Ut-battelle, Inc.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Other

University of Texas System

Georgia Tech Research Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.

Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation

Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc.

Bwxt Y-12, LLC

Oak Ridge Associated Universities

New Mexico State University

Neutron Sciences, Inc.

Utrf

Sheng Dai

Huimin Luo

Xiao-Guang Sun

Richard T Mayes

Xiqing Wang

Christopher James Janke

Bingkun Guo

Yatsandra Oyola

Chengdu Liang

Shannon Mark Mahurin

Jinshui Zhang

Mariappan Parans Paranthaman

Steven A Wallace

Ivan Vlassiouk

Georges A Guiochon

Nancy Johnston Dudney

Gilbert Morris Brown

Bruce A Moyer

John William Freiderich

Jun Qu

Andrew Curtis Stephan

Sergei Smirnov

Ilja Popovs

Teng Ben

Shilun Qiu

Hansan Liu

Sumedh Pradeep Surwade

Suree S Brown

Hee-Jung Im

Zhenan Qiao

Zhenzhen Yang

Sadananda Das

Chen Liao

Pasquale Fernando Fulvio

Jing-Fang Huang

William John Koros

Ilia N Ivanov

Panagiotis George Datskos

Jianlin Li

Tomonori Saito

Yongsoon Shin

Timothy James McIntyre

James E Parks, Ii

Adam Justin Rondinone

Ilias Belharouak

Craig A Bridges

Adrian Stefan Sabau

William H Peter

Yaocai Bai

Sukeun Yoon

Carter W Abney

Josip Caja

Nitesh Bhuwania

Raymond Robert Unocic

John S Neal

Nickolay V Lavrik

Jack P Young

Todd J Toops

Peter Blau

John M Hiller

De-en Jiang

Chengcheng Tian

John Christopher Bauer

Rose Ann Boll

Gabriel M Vieth

John J Truhan, Jr

Wenfu Yan

Michelle D Pawel

Dmitriy Dolzhnikov

Kimberly M Nelson

Shun Wan

Mark C Burleigh

Halie J Martin

Tao Wang

Prashant Bagri

Songhai Chai

Congmin Wang

Arumugan Manthiram

Xueguang Jiang

Rui Qiao

Joanna Gorka

Jong Suk Lee

Patrick C Hillesheim

Jason Richard Bell

Andrew J Binder

Je Seung Lee

Gary A Baker

Georges A Guiohon

Banu Kesanli

A crosslinked microporous membrane (crosslinked polymer) composition useful in gas separation, the membrane comprising: (i) an aromatic polymer containing a multiplicity of benzene rings; and (ii) a multiplicity of fluorinated aromatic moieties, each fluorinated aromatic moiety containing at least two separate methylene (—CH—) linkages connected to benzene rings on the aromatic polymer; wherein the cross-linked microporous membrane possesses micropores having a pore size of up to 2 nm. Also described are methods for producing the crosslinked polymer and a microporous carbon material produced by pyrolysis of the crosslinked polymer membrane. Also described are methods for using the crosslinked polymer and microporous carbon material for gas or liquid separation, filtration, or purification.

Fluorinated nanoporous molecular sieve membranes for efficient gas separation

A polymer composition comprising a covalent triazine framework having the following structure: wherein: each asterisk (*) in A units denotes a point of covalent bonding with an asterisk in B units, and each asterisk (*) in B units denotes a point of covalent bonding with an asterisk in A units; r is an integer of 1-3; R is a fluorinated hydrocarbon containing at least two aromatic rings and at least one ether linkage between aromatic rings; the composition includes a multiplicity of A units and multiplicity of B units; and a portion of the connection points are terminated by endcapping nitrile groups. Also described are methods for producing the polymer and a microporous carbon material produced by pyrolysis of the porous polymer membrane. Also described are methods for using the polymer and microporous carbon material for gas or liquid separation, filtration, or purification.

