5 to about 10 GHz to form an agglomerated heat-treated powder, and then crushing or milling said agglomerated heat-treated powder to form a heat-treated flowable powder that has a powder size of less than 420 microns, and wherein said heat-treated flowable powder when formed into a capacitor anode, has a higher capacitance capability compared to the same powder heat treated in a furnace.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deoxidizing said agglomerated heat-treated powder after said crushing or milling.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising passivating said agglomerated heat-treated powder prior to said crushing or milling.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising pressing said heat-treated flowable powder into a compressed body, and sintering said compressed body to form a sintered body.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising anodizing the sintered body.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said heat-treated flowable powder has an increase in capacitance capability of 5% or more compared to the same powder heat treated in a furnace.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said heat-treated flowable powder has an increase in capacitance capability of from about 10% to about 30% compared to the same powder heat treated in a furnace.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said method forms said heat-treated flowable powder that has a porosity that is 80% or more of the theoretical density of tantalum powder.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat-treated flowable powder has an increase in capacitance capability of 5% or more compared to the same powder heat treated in a furnace.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said heat-treated flowable powder has an increase in capacitance capability of from about 10% to about 30% compared to the same powder heat treated in a furnace.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said chemically reduced tantalum powder has said BET of 0.1 to 12.0 m2g, said Scott density of 15 to 40 ginch3, said particle size as determined by SEM of 0.02 to 10 and said Fisher sub sieve size of 0.15 to 10 \u03bcm.
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 system for preventing the slouching of a boot shaft, comprising:
(a) a garter band, adapted to be wrapped and fastened around a wearer’s leg, having an outer surface bearing a first component of a two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces; and
(b) at least one adhesive patch, adapted to be adhered to the inner surface of a boot shaft, having on its surface a second component of the two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces is a hook-and-loop fastener system.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the garter band is elastic.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the garter band is elastic.
5. A kit for preventing the slouching of a boot shaft, comprising:
(a) at least one garter band, adapted to be wrapped and fastened around a wearer’s leg, having an outer surface bearing a first component of a two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces; and
(b) at least two adhesive patches, adapted to be adhered to the inner surface of a boot shaft, having on their surfaces a second component of the two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces.
6. The kit of claim 5, comprising at least two garter bands and at least four adhesive patches.
7. A method for preventing the slouching of a boot shaft while the boot is being worn by a wearer, comprising:
(a) adhering to the inner surface of the boot shaft at least one adhesive patch, wherein the patch has on its surface a first component of a two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces,
(b) attaching to the leg of the wearer a garter band, wherein the garter band has an outer surface bearing a second component of the two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces;
(c) placing the boot on a foot of the wearer;
(d) pulling the boot shaft to its full extension; and
(e) pressing together the two components of the two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces;
whereby the two components are made to adhere to one another, thereby holding the boot shaft to the leg in the fully extended position.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the two-component system of mutually and reversibly adherent surfaces is a hook-and-loop fastener system.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein the garter band is elastic.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the garter band is elastic.