Sri International

Symyx Technologies, Inc.

Exsorbtion Inc.

Synyx Technologies, Inc.

Marc D Hornbostel

Angel Sanjurjo

William B Archibald

Gopala N Krishnan

Anoop Nagar

Thomas R Boussie

Lorenza Moro

Susanna C Ventura

Kai-Hung Lau

Thomas Crevier

Xiaobing Xie

Dieter J Schaefer

Srinivas Bhamidi

Jordi Perez Mariano

Lawrence H Dubois

Steven Crouch-Baker

Francis Tanzella

Michael C McKubre

Iouri I Balachov

Elisabeth Perea

Alexander S Lipilin

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to methods and apparatuses used for extracting heavy rare gas. An example method includes passing inlet air through an airflow path of an apparatus, removing carbon dioxide and gaseous water from the inlet air, and cooling the inlet air to a threshold temperature while passing along the airflow path. The method further includes passing the cooled inlet air through an adsorption chamber of the apparatus to adsorb heavy rare gas from the cooled inlet air while the cooled inlet air is in a gaseous state, and extracting the heavy rare gas from the adsorption chamber.

Apparatuses and methods involving extraction of heavy rare gases

A system and method that includes flowing brine containing a metal ion through a reactor that includes porous particles having metal ion imprinted polymer having selective binding sites. The system and method further include discharging the brine from the reactor, contacting the porous particles with water, and pressurizing the reactor with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide reacts with the adsorbed metal ions to form a metal carbonate solution, where the metal carbonate solution can then be continuously purified with ion exchange. The method can include recycling eluent from the ion exchange back into the system for re-use. The method further includes depressurizing the reactor to precipitate metal carbonate from the metal carbonate solution and discharging the metal carbonate solution from the reactor.

Concentrating lithium carbonate after regeneration of lithium sorbent

A material includes a porous particle that includes a metal ion imprinted polymer. The metal ion imprinted polymer is formed from a hydrophilic co-monomer, a metal containing polymerizable compound, and a cross-linking agent. The metal containing polymerizable compound includes at least one metal chelating ligand. The metal ion imprinted polymer includes a plurality of metal ion selective binding sites. A method includes flowing brine containing a metal ion through a reactor that includes the material. The method further includes discharging the brine from the reactor, contacting the porous particles with water, and pressurizing the reactor with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide reacts with the adsorbed metal ions to form a metal carbonate solution. The method further includes depressurizing the reactor to precipitate metal carbonate from the metal carbonate solution and discharging the metal carbonate solution from the reactor.

Metal ion extraction from brines

The invention relates to contactors suitable for use, for example, in manufacturing and chemical refinement processes. In an aspect is a hybrid indirect/direct contactor for thermal management of counter-current processes, the contactor comprising a vertical reactor column, an array of interconnected heat transfer tubes within the reactor column, and a plurality of stream path diverters, wherein the tubes and diverters are configured to block all straight-line paths from the top to bottom ends of the reactor column.

Hybrid indirect/direct contactor for thermal management of counter-current processes

The invention provides methods for producing a strong, light, sorbent-based storage/dispenser system for gases and fuels. The system comprises a porous monolithic material with an adherent strong impervious skin that is capable of storing a gas under pressure in a safe and usable manner.

Monolithic natural gas storage delivery system based on sorbents

A method and reactor for removing a component from a gas stream is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes providing the gas stream containing the component that is to be removed and adsorbing the component out of the gas stream as the gas stream rises via microbeads of a sorbent falling down an adsorber section of a reactor.

Falling microbead counter-flow process for separating gas mixtures

In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates generally to a method for thermally decomposing a complex precursor salt. In one embodiment, the method includes heating a salt in a reactor until a molten salt is formed, adding the complex precursor salt to the molten salt in the reactor and removing a volatile precursor halide formed from thermal decomposition of the complex precursor salt from the reactor.

High temperature decomposition of complex precursor salts in a molten salt

In one embodiment, the present invention relates generally to a multi-stage system for performing melt coalescence and separation, the multi-stage system. In one embodiment, the multi-stage system includes a first container for mixing a powder with a salt, the first container having an opening, a heating means coupled to the first container for heating the first container and a second container coupled to the first container.

