Hrl Laboratories, LLC

The Boeing Company

Gm Global Technology Operations LLC

The Clorox Company

Theboeing Company

Adam Franklin Gross

Andrew Paul Nowak

John J Vajo

April Rose Rodriguez

Shanying Cui

Ashley M Dustin

Elena M Sherman

Alan Jon Jacobsen

Robert W Cumberland

Christopher Stephen Roper

Ping Liu

John Hunter Martin

Xin Ning Guan

Jocelyn Hicks-Garner

Jason A Graetz

Tobias A Schaedler

Hardik Dalal

Ashley M Nelson

William B Carter

Brennan D Yahata

Adam E Sorensen

Panagiotis Emanuel George

Richard E Sharp

Kevin J Drummey

Russell Patrick Mott

John S Wang

Anthony L Smith

Florian G Herrault

Tina T Salguero

Kevin Geary

Janet Christine Robincheck

Jacob Michael Hundley

William B Barvosa-Carter

Kevin W Kirby

Keith John Davis

David Kisailus

Alain A Adjorlolo

Randall Jay Moss

Berryinne Decker

Jun Liu

Nicole L Abueg

Sky Van Atta

Nancy L Johnson

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

Logan D Sorenson

Daniel M Rotter

Brad Andrew Coxon

Chaoyin Zhou

Stephen Lee Metschan

James Hillard Davis, Jr

Danny M Kim

Larken Elizabeth Euliss

Jill Elisabeth Seebergh

Douglas Henry Berry

Keith V Guinn

Erin E Stache

Glenn R Dalby

Michael H Bartl

Larken E Cumberland

Matthew T Rakher

Sky L Skeith

Ronald M Finnila

Kevin Scott Callahan

Jamie J Childress

Peter David Brewer

Daniel J Gregoire

Hung P Nguyen

Andrew C Keefe

Rajesh D Rajavel

Jeffrey L Rogers

Darrin Michael Hansen

Shahriar Khosravani

Ashot K Serobian

Wen Li

Adam L Wright

Mona Marie Knock

Daniela N Fritter

Joanna A Kolodziejska

Danielle J Coutts

Brett Yurash

William A Schumacher

Michael Jared Ventuleth

Tarric M El-Sayed

Eliana V Ghantous

Randolph C Camp

Brian Wayne Neff

William B Barvose Carter

Julio C Cardozo

Frederick R Van Wort, Iii

John A Martin

Kaitlin Albanese

Mike Hilston

Dylan Hollrigel

Megan Shewey

Matthew Vandyke

William B Barvose-Carter

Lynn G Taylor

Nancy W Carlson

Some variations provide a method of making a nanofunctionalized metal powder, comprising: providing metal particles containing metals selected from iron, nickel, copper, titanium, magnesium, zinc, silicon, lithium, silver, chromium, manganese, vanadium, bismuth, gallium, or lead; providing nanoparticles selected from zirconium, tantalum, niobium, or titanium; disposing the nanoparticles onto surfaces of the metal particles, in the presence of mixing media, thereby generating nanofunctionalized metal particles; and isolating and recovering the nanofunctionalized metal particles as a nanofunctionalized metal powder. Some variations provide a composition comprising a nanofunctionalized metal powder, the composition comprising metal particles and nanoparticles containing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of zirconium, tantalum, niobium, titanium, and oxides, nitrides, hydrides, carbides, or borides thereof, or combinations of the foregoing.

Methods for nanofunctionalization of powders, and nanofunctionalized materials produced therefrom

Some variations provide a magnetically anisotropic structure comprising a hexaferrite film disposed on a substrate, wherein the hexaferrite film contains a plurality of discrete and aligned magnetic hexaferrite particles, wherein the hexaferrite film is characterized by an average film thickness from about 1 micron to about 500 microns, and wherein the hexaferrite film contains less than 2 wt % organic matter. The hexaferrite film does not require a binder. Discrete particles are not sintered or annealed together because the maximum processing temperature to fabricate the structure is 500° C. or less, such as 250° C. or less. The magnetic hexaferrite particles may contain barium hexaferrite (BaFeO) and/or strontium hexaferrite (SrFeO). The hexaferrite film may be characterized by a remanence-to-saturation magnetization ratio of at least 0.7. Methods of making and using the magnetically anisotropic structure are also described.

Magnetically anisotropic binder-free films containing discrete hexaferrite nanoplatelets

An antimicrobial coating is disclosed that provides fast transport rates of biocides for better effectiveness to deactivate SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses or bacteria on common surfaces. Some variations provide an antimicrobial structure comprising: a solid structural phase comprising a solid structural material; a continuous transport phase that is interspersed within the solid structural phase, wherein the continuous transport phase comprises a solid transport material; and an antimicrobial agent contained within the continuous transport phase, wherein the solid structural phase and the continuous transport phase are separated by an average phase-separation length from about 100 nanometers to about 500 microns. The antimicrobial structure is capable of destroying at least 99.99% of bacteria and/or viruses in 10 minutes of contact. Many options are disclosed for suitable materials to form the solid structural phase, the continuous transport phase, and the antimicrobial agent.