Triazine-based membranes for gas separation

A method for converting amorphous boron nitride to crystalline boron nitride, the method comprising immersing the amorphous boron nitride into anhydrous molten magnesium chloride maintained within a temperature range of 720° C.-820° C. while the amorphous boron nitride is cathodically polarized at a voltage within a range of −2.2V to −2.8V for a period of time of at least 2 minutes to result in conversion of the amorphous boron nitride to the crystalline form. Also described herein is a method for converting an amorphous carbon material to a crystalline carbon material, the method comprising immersing said amorphous carbon material into anhydrous molten magnesium chloride maintained within a temperature range of 780° C.-820° C. while the amorphous carbon material is cathodically polarized at a voltage within a range of −2.2V to −2.8V for a period of time of at least 2 minutes to result in conversion of the amorphous carbon material to the crystalline form.

Method for electrochemical transformation of amorphous material to crystalline material

A method for relithiating cathode material from spent lithium-based batteries, the method comprising: (i) mixing delithiated cathode material and a lithium salt with an ionic liquid in which the lithium salt is at least partially soluble to form an initial mixture; (ii) heating the initial mixture to a temperature of 100° C. to 300° C. to result in relithiation of the delithiated cathode material; and (iii) separating the ionic liquid from the relithiated cathode material; wherein, in embodiments, the cathode material is a lithium metal oxide, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Al, Zr, Ti, Nb, and combinations thereof, or wherein the cathode material has the formula LiNiMnCoO, wherein x>0, y>0, z>0, and x+y+z=1; wherein, in some embodiments, the ionic liquid has a nitrogen-containing cationic portion, such as an imidazolium ionic liquid.

Direct regeneration of lithium ion cathodes by ionothermal relithiation

A method for producing polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber, the method comprising: (i) mixing PAN with an ionic liquid in which the PAN is soluble to produce a PAN composite melt in which the PAN is dissolved in the ionic liquid; (ii) melt spinning the PAN composite melt to produce the PAN fiber; and (iii) washing the PAN fiber with a solvent in which the ionic liquid is soluble to substantially remove the ionic liquid from the PAN fiber. Also described herein is a method for producing carbon fiber from the PAN fiber as produced above, the method comprising oxidatively stabilizing the PAN fiber produced in step (iii), followed by carbonizing the stabilized PAN fiber to produce the carbon fiber. The initially produced PAN fiber, stabilized PAN fiber, resulting carbon fiber, and articles made thereof are also described.

Plasticized melt spinning process using ionic liquids for production of polyacrylonitrile fibers

A nanoconfined metal-containing electrolyte comprising a layer of enclosed nanostructures in which each enclosed nanostructure contains a liquid metal-containing electrolyte, wherein said enclosed nanostructures are in physical contact with each other. Metal-ion batteries containing the nanoconfined electrolyte in contact with an anode and cathode of the battery are also described. Methods for producing the nanoconfined electrolyte are also described.

Nanoconfined electrolytes and their use in batteries

A method of producing a functionalized material that extracts metal ions from solution, the method comprising: (i) providing a precursor material having nitrile groups appended to its surface; and (ii) reacting said nitrile groups with hydroxylamine or a derivative thereof in the presence of a polar aprotic solvent at a temperature of 60-80&#xb0; C. for at least 1 hour, to convert at least a portion of said nitrile groups to amidoxime and imide dioxime groups, followed by reaction with a base capable of hydrolyzing any remaining nitrile groups to carboxylic acid groups; wherein said functionalized material has a higher uranium absorption capacity than a functionalized material produced under same conditions except that the nitrile groups are reacted with hydroxylamine in only a protic solvent. The invention is also directed to functionalized materials produced by the above-described method, and methods for using the functionalized material for extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

Amidoxime-functionalized materials and their use in extracting metal ions from liquid solutions

The invention is directed in a first aspect to electron-conducting porous compositions comprising an organic polymer matrix doped with nitrogen atoms and having elemental sulfur dispersed therein, particularly such compositions having an ordered framework structure. The invention is also directed to composites of such S/N-doped electron-conducting porous aromatic framework (PAF) compositions, or composites of an S/N-doped mesoporous carbon composition, which includes the S/N-doped composition in admixture with a binder, and optionally, conductive carbon. The invention is further directed to cathodes for a lithium-sulfur battery in which such composites are incorporated.

