Hrl Laboratories, LLC

The Boeing Company

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Raytheon Company

Hughes Electronics Corporation

The Directv Group, Inc.

Elena M Sherman

Adam Franklin Gross

Ping Liu

Andrew Paul Nowak

John J Vajo

John S Wang

April Rose Rodriguez

Mark William Verbrugge

Jocelyn Hicks-Garner

Souren Soukiazian

Sky Van Atta

Klaus Robinson

Weldon S Williamson

Shuoqin Wang

Alain A Adjorlolo

Andrew C Chu

Hardik Dalal

Jill Elisabeth Seebergh

Douglas Henry Berry

Glenn R Dalby

Thomas B Stanford, Jr

Matthew T Sinnott

Alan Jon Jacobsen

Kurtis Shuldberg Willden

William B Barvosa-Carter

Daniel M Rotter

William R Rodgers

Jason A Graetz

Kevin W Kirby

Brad Andrew Coxon

Andrew Mark Mance

Stephen Lee Metschan

Louis G Hector, Jr

Tina T Salguero

Pablo D Zavattieri

Berryinne Decker

David A Okonski

Anna Lackner

Andrew P Novak

Methods for forming a fluoropolymer coated component, such as a metal component, comprise applying an adhesion promoter onto a surface of the component; applying an organic material onto the adhesion promoter; and applying a mixture comprising a fluoropolymer and a solvent selected from a furan or a fluorinated solvent onto the organic material. Fluoropolymer coatings have a thickness of from about 5 mil to about 80 mil on a component, an average porosity of from about 20% to about 70% based on the total volume of the layer, and a void density of from about 10to about 10voids per cm.

Conformal fluoropolymer coatings

The present invention provides a battery electrode comprising an active battery material enclosed in the pores of a conductive nanoporous scaffold. The pores in the scaffold constrain the dimensions for the active battery material and inhibit sintering, which results in better cycling stability, longer battery lifetime, and greater power through less agglomeration. Additionally, the scaffold forms electrically conducting pathways to the active battery nanoparticles that are dispersed. In some variations, a battery electrode of the invention includes an electrically conductive scaffold material with pores having at least one length dimension selected from about 0.5 nm to about 100 nm, and an oxide material contained within the pores, wherein the oxide material is electrochemically active.

Porous conductive scaffolds containing battery materials

Low-friction fluorinated coatings are disclosed herein. A preferred low-friction material contains a low-surface-energy fluoropolymer having a surface energy between about 5 mJ/mto about 50 mJ/m, and a hygroscopic material that is covalently connected to the fluoropolymer in a triblock copolymer, such as PEG-PFPE-PEG. The material forms a lubricating surface layer in the presence of humidity. An exemplary copolymer comprises fluoropolymers with average molecular weight from 500 g/mol to 20,000 g/mol, wherein the fluoropolymers are (&#x3b1;,&#x3c9;)-hydroxyl-terminated and/or (&#x3b1;,&#x3c9;)-amine-terminated, and wherein the fluoropolymers are present in the triblock structure T-(CH&#x2014;CH&#x2014;O)&#x2014;CH&#x2014;CF&#x2014;O&#x2014;(CF&#x2014;CF&#x2014;O)(CF&#x2014;O)&#x2014;CF&#x2014;CH&#x2014;(O&#x2014;CH&#x2014;CH)-T where T is a hydroxyl or amine terminal group, p=1 to 50, m=1 to 100, and n=1 to 100. The copolymer also contains isocyanate species and polyol or polyamine chain extenders or crosslinkers possessing a functionality of preferably 3 or greater. These durable, solvent-resistant, and transparent coatings reduce insect debris following impact.

Low-friction fluorinated coatings

This invention provides durable, low-ice-adhesion coatings with excellent performance in terms of ice-adhesion reduction. Some variations provide a low-ice-adhesion coating comprising a microstructure with a first-material phase and a second-material phase that are microphase-separated on an average length scale of phase inhomogeneity from 1 micron to 100 microns. Some variations provide a low-ice-adhesion material comprising a continuous matrix containing a first component; and a plurality of discrete inclusions containing a second component, wherein the inclusions are dispersed within the matrix to form a phase-separated microstructure that is inhomogeneous on an average length scale from 1 micron to 100 microns, wherein one of the first component or the second component is a low-surface-energy polymer, and the other is a hygroscopic material. The coatings are characterized by an AMIL Centrifuge Ice Adhesion Reduction Factor up to 100 or more. These coatings are useful for aerospace surfaces and other applications.