Fast-acting antimicrobial surfaces, and methods of making and using the same

An applique for covering a clear substrate through which light is at least one of transmitted and received includes: a transparent sheet having: a first surface; and a second surface that is opposite the first surface; and a ultraviolet (UV) curable pressure sensitive adhesive that is disposed on the first surface of the transparent sheet, that is curable using UV light, and that is configured to adhere the transparent sheet to a third surface of the clear substrate.

Sensor applique with ultra violet curable pressure sensitive adhesive

Some variations provide a polyoxalamide polymer comprising: one or more first segments containing at least one repeat unit that includes (i) a branched, aliphatic hydrocarbon species and (ii) first amide groups at internal ends of the repeat unit, wherein the first amide groups are part of oxalamide groups; one or more polymer end groups containing second amide groups that are each covalently bonded directly to one of the first amide groups, wherein the second amide groups are also part of the oxalamide groups, and wherein the oxalamide groups contain —N—C(═O)—C(—O)—N-sequences; and a reacted form of one or more multifunctional amine chain extenders or crosslinkers with an amine functionality of 3 or greater. The polyoxalamide polymer may be present in a lens, a window, a coating, or a film, for example. The polyoxalamide polymer may have UV transparency, visual transparency, NIR transparency, MWIR transparency, and/or LWIR transparency.

Durable, broadband-transparent polyoxalamide polymers and methods of making and using the same

Some variations provide an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer composition comprising a plurality of polarizable, thermotropic main-chain liquid-crystal polymer molecules with crystalline domains. The liquid-crystal polymer molecules are in a nematic phase or a smectic phase, and at least 80% of the crystalline domains are aligned along a crystal axis. A method of making an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer composition comprises: synthesizing or obtaining a polymer containing polarizable domains; heating the polymer to form a polymer melt; cooling the polymer melt to form a thermotropic liquid-crystal polymer; exposing the thermotropic liquid-crystal polymer to an electrical field, thereby aligning the polarizable domains along a crystal axis; and recovering the thermotropic liquid-crystal polymer as an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer composition. The polymer composition may be formed into an object characterized by thermal conductivity along the minimum dimension that is at least three times greater than thermal conductivity along the maximum dimension.

Anisotropic thermally conductive polymers and methods of making and using the same

Some variations provide an optic (such as an optical lens or an optical window) comprising at least 1 wt % of a polyoxalamide, wherein the optic is characterized by at least 40% average transmission of infrared radiation, and wherein the polyoxalamide comprises: first segments containing at least one repeat unit that includes (i) a branched, aliphatic hydrocarbon species and (ii) first amide groups at internal ends of the repeat unit, wherein the first amide groups are part of oxalamide groups; polymer end groups containing second amide groups that are each covalently bonded directly to one of the first amide groups, wherein the second amide groups are also part of the oxalamide groups, and wherein the oxalamide groups contain —N—C(═O)—C(═O)—N— sequences; and a reacted form of multifunctional amine chain extenders or crosslinkers with an amine functionality of 3 or greater. Methods of making and using the optic are described.

Durable, broadband-transparent polyoxalamide- based optics and methods of making and using the same

A polyurethane foam and a method of forming a polyurethan foam. The polyurethane foam including the reaction product of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene copolymer polyol, a gelation catalyst, a blowing catalyst, lignin, a polymeric isocyanate, and a blowing agent. The method includes mixing polyethylene glycol and polypropylene copolymer polyol, a gelation catalyst, a blowing catalyst, lignin, a polymeric isocyanate, and a blowing agent. Vehicle components are formed from the polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane foams containing unmodified lignin

A self-sanitizing surface structure configured to selectively refract light, a method of fabricating a self-sanitizing surface configured to selectively refract light, and a method of decontaminating a surface using selectively refracted light. A waveguide including a support layer below a propagating layer is positioned over a substrate as a self-sanitizing layer. In the absence of a contaminant or residue on the waveguide, UV light injected into the propagating layer is constrained within the propagating layer due to total internal reflection. When a residue is present on the self-sanitizing surface structure, light may be selectively refracted at or near the interface with the residue along the side of the waveguide to destroy the residue. The self-sanitizing surface structure may be configured is to refract a suitable amount of UV light in response to a particular type of residue or application.

Self-sanitizing waveguiding surfaces

Some variations provide an oligomer composition comprising: polarizable first thermotropic liquid-crystal oligomer molecules (preferably urethanes or ureas) containing first triggerable reactive end groups, wherein the first triggerable reactive end groups are selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl, isocyanate, blocked isocyanate, acrylate, epoxide, amine, vinyl, ester, thiol, conjugated diene, substituted alkene, furan, maleimide, anthracene, and combinations thereof, and wherein the polarizable first thermotropic liquid-crystal oligomer molecules are characterized by a weight-average molecular weight from about 200 g/mol to about 10,000 g/mol; optionally, a plurality of polarizable second thermotropic liquid-crystal oligomer molecules containing second triggerable reactive end groups, wherein the second triggerable reactive end groups are capable of reacting with the first triggerable reactive end groups; and optionally, a reactive coupling agent capable of reacting with the first triggerable reactive end groups. Methods are described for converting the oligomer composition into an anisotropic thermally conductive polymer. Many commercial uses are disclosed.

