Ut-battelle, Inc.

University of Tennessee Research Foundation

Fiberlean Technologies Limited

Soydan Ozcan

Felix Leonard Paulauskas

Frederic Vautard

Halil L Tekinalp

Amit Kumar Naskar

Xianhui Zhao

Xiangtao Meng

James William Klett

Gerard Michael Ludtka

Ilia N Ivanov

Tolga Aytug

Gail Mackiewicz Ludtka

Sean Ireland

Kai Li

Yu Wang

Claude Clifford Eberle

John Daniel Kennedy Rivard

Justin Figley

Mohamed Gabr Abdallah

Mina Yoon

Oluwafemi Oyedeji

Erin G Webb

Jon Phipps

A process for producing dried, vinyl carboxylate surface-modified microfibrillated cellulose having improved mechanical properties and a microfibril structure and a process for producing a vinyl carboxylate, surface-modified microfibrillated cellulose-thermoplastic polyester or thermoplastic polyolefin composite material having improved mechanical strength properties utilizing dried, vinyl carboxylate surface-modified microfibrillated cellulose.

Surface-modified and dried microfibrillated cellulose reinforced thermoplastic biocomposites

A method for fractionating biomass material according to ash content, the method comprising: grinding the biomass material to produce a ground biomass and sieving the ground biomass through a first screen to yield: a) a first fraction of biomass particles that does not pass through the first screen and which has a first particle size, and b) a second fraction of biomass particles that passes through the first screen and which has a second particle size, wherein the second particle size is smaller than the first particle size, and wherein the second fraction of biomass particles has a higher ash content than the first fraction of biomass particles; and optionally further comprising: passing the second fraction of biomass particles through a second screen having a finer mesh size to produce a third fraction having a smaller particle size and a higher ash content than the second fraction of biomass particles.

Biomass fractionation method for producing biomass of varying ash content and uses thereof

A method of forming a catalyst is provided herein. The method comprises combining a binder, a support, and an active metal to form a slurry composition. The method further comprises applying the slurry composition using an additive manufacturing process to form a green part. The method further comprises exposing the green part to heat at a temperature of from about 10&#xb0; C. to about 150&#xb0; C. to form the hardened part. The method further comprises applying a ceramic-based coating material to the hardened part to form the catalyst.

Active metal catalyst

A toughened polyester composite comprising: (i) a polyester matrix and (ii) droplets of a high boiling point liquid having a boiling point of at least 140&#xb0; C. dispersed in said polyester matrix, wherein the high boiling point liquid is present in an amount of 0.1-10 wt % by weight of the toughened polyester composite, and wherein the composite may further include: (iii) a modifier selected from polycarboxylic, polyol, and polyamine compounds, wherein the modifier is present in an amount of 0.1-10 wt % by weight of the toughened polyester composite. Methods for producing the polyester composite are also described.

Toughened polyester composites containing polyester matrix and droplets of high boiling liquid therein

A method for producing a carbon nanotube-metal composite in which carbon nanotubes are layered on a metal substrate, the method comprising: (i) depositing a liquid, in which carbon nanotubes are suspended, onto said metal substrate; (ii) during or after step (i), subjecting said liquid to a shearing force sufficient to spatially confine the liquid to induce at least partial alignment of said carbon nanotubes on said metal substrate; and (iii) removing said liquid to produce said carbon nanotube-metal composite; wherein, after step (iii), the lengthwise dimensions of said carbon nanotubes are adhered to and oriented parallel with said metal surface, and said carbon nanotubes are at least partially aligned with each other. In some embodiments, the liquid is deposited in the form of droplets, and the droplets are subjected to a shearing force to cause them to elongate, which induces at least partial alignment of the carbon nanotubes.

Metal-carbon composites and methods for their production

A composite composition includes a thermoset resin and about 3 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of at least one material selected from the group consisting of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), micro-sized cellulose fibers (MFC), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) dispersed therein as measured with respect to the overall weight of the composite composition. The cellulose nanofibrils and/or nanocrystals have an average diameter of about 5 nm to about 500 nm and an average aspect ratio in the range of about 5:1 to about 500:1. The cellulose micro-sized fibers have an average diameter of about 5 &#x3bc;m to about 100 &#x3bc;m and an average aspect ratio in the range of about 5:1 to about 250:1.

Thermoset composite having thermoplastic characteristics

A silane-modified polyester blend comprising a polyester polymer homogeneously blended with silane molecules containing two or three alkoxy groups bound to the silicon atom, wherein said silane molecules are present in said polyester blend in an amount of 0.05-20 wt % (or, e.g., 0.05-10 wt %, 0.05-5 wt %, or 0.05-2 wt %). The polyester polymer may, in particular embodiments, be a polyhydroxyalkanoate, terephthalate-based polyester, adipate-based, or succinate-based polyester. The silane molecule may be according to the formula (RO)SiRR, wherein Rgroups are independently selected from alkyl groups containing 1-4 carbon atoms; and Rand Rare independently selected from ORgroups and alkyl groups containing 1-12 carbon atoms, provided that at least one of Rand Ris an alkyl group, wherein the alkyl group optionally includes one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen, halogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and silicon. Methods for producing the silane-modified polyester blend are also described.

