Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Tao Xie

Xingcheng Xiao

Hamid Ghavami Kia

Ruomiao Wang

John C Ulicny

William R Rodgers

Belabbes Merzougui

Andrew Mark Mance

Yang T Cheng

Timothy J Fuller

Mark William Verbrugge

Mahmoud H Abd Elhamid

Ingrid A Rousseau

Jessica A Schroeder

Anil Kumar Sachdev

Paul Edward Krajewski

Chen-Shih Wang

Yar-Ming Wang

Tao Wang

Hsai-Yin Lee

Todd E Durocher

Charlene A Hayden

Man Zhang

Nancy L Johnson

Alan L Browne

Nilesh D Mankame

Geoffrey P McKnight

Xiaosong Huang

Blair E Carlson

Gerald W Fly

William B Carter

Thomas A Trabold

Ion C Halalay

Richard H Blunk

Wayne Cai

Gayatri Vyas

Frank D Coms

Yang-Tse Cheng

John Neal Owens

Chunxin Ji

Michael R Schoeneweiss

Brian K Brady

Chih-Cheng Hsu

Sean M MacKinnon

Robert S Conell

Thomas C Pederson

Howard W Cox

Feng Zhong

Richard M Schreck

Ramona Y Ying

Paula Diane Fasulo

Yan Wu

Daniel E Rodak

Joseph A Hulway

Junjun Li

Maria T Dekimpe

Paul J Tyckoski

One variation includes a method including using a reversible dry adhesive system to reversibly couple a first substrate to a second substrate. One variation includes a method including using a reversible dry adhesive system to reversibly couple a first substrate to a second substrate during building or reconfiguring a product.

Applications of a reversible dry adhesive system

Methods for making battery electrode system are disclosed herein. In an example of the method, a mixture of a polymer binder, an active material and a conductive filler is deposited on a current collector. The deposited mixture is exposed to an external field having a field direction that is normal to a surface of the current collector. The exposure aligns, outward from and normal to the surface of the current collector, the active material and the conductive filler to form a plurality of discrete structures that extend outward from and normal to the surface of the current collector and are respectively aligned with a field line of the external field. Each of the plurality of discrete structures includes some of the active material and some of the conductive filler.

Methods for making battery electrode systems

A method of reversibly connecting two substrates includes positioning an electrically conductive adhesive connector including a shape memory polymer (SMP) between the substrates, heating the connector to a temperature higher than the SMP transition temperature, applying a load and cooling the connector below the transition temperature to transform the connector to a conforming shape to form an adhesive bond attaching the substrates and providing an electrical connection therebetween. The method may include disconnecting the connector from the substrates by heating the connector above the SMP transition temperature, which may disrupt the electrical connection between the substrates. The connector may be a battery tab connector configured to connect a battery cell to another battery cell or a terminal. The connector may be releasable from the battery tab such that the battery tab is reusable after removal of the connector. The connector may be multi-layer and generally arcuate in a permanent shape.

Reversible electrical connector and method

In at least certain embodiments, the present invention provides a diffusion media and fuel cells and systems employing the diffusion media. In at least one embodiment, the diffusion media comprises a porous matrix having an outer surface and a hydrophilic polymeric coating on at least a portion of the porous matrix with the hydrophilic coating comprising the cured product of a formulation comprising a hydrophilic monomer.

Diffusion media, fuel cells, and fuel cell powered systems

A product, and a method for forming a product, that includes a composite material having a polymeric carrier resin and a shape memory polymer material capable of transformation between a temporary shape and a permanent shape in the presence of an external stimuli, wherein said transformation from said temporary shape to said permanent shape changes at least one property of said composite material.

Shape memory polymer containing composite materials

Methods and systems for depowering an automotive battery in a controlled manner. The methods comprise (i) providing a depowering medium comprising one or more non-ionic electric conductors (for example, a carbon conductor) dispersed in a substantially non-ionic aqueous medium; (ii) contacting terminals of the battery with the depowering medium; and (iii) maintaining contact between the depowering medium and terminals for a period of time sufficient to depower the battery. The systems comprise (i) the depowering medium; and (ii) a container configured to receive a battery and the depowering medium such that the battery body is contacted with the depowering medium prior to the terminals.