Anisotropic thermally conductive polymers with dynamic molecular weight, and methods of making the same

Some variations provide a thermoformable and thermosettable bismaleimide-thiol-epoxy resin composition comprising: a thiol-endcapped bismaleimide monomer or oligomer; a thiol-containing species; an epoxy species; a curing catalyst; and optional additives. Other variations provide a method of making a bismaleimide-thiol-epoxy resin composition, comprising: providing a starting bismaleimide, a starting multifunctional amine, a starting multifunctional thiol, an acid catalyst, and a solvent to form a starting reaction mixture; reacting the bismaleimide, the multifunctional amine, and the multifunctional thiol to form a thiol-endcapped bismaleimide monomer or oligomer; providing a thiol-containing species; providing at least one epoxy species; providing a curing catalyst; and combining the thiol-endcapped bismaleimide monomer or oligomer, the thiol-containing species, the epoxy species, and the curing catalyst, to form a bismaleimide-thiol-epoxy resin composition. Other variations provide a method of thermoprocessing comprising: thermoforming, but not completely curing, a bismaleimide-thiol-epoxy resin composition; and, at a later time, completely curing the thermoformed bismaleimide-thiol-epoxy resin.

Bismaleimide-thiol-epoxy polymer compositions, and methods of making and using the same

Infrared-transparent polymers, useful for LWIR and/or MWIR transparency, are disclosed. The disclosed infrared-transparent polymers are low-cost, damage-resistant, and economically scalable to commercially relevant substrate areas (1 ftand greater). In some disclosed infrared-transparent polymers, the carbon-free polymer backbone contains a plurality of polymer repeat units of the form wherein Ris selected from the group consisting of alkyls, hydroxyl, amino, urea, thiol, thioether, amino alkyls, carboxylates, metals, metal-containing groups, and deuterated forms or combinations thereof; wherein Ris (independently from R) selected from the group consisting of alkyls, hydroxyl, amino, urea, thiol, thioether, amino alkyls, carboxylates, metals, metal-containing groups, and deuterated forms or combinations thereof; wherein n is selected from 2 to about 10,000; and wherein the carbon-free polymer backbone is linear, cyclic, branched, or a combination thereof.

Infrared-transparent polymers and methods of making and using the same

An antimicrobial interior component for a vehicle includes an interior component body having a contoured surface. The interior component also includes an antimicrobial jacket assembly having a first piece and a second piece coupled together and disposed over the contoured surface. The antimicrobial jacket assembly defines at least one touch surface disposed over the contoured surface of the interior component body. The first piece and the second piece each includes an antimicrobial metal material configured to prevent or minimize microbes from accumulating on the at least one touch surface.

Antimicrobial metallic touch surfaces and methods for making the same

This disclosure provides corrosion-resistant coatings that significantly improve corrosion resistance compared to the prior art. The corrosion protection system senses gradients in electrical potential, pH, and metal ion concentration, and then automatically halts corrosion. Some variations provide a gradient-responsive corrosion-resistant coating comprising: a first layer comprising a transition metal oxide and mobile cations; a second layer comprising a biphasic polymer, wherein the biphasic polymer contains ionic groups, wherein the biphasic polymer comprises a discrete phase and a continuous transport phase, wherein the continuous transport phase is capable of delivering oligomers in response to corrosion byproducts, and wherein the oligomers are ionically crosslinkable with metal cations from a base metal substrate. Other variations provide a corrosion protection system comprising: a base metallic layer; a metal oxide layer comprising a transition metal oxide and mobile cations; a polymer layer comprising a biphasic polymer; and a sealing layer disposed on the polymer layer.

Gradient-responsive corrosion-resistant coatings

Some variations provide a method of forming a transparent icephobic coating, comprising: obtaining a hardenable precursor comprising a first component and a plurality of inclusions containing a second component, wherein one of the first component or the second component is a low-surface-energy polymer, and the other is a hygroscopic material; applying mechanical shear and/or sonication to the hardenable precursor; disposing the hardenable precursor onto a substrate; and curing the hardenable precursor to form a transparent icephobic coating. The coating contains a hardened continuous matrix containing regions of the first component separated from regions of the second component on an average length scale of phase inhomogeneity from 10 nanometers to 10 microns, such as less than 1 micron, or less than 100 nanometers. The transparent icephobic coating may be characterized by a light transmittance of at least 50% at wavelengths from 400 nm to 800 nm, through a 100-micron coating.

Methods for fabricating transparent icephobic coatings, and transparent icephobic coatings obtained therefrom

Growing community of inventors

Santa Monica, CA, United States of America

Adam Franklin Gross