Silane-modified polyester blends and methods of preparation

A functionalized carbon fiber having covalently bound on its surface a partially cured epoxy or amine-containing sizing agent, wherein at least a portion of epoxide or amine groups in the sizing agent are available as uncrosslinked epoxide or amine groups, which corresponds to a curing degree of epoxide or amine groups of no more than about 0.6. Composites comprised of these functionalized carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix are also described. Methods for producing the functionalized carbon fibers and composites thereof are also described.

Solid composites containing polymeric matrix with carbon fibers embedded therein

A method of making a solid composite containing carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix, the method comprising admixing carbon fibers with a polymer precursor resin, and curing the polymer precursor resin to form a cured polymeric matrix that contains said carbon fibers embedded therein, wherein said carbon fibers have covalently bonded on their surfaces a partially cured epoxy-containing or amine-containing sizing agent, wherein at least a portion of epoxide groups or amine groups in the sizing agent are available as uncrosslinked epoxide groups or amine groups, which corresponds to a curing degree of epoxide groups or amine groups of no more than about 0.6.

Method of improving adhesion of carbon fibers with a polymeric matrix

A method of making a carbon fiber having on its surface a partially cured sizing agent, the method comprising covalently binding on the surface of said carbon fiber a sizing agent comprised of an epoxy resin, and partially curing said sizing agent by contact thereof with a curing agent such that at least a portion of epoxide groups remain uncrosslinked on said surface, which corresponds to a curing degree of epoxide groups of no more than about 0.6, and further comprising reacting at least a portion of said epoxide groups with a bifunctional molecule that contains first and second reactive groups, the first reactive group being reactive with and forming a covalent bond with the epoxy group, and the second reactive group being unsaturated and accessible for reaction with a carbon-carbon double bond of an unsaturated resin via a vinyl addition reaction.

A functionalized carbon fiber having covalently bound on its surface a sizing agent containing epoxy groups, at least some of which are engaged in covalent bonds with crosslinking molecules, wherein each of said crosslinking molecules possesses at least two epoxy-reactive groups and at least one free functional group reactive with functional groups of a polymer matrix in which the carbon fiber is to be incorporated, wherein at least a portion of said cros slinking molecules are engaged, via at least two of their epoxy-reactive groups, in crosslinking bonds between at least two epoxy groups of the sizing agent. Composites comprised of these functionalized carbon fibers embedded in a polymeric matrix are also described. Methods for producing the functionalized carbon fibers and composites thereof are also described.

Multifunctional curing agents and their use in improving strength of composites containing carbon fibers embedded in polymeric matrix

A method of processing a carbon fiber tow includes the steps of providing a carbon fiber tow made of a plurality of carbon filaments, depositing a sizing composition at spaced-apart sizing sites along a length of the tow, leaving unsized interstitial regions of the tow, and cross-cutting the tow into a plurality of segments. Each segment includes at least a portion of one of the sizing sites and at least a portion of at least one of the unsized regions of the tow, the unsized region including and end portion of the segment.

Carbon fiber reinforcements for sheet molding composites

Method for the preparation of carbon fiber from fiber precursor, wherein the fiber precursor is subjected to a magnetic field of at least 3 Tesla during a carbonization process. The carbonization process is generally conducted at a temperature of at least 400&#xb0; C. and less than 2200&#xb0; C., wherein, in particular embodiments, the carbonization process includes a low temperature carbonization step conducted at a temperature of at least or above 400&#xb0; C. or 500&#xb0; C. and less than or up to 1000&#xb0; C., 1100&#xb0; C., or 1200&#xb0; C., followed by a high temperature carbonization step conducted at a temperature of at least or above 1200&#xb0; C. In particular embodiments, particularly in the case of a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber precursor, the resulting carbon fiber may possess a minimum tensile strength of at least 600 ksi, a tensile modulus of at least 30 Msi, and an ultimate elongation of at least 1.5%.

Magneto-carbonization method for production of carbon fiber, and high performance carbon fibers made thereby

A method of making indium tin oxide nanofibers includes the step of mixing indium and tin precursor compounds with a binder polymer to form a nanofiber precursor composition. The nanofiber precursor composition is co-formed with a supporting polymer to form a composite nanofiber having a precursor composition nanofiber completely surrounded by the supporting polymer composition. The supporting polymer composition is removed from the composite nanofiber to expose the precursor composition nanofiber. The precursor composition nanofiber is then heated in the presence of oxygen such as Oto form indium tin oxide and to remove the binder polymer to form an indium tin oxide nanofiber. A method of making metal oxide nanofibers is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

Soydan Ozcan