Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Ceramatec, Inc.

Coorstek, Inc.

Merrill Anderson Wilson

Michael Francis Carolan

Dale M Taylor

Robin Edward Richards

Kurt E Kneidel

Keith Gerard Rackers

Christopher M Chen

Raymond Ashton Cutler

Brett Tamatea Henderson

Paul N Dyer

Balakrishnan G Nair

Shankar Nataraj

Joseph Jay Hartvigsen

Steven Lee Russek

VanEric Edward Stein

Phillip Andrew Armstrong

Eric Minford

Theodore R Ohrn

Harold W Wahle

Stuart Adler

Rene Hendrik Elias Van Doorn

James Erik Blake

David J Peterson

Akash Akash

Kathryn Beverly Dyer, Legal Representative

Jimmy Ludlow

Paul Nigel Dyer

Jesse Alan Nachlas

Shekar H Balagopal

Michele Hollist

S Elangovan

Piotr Czernichowski

Ted Ohrn

David W Prouse

Kent Neal Hutchings

Ronald Almy Hollis

Ted R Ohm

Fellows Joseph

Joseph R Fellows

Rene Hendrik Van Doorn

Jeffrey Donald Bright

Steven L Russek

Vaneric Edward Stein

The present invention provides a ceramic to ceramic joint and methods for making such a joint. Generally, the joint includes a first ceramic part and a second ceramic part, wherein the first and second ceramic parts each include a ceramic-carbide or a ceramic-nitride material. In some cases, an aluminum-initiated joint region joins the first and second ceramic parts. This joint region typically includes chemical species from the first and second ceramic parts that have diffused into the joint region. Additionally, the first and second ceramic parts each typically include a joint diffusion zone that is disposed adjacent to the joint region and which includes aluminum species from the joint region that have diffused into the joint diffusion zone. Other implementations are also described.

Ceramic to ceramic joining method

An apparatus and method for enhancing the yield and purity of hydrogen when reforming hydrocarbons is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including receiving a hydrocarbon feedstock fuel (e.g., methane, vaporized methanol, natural gas, vaporized diesel, etc.) and steam at a reaction zone and reacting the hydrocarbon feedstock fuel and steam in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is selectively removed from the reaction zone while the reaction is occurring by selectively diffusing the hydrogen gas through a porous ceramic membrane. The selective removal of hydrogen changes the equilibrium of the reaction and increases the amount of hydrogen that is extracted from the hydrocarbon feedstock fuel.

Catalytic microchannel reformer

Ceramic to ceramic joint and associated methods

A ceramic electrode for a gliding electric arc system. The ceramic electrode includes a ceramic fin defining a spine, a heel, and a tip. A discharge edge of the ceramic fin defines a diverging profile approximately from the heel of the ceramic fin to the tip of the ceramic fin. A mounting surface coupled to the ceramic fin facilitates mounting the ceramic fin within the gliding electric arc system. One or more ceramic electrodes may be used in the gliding electric arc system or other systems which at least partially oxidize a combustible material.

Ceramic electrode for gliding electric arc

An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules; and (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel. The ion transport membrane system may be utilized in a gas separation device to recover oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas or as an oxidation reactor to oxidize compounds in a feed gas stream by oxygen permeated through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material of the membrane modules.

Ion transport membrane module and vessel system

Method of making an electrochemical device for the recovery of oxygen from an oxygen-containing feed gas comprising (a) preparing a green electrochemical device by assembling a green electrolyte layer, a green anode layer in contact with the green electrolyte layer, a green cathode layer in contact with the green electrolyte layer, a green anode-side gas collection interconnect layer in contact with the green anode layer, and a green cathode-side feed gas distribution interconnect layer in contact with the green cathode layer; and (b) sintering-the green electrochemical device by heating to yield a sintered electrochemical device comprising a plurality of sintered layers including a sintered anode-side gas collection interconnect layer in contact with the anode layer and adapted to collect oxygen permeate gas, wherein each sintered layer is bonded to an adjacent sintered layer during sintering.

Method of making an ion transport membrane oxygen separation device

Planar ceramic membrane assembly comprising a dense layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material, wherein the dense layer has a first side and a second side, a porous layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material in contact with the first side of the dense layer, and a ceramic channeled support layer in contact with the second side of the dense layer. The planar ceramic membrane assembly can be used in a ceramic wafer assembly comprising a planar ceramic channeled support layer having a first side and a second side; a first dense layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the first side of the ceramic channeled support layer; a first outer support layer comprising porous mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material and having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the outer side of the first dense layer; a second dense layer of mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the second side of the ceramic channeled layer; and a second outer support layer comprising porous mixed-conducting multi-component metal oxide material and having an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side is in contact with the outer side of the second dense layer.

Planar ceramic membrane assembly and oxidation reactor system

A process for producing ceramic, or ceramic composite, components having microfeatures by creating a chemical reaction in a castable slurry to bond nano-sized or submicron-sized ceramic powders. The bonding process that gives coherency and strength to the material creates a reaction product or gel-phase resulting from a chemical reaction between the ceramic powder and a reagent, such as an acid, alkali, or inorganic salt solution, that binds the ceramic powder. This gel-phase can be de-hydrated, cured, or crystallized by a higher-temperature firing step, but at a temperature lower than the temperature range at which sintering starts to occur in the ceramic (typically lower than 1,000&#xb0;C.)

Process for casting ceramic materials

An electrochemical device for separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas comprises a plurality of planar ion-conductive solid electrolyte plates and electrically-conductive gas-impermeable interconnects assembled in a multi-cell stack. Electrically-conductive anode and cathode material is applied to opposite sides of each electrolyte plate. A gas-tight anode seal is bonded between the anode side of each electrolyte plate and the anode side of the adjacent interconnect. A biasing electrode, applied to the anode side of each electrolyte plate between the anode seal and the edge of the anode, eliminates anode seal failure by minimizing the electrical potential across the seal. The seal potential is maintained below about 40 mV and preferably below about 25 mV. A gas-tight seal is applied between the cathode sides of each electrolyte plate and the adjacent interconnect such that the anode and cathode seals are radially offset on opposite sides of the plate. The combination of biasing electrodes and offset seals is particularly effective in eliminating anode seal failure.

Insulating support for ion conductor stack

Ion conductor stack with offset seals and biasing electrodes

Method for separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas

Growing community of inventors

West Jordan, UT, United States of America

Merrill Anderson Wilson