System and methods for controlled depowering of automobile batteries

Methods and systems for depowering a rechargeable battery in a rapid, yet controlled, manner. The methods comprise (i) providing a depowering medium comprising expanded graphite (and optionally, one or more dispersible non-ionic electric conductors) dispersed in a substantially non-ionic aqueous medium; (ii) contacting terminals of the battery with the depowering medium; and (iii) maintaining contact between the depowering medium and terminals for a period of time sufficient to depower the battery. The systems comprise (i) the depowering medium; and (ii) a container configured to receive a battery and the depowering medium such that the battery body is contacted with the depowering medium prior to the terminals.

Cost-effective reliable method to depower rechargeable electric batteries

One embodiment of the invention includes a shape memory polymer which functions similar to a traditional mechanical clamp. A shape memory polymer may exhibit adhesive properties when heated above its glass transition temperature. The shape memory polymers may function as a reversible dry adhesive clamp.

Shape memory polymer which functions as a dry adhesive clamp and methods of making and using the same

A fuel cell comprising: a first layer comprising a first ionomer and an additive, the additive comprising a metal oxide comprising an oxide at least one of of Ce, Mn, V, Pt, Ru, Zr, Ni, Cr, W, Co, Mo, or Sn, and wherein the additive is present in at least 0.1 weight percent of the ionomer is disclosed as one embodiment of the invention, and performance and durability are advantaged wherein one or all of the metal oxide consists essentially nanoparticles.

Additives for fuel cell layers

A photonic device is provided having a two or three-dimensionally periodic structure of interconnected members with alterable spacing between the members. The structure is composed of a shape memory polymer configured to be thermo-mechanically tunable to display a plurality of optical properties under a series of temperature changes and stress. A method of producing a photonic device based on a shape memory polymer is provided. A mold, having a two or three-dimensionally periodic structure of interconnected components with a characteristic spacing between the components, is infiltrated with a shape memory polymer precursor to form a composite structure. The composite structure is solidified. The mold is removed from the composite structure to form a photonic device as an inverse replica of the mold.

Shape memory polymer-based tunable photonic device

One embodiment includes a rechargeable charge storage device including a microcapsule disposed within said rechargeable charge storage device; and a thermal retardant chemical species contained within said microcapsule, wherein said microcapsule is adapted to release said chemical species upon being exposed to a triggering event either prior to or during an unstable rise in temperature of said charge storage device.

Materials and methods for retarding or preventing thermal runaway in batteries

A polymer material system that consists of multiple SMP layers of different shape memory transition temperatures in a multilayer construction to achieve and tailor a multiple shape memory effect. Wherein two SMP layers of different shape memory transition temperatures are utilized, a triple shape memory effect is achieved.

Polymer systems with multiple shape memory effect

One exemplary method includes providing a first polymer and a second polymer each comprising a first shape memory polymer backbone having at least one surface free side chain, the first polymer and the second polymer each transformable between a permanent shape and a temporary shape; creating an adhesive bond between the first polymer and the second polymer, wherein the creating of the adhesive bond transforms the first polymer to its temporary shape and transforms the second polymer to its temporary shape; and wherein the at least one surface free chain of the first polymer in its temporary shape is interdiffused with the at least one surface free chain of the second polymer in its temporary shape by the creation of the adhesive bond.

Reversible welding process for polymers

One embodiment includes a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a reversible crosslinker.

Hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterned surfaces and methods of making and using the same

A method of forming an adhesive bond between a first substrate and a second substrate includes applying a semi-crystalline polymeric adhesive composition to a bonding area of the first substrate, and, after applying, disposing the second substrate adjacent to and in contact with the composition to form a workpiece. After disposing, the method includes heating the workpiece to cure the composition and thereby form a crosslinked polymeric adhesive material. After heating, the method includes cooling the workpiece such that the material has a crystalline molecular structure. Concurrent to cooling, the method includes imposing a stress on the material to thereby orient the crystalline molecular structure in a desired direction, and, after imposing, dissipating the stress along the crystalline molecular structure in the desired direction to thereby form the adhesive bond between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Method of forming an adhesive bond

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Tao Xie