Nitrogen-sulfur-carbon nanocomposites and their application as cathode materials in lithium-sulfur batteries

A method for extracting a rare earth element from a rare earth-containing substance, the method comprising mixing the rare earth-containing substance with a protic ionic liquid, such as: wherein Ris selected from hydrogen atom and hydrocarbon groups containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms; Rand Rare independently selected from hydrocarbon groups containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms; and Xis an anionic species; to produce a composition of the formula (RE)(amide)Xat least partially dissolved in the protic ionic liquid, wherein RE is at least one rare earth element having an atomic number selected from 39, 57-71, and 90-103; y is 2-6; z is a number that charge balances the total positive charge of RE; and the amide is the conjugate base of the cationic portion of the protic ionic liquid of Formula (1) and has the following formula: 

Rare earth amide compositions

A heat transfer (exchange) composition comprising a halide salt matrix having dispersed therein nanoparticles comprising elemental carbon in the absence of water and surfactants, wherein said halide is fluoride or chloride, wherein the halide salt may be an alkali halide salt (e.g., lithium fluoride, sodium fluoride, potassium fluoride, rubidium fluoride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, rubidium chloride, and eutectic mixtures thereof) or an alkaline earth halide salt (e.g., fluoride or chloride salt of beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, or barium), and wherein the nanoparticles comprising elemental carbon may be solid or hollow, and wherein the composition may further include nanoparticles comprising a fissile material (e.g., U, Th, or Pu) dispersed within the composition. Molten salt reactors (MSRs) containing these heat transfer compositions in coolant loops in thermal exchange with a reactor core, as well operation of such MSRs, are also described.

Molten salt compositions with enhanced heat transfer and reduced corrosion properties

The invention is directed in a first aspect to electrolyte salt of the general formula LiZ, wherein Zhas the following chemical formula: wherein Ris an alkyl group (R') containing at least one and up to twelve carbon atoms, and Rand Rare independently selected from fluorine atom, hydrocarbon groups R, alkoxy groups (&#x2014;OR), and ester groups &#x2014;OC(O)R, wherein Rand Rcan optionally interconnect via R functionalities to form a boron-containing ring. The invention is also directed to electrolyte compositions in which the above electrolyte salt is incorporated. The invention is further directed to lithium-ion batteries containing these electrolytes.

Stable fluorinated alkylated lithium malonatoborate salts for lithium-ion battery applications

An ionic liquid composition comprising a complex of a trihalo aluminum (III) species with at least one organic uncharged ligand comprising a ring structure having at least three ring carbon atoms and at least one ring heteroatom selected from nitrogen and sulfur, wherein the complex is a liquid at a temperature of 100&#xb0; C. or less. Methods of electroplating aluminum onto a metallic substrate using the above-described ionic liquid composition are also described.

Aluminum trihalide-neutral ligand ionic liquids and their use in aluminum deposition

A method of thermally insulating a surface, the method comprising applying a coating of a thermally insulating composition onto said surface, wherein said thermally insulating composition comprises: (i) hollow spherical nanoparticles having a mean particle size of less than 800 nm in diameter and a particle size distribution in which at least 90% of the hollow spherical nanoparticles have a size within &#xb1;20% of said mean particle size, and a first layer of cationic or anionic molecules attached to said surfaces of the hollow spherical nanoparticles; and (ii) a second layer of molecules of opposite charge to the first layer of molecules, wherein said second layer of molecules of opposite charge are ionically associated with said first layer of molecules, wherein the molecules in said second layer have at least eight carbon atoms.

Porous thermally insulating compositions containing hollow spherical nanoparticles

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

Sheng Dai