Multi-stage system for reaction and melt coalescence and separation

An electrochemical cell is provided which has a liquid anode. Preferably the liquid anode comprises molten salt and a fuel, which preferably has a significant elemental carbon content. The supply of fuel is preferably continuously replenished in the anode. Where the fuel contains or pyrolizes to elemental carbon, the reaction C+2O&#x2192;CO+4emay occur at the anode. The electrochemical cell preferably has a solid electrolyte, which may be yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The electrolyte is connected to a solid or liquid cathode, which is given a supply of an oxidizer such as air. An ion such as Opasses through the electrolyte. If Opasses through the electrolyte from the anode to the cathode, a possible reaction at the cathode may be O+4e&#x2192;2O. The electrochemical cell of the invention is preferably operated as a fuel cell, consuming fuel and producing electrical current.

Liquid anode electrochemical cell

This invention discloses methods, materials, and devices for making and screening combinatorial libraries to identify semi-conducting and thermoelectric materials. The disclosed method includes preparing a combinatorial library of materials, and identifying library members that are semiconductors. The method may include determining a thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, for each member of a second combinatorial library of materials. The method determines ZT by applying an oscillatory voltage across the library members, measuring power dissipated by library members, and calculating ZT from the power dissipated. The method may also include isolating single-phase materials of the semiconducting library members. The present invention also discloses an apparatus for discovering thermoelectric materials using combinatorial techniques. The apparatus includes a first combinatorial library of materials comprised of thin films arrayed on a substrate, and a device for identifying semiconducting members of the first combinatorial library. In addition, the apparatus may include a device for measuring ZT&#x2014;a voltage source for applying an oscillatory electrical potential across members of a second combinatorial library arrayed on a substrate, and a device for measuring the resulting power dissipated by library members. The apparatus may also include a device for isolating single-phase materials of library members that were identified as semiconductors.

Method and apparatus for screening combinatorial libraries of semiconducting properties

Computer programs and computer-implemented methods implement techniques for evaluating experimental data from a library of materials. The techniques receive a plurality of images of a library of materials that includes an array of members associated with locations in the library. User input identifying a plurality of regions of interest is received. A series of reduced data values is determined for one or more of the regions of interest as a statistical function of a plurality of pixel values for pixels in the corresponding regions. A figure of merit is calculated from one or more of the series of reduced data values for a library member at the corresponding library location. The regions of interest include a plurality of pixels in the images and correspond to locations in the library.

Analysis of chemical data from images

Computer programs and computer-implemented methods are disclosed for extracting and analyzing combinatorial chemical data from images. The invention receives a stream of data, identifies a plurality of regions of interest and determines a series of values for one or more regions of interest. The library includes a plurality of members. The data stream includes a series of images of the library. Each region of interest corresponds to a location in each of the images and to a location in the library. The series of values for each region includes a value for each of the images. Particular embodiments have the following features. The invention calculates a figure of merit for a library member from each series of values. The stream of data comprises a series of images generated at a frequency of greater than about 1, 6, 12 or 30 frames per second. The series of images is captured from a beginning of a combinatorial experiment to an end of a commercial experiment. The regions of interest are identified after the series of images has been captured. The images are infrared images. The figure of merit is an emittance change, a phase transition point or a thermoelectric figure of merit for a library member. Regions of interest are identified by a user and have a user-defined shape. The series of values for each region is determined based on a user-defined computation. A graphical representation of the figures of merit is displayed.

This invention discloses methods, materials, and devices for making and screening combinatorial libraries to identify semi-conducting and thermoelectric materials. The disclosed method includes preparing a combinatorial library of materials, and identifying library members that are semiconductors. The method may include determining a thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT, for each member of a second combinatorial library of materials. The method determines ZT by applying an oscillatory voltage across the library members, measuring power dissipated by library members, and calculating ZT from the power dissipated. The method may also include isolating single-phase materials of the semiconducting library members. The present invention also discloses an apparatus for discovering thermoelectric materials using combinatorial techniques. The apparatus includes a first combinatorial library of materials comprised of thin films arrayed on a substrate, and a device for identifying semiconducting members of the first combinatorial library. In addition, the apparatus may include a device for measuring ZT&mdash;a voltage source for applying an oscillatory electrical potential across members of a second combinatorial library arrayed on a substrate, and a device for measuring the resulting power dissipated by library members. The apparatus may also include a device for isolating single-phase materials of library members that were identified as semiconductors.

Method and apparatus for screening combinatorial libraries for semiconducting properties

A method and apparatus for high-throughput determination of phase change points of combinatorial libraries of metal alloys uses an infrared camera to monitor temperature-dependent changes in emissivity/reflectivity of the alloys. An infrared focal plane array monitors the emissivity/reflectivity changes over time, and the intensity of each heated member over time is correlated with temperature to detect the phase change points of the members.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Marc D Hornbostel