Compositions and methods for fabricating durable, low-ice-adhesion coatings

This invention provides durable, low-ice-adhesion coatings with excellent ice-adhesion reduction. Some variations provide a low-ice-adhesion composition comprising a composite material containing at least a first-material phase and a second-material phase that are nanophase-separated on a length scale from 10 nanometers to less than 100 nanometers, wherein the first-material phase and the second-material phase further are microphase-separated on a length scale from 0.1 microns to 100 microns. The larger length scale of separation is driven by an emulsion process, which provides microphase separation that is in addition to classic molecular-level phase separation. The composite material has a glass-transition temperature above &#x2212;80&#xb0; C. The coatings may be characterized by an AMIL Centrifuge Ice Adhesion Reduction Factor up to 100 or more. These coatings are useful for aerospace surfaces and many other applications.

Compositions for fabricating durable, low-ice-adhesion coatings

Some variations provide a low-adhesion coating comprising a continuous matrix containing a first component, a plurality of inclusions containing a second component, and a solid-state lubricant distributed within the coating, wherein one of the first component or the second component is a low-surface-energy polymer, and the other of the first component or the second component is a hygroscopic material. The solid-state lubricant may be selected from graphite, graphene, molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, hexagonal boron nitride, or poly(tetrafluoroethylene) or other fluoropolymers. The solid-state lubricant particles may be coated with a metal selected from cadmium, lead, tin, zinc, copper, nickel, or alloys containing one or more of these metals. The solid-state lubricant is typically characterized by an average particle size from about 0.1 &#x3bc;m to about 500 &#x3bc;m. The solid-state lubricant is preferably distributed throughout the coating.

Low-adhesion coatings with solid-state lubricants

A coating includes at least one coating layer containing first particles, second particles, and third particles distributed throughout a cross-linked, continuous polymer matrix. An outer surface of the coating layer includes surfaces of at least first particles extending outward from a top periphery of the polymer matrix. The outer surface exhibits a property of delaying ice formation compared to the coating layer without the first particles. A method includes applying a coating composition in one application step. The one-step coating composition contains first particles, second particles, and third particles in a base containing a polymer. A coating composition includes first particles, second particles, and third particles distributed in a matrix precursor.

Coatings, coating compositions, and methods of delaying ice formation

A method of making a composite part comprises covering a mold tool for a composite part with a parting film, the parting film comprising a polymer sheet and a pressure sensitive adhesive. The parting film is positioned so that the polymer sheet is between the mold tool and the pressure sensitive adhesive. At least one layer of pre-preg is layed up on the parting film covering the mold tool to form a layed-up composite part. The pre-preg comprises an adhesive. The layed-up composite part is removed from the parting film.

Method for pre-preg manufacturing

The present disclosure is directed to a thermoresponsive adhesive material. The material comprises a linear, phase-separated polymer having fluorinated polymer units and hydrophobic polymer units. The fluorinated polymer units and the hydrophobic polymer units are randomly ordered along the polymer. The hydrophobic polymer units include a first hydrophobic polymer unit and a second hydrophobic polymer unit. The first hydrophobic polymer unit is chosen from acrylate units or methacrylate units each substituted with one or more linear alkyl groups, linear alkenyl groups or a combination thereof, where at least one of the linear alkyl groups or alkenyl groups has 16 to 20 carbon atoms. The second hydrophobic polymer unit is chosen from acrylate units or methacrylate units each substituted with one or more linear alkyl groups, linear alkenyl groups or a combination thereof, where at least one of the linear alkyl or alkenyl groups of the second hydrophobic polymer unit has 5 to 14 carbon atoms. A peak adhesive strength of the thermoresponsive adhesive material is modifiable and reversible with a change in temperature. Methods of making thermoresponsive adhesive materials, methods employing thermoresponsive adhesive materials and self-adhesive objects that include thermoresponsive adhesive materials are also disclosed.

Thermoresponsive adhesive material, method of making the material and methods of use

Variations of the invention provide an improved aluminum battery consisting of an aluminum anode, a non-aqueous electrolyte, and a cathode comprising a metal oxide, a metal fluoride, a metal sulfide, or sulfur. The cathode can be fully reduced upon battery discharge via a multiple-electron reduction reaction. In some embodiments, the cathode materials are contained within the pore volume of a porous conductive carbon scaffold. Batteries provided by the invention have high active material specific energy densities and good cycling stabilities at a variety of operating temperatures.

Methods of making cathodes for aluminum batteries

The disclosed battery system comprises a three-electrode metal-ion battery configured with voltage meters connected between anode and cathode, between anode and a reference electrode, and between cathode and the reference electrode; a current source connecting the anode and cathode; and a programmable computer. The system is configured to control the current source to drive the battery with a current cycling profile, and to measure current signals between anode and cathode, and voltage signals derived from the voltage meters. An impulse response is then calculated for each of the anode and cathode, to dynamically estimate open-circuit potential and impedance of each of the anode and cathode. Battery aging, battery capacity fading, and other diagnostics are provided in real time. This invention can characterize each individual electrode of a battery, even when the battery is cycling away from equilibrium states, which is important for electric vehicles.

Methods and apparatus for real-time characterization of batteries with a reference electrode

Growing community of inventors

Culver City, CA, United States of America

Elena M Sherman