Headwaters Technology Innovation, LLC

Martin Fransson

Bing Zhou

Cheng Zhang

Zhihua Wu

Changkun Liu

Clementine Reyes

Horacio Treviño

Raymond B Balée

The present invention relates to novel composites that incorporate carbon nanospheres into a polymeric material. The polymeric material can be any polymer or polymerizable material compatible with graphitic materials. The carbon nanospheres are hollow, graphitic nanoparticles. The carbon nanospheres can be manufactured from a carbon precursor using templating catalytic nanoparticles. The unique size, shape, and electrical properties of the carbon nanospheres impart beneficial properties to the composites incorporating these nanomaterials.

Polymeric materials incorporating carbon nanostructures

Organically complexed nanocatalyst compositions are applied to or mixed with a carbon-containing fuel (e.g., tobacco, coal, briquetted charcoal, biomass, or a liquid hydrocarbon like fuel oils or gasoline) in order to enhance combustion properties of the fuel. Nanocatalyst compositions can be applied to or mixed with a solid fuel substrate in order to reduce the amount of CO, hydrocarbons, and soot produced by the fuel during combustion. In addition, coal can be treated with inventive nanocatalyst compositions to reduce the amount of NOproduced during combustion (e.g., by removing coal nitrogen in a low oxygen pre-combustion zone of a low NOx burner). The nanocatalyst compositions include nanocatalyst particles made using a dispersing agent. At least a portion of the nanoparticles is crystalline with a spacing between crystal planes greater than about 0.28 nm. The nanocatalyst particles can be activated by heating to a temperature greater than about 75&#xb0; C., more preferably greater than about 150&#xb0; C. and most preferably greater than about 250&#xb0; C.

Crystalline nanocatalysts for improving combustion properties of fuels and fuel compositions incorporating such catalysts

Methods for manufacturing carbon nanostructures include: 1) forming a plurality of catalytic templating particles using a plurality of dispersing agent molecules; 2) forming an intermediate carbon nanostructure by polymerizing a carbon precursor in the presence of the plurality of templating nanoparticles; 3) carbonizing the intermediate carbon nanostructure to form a composite nanostructure; and 4) removing the templating nanoparticles from the composite nanostructure to yield the carbon nanostructures. The carbon nanostructures are well-suited for use as a catalyst support. The carbon nanostructures exhibit high surface area, high porosity, and high graphitization. Carbon nanostructures according to the invention can be used as a substitute for more expensive and likely more fragile carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanostructures manufactured from catalytic templating nanoparticles

Carbon nanostructures are formed from a carbon precursor and catalytic templating nanoparticles. Methods for manufacturing carbon nanostructures generally include (1) forming a precursor mixture that includes a carbon precursor and a plurality of catalytic templating particles, (2) carbonizing the precursor mixture to form an intermediate carbon material including carbon nanostructures, amorphous carbon, and catalytic metal, (3) purifying the intermediate carbon material by removing at least a portion of the amorphous carbon and optionally at least a portion of the catalytic metal, and (4) heat treating the purified intermediate carbon material and/or treating the purified intermediate carbon material with a base to remove functional groups on the surface thereof. The removal of functional groups increases the graphitic content of the carbon nanomaterial and decreases its hydrophilicity.

Method for manufacturing carbon nanostructures having minimal surface functional groups

Supported nickel catalyst having high nickel loading and dispersion are manufactured using a dispersing agent. The dispersing agent molecules include at least one functional group that bonds with the nickel atoms and influences nanoparticle formation. The support material is loaded with at least about 5% nickel, more preferably at least about 8%, and most preferably at least about 12% by weight of the total catalyst. Catalysts manufactured using the organic dispersing agents and loaded with the foregoing amounts of nickel have metal dispersions greater than about 5% as measured by hydrogen adsorption, more preferably greater than about 10%, and most preferably greater than about 15%.

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Princeton, NJ, United States of America

Martin Fransson