Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation

Apple Inc.

The Dow Chemical Company

Ut-battelle, Inc.

Terry N Tiegs

Paul F Becher

James O Kiggans, Jr

Terrence B Lindemer

Cressie E Holcombe

Bernd J Neudecker

Shawn W Snyder

Robert R McDonald

Norman L Dykes

Jeffrey J Kelly

Shirley B Waters

Kathleen B Alexander

Damon E Lytle

Ronald David Brost

Sandeep Rekhi

Dale E Wittmer

Jianer Bao

Ogbemi O Omatete

Mona Shirpour

Albert C Young

Kevin Plucknett

A solid-state cathode for a solid-state electrochemical cell includes an electrochemically active cathode material and one or more elemental dopant residing in grain boundaries of the electrochemically active cathode material. The grain boundaries contain at least 0.2 wt % of the one or more elemental dopant and the one or more elemental dopant is less than 10 wt % of the solid-state cathode. The solid-state cathode does not have liquid, gel and polymer materials.

Cathode for solid-state electrochemical cell having elemental dopant in grain boundaries

A cathode for a solid-state battery comprises a composite cathode active material formed of a layered lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) in a solid solution matrix of lithium oxide (LiO) and a cobalt oxide phase. For example, the composite cathode active material can be layered LCO in a solid solution matrix of one of LiO&#x2014;LiCoO&#x2014;CoO, LiO&#x2014;LiCoO and LiO&#x2014;CoO, with 0&#x2264;x&#x2264;0.5. The LCO is at least 80 wt. % of the composite cathode active material. The cathode is a sintered solid-state cathode wafer that is free-standing, upon which solid-state battery cells are fabricated.

Solid solution cathode for solid-state battery

Systems and methods are described for loss dielectrics. A method of manufacturing a lossy dielectric includes providing at least one high dielectric loss layer and providing at least one high thermal conductivity-electrically insulating layer adjacent the at least one high dielectric loss layer and then densifying together. The systems and methods provide advantages because the lossy dielectrics are less costly and more environmentally friendly than the available alternatives.

High thermal conductivity lossy dielectric using co-densified multilayer configuration

Systems and methods are described for loss dielectrics. A loss dielectric includes at least one high dielectric loss layer and at least one high thermal conductivity-electrically insulating layer adjacent the at least one high dielectric loss layer. A method of manufacturing a loss dielectric includes providing at least one high dielectric loss layer and providing at least one high thermal conductivity-electrically insulating layer adjacent the at least one high dielectric loss layer. The systems and methods provide advantages because the loss dielectrics are less costly and more environmentally friendly than the available alternatives.

High thermal conductivity lossy dielectric using a multi layer configuration

A multi-layered heat distributor system is provided for use in a microwave process. The multi-layered heat distributors includes a first inner layer of a high thermal conductivity heat distributor material, a middle insulating layer and an optional third insulating outer layer. The multi-layered heat distributor system is placed around the ceramic composition or article to be processed and located in a microwave heating system. Sufficient microwave energy is applied to provide a high density, unflawed ceramic product.

Heat distribution ceramic processing method

A method of making an intermetallic-bonded ceramic composite involves combining a particulate brittle intermetallic precursor with a particulate reactant metal and a particulate ceramic to form a mixture and heating the mixture in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to react the brittle intermetallic precursor and the reactant metal to form a ductile intermetallic and sinter the mixture to form a ductile intermetallic-bonded ceramic composite.

Method of making sintered ductile intermetallic-bonded ceramic composites

An improved ceramic composite comprising oxide ceramic particulates, nonoxide ceramic particulates selected from the group consisting of carbides, borides, nitrides of silicon and transition metals and mixtures thereof, and a ductile binder selected from the group consisting of metallic, intermetallic alloys and mixtures thereof is described. The ceramic composite is made by blending powders of the ceramic particulates and the ductile to form a mixture and consolidating the mixture of under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to produce a densified ceramic composite.

Alumina-based ceramic composite

A process for preparing ceramic composite comprising blending TiC particulates, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 particulates and nickle aluminide and consolidating the mixture at a temperature and pressure sufficient to produce a densified ceramic composite having fracture toughness equal to or greater than 7 MPa m.sup.1/2, a hardness equal to or greater than 18 GPa.

Method for preparing ceramic composite

A method for producing a high solids content, low viscosity ceramic slurry composition comprises turbomilling a dispersion of a ceramic powder in a liquid to form a slurry having a viscosity less than 100 centipoise and a solids content equal to or greater than 48 volume percent.

Method of preparing a high solids content, low viscosity ceramic slurry

A pressureless sintering method is disclosed for use in the production of whisker-toughened ceramic composites wherein the sintered density of composites containing up to about 20 vol. % SiC whiskers is improved by reducing the average aspect ratio of the whiskers to from about 10 to about 20. Sintering aids further improve the density, permitting the production of composites containing 20 vol. % SiC with sintered densities of 94% or better of theoretical density by a pressureless sintering method.

Pressureless sintering of whiskered-toughened ceramic composites

A method of nitriding a refractory-nitride forming metal or metalloid articles and composite articles. A consolidated metal or metalloid article or composite is placed inside a microwave oven and nitrogen containing gas is introduced into the microwave oven. The metal or metalloid article or composite is heated to a temperature sufficient to react the metal or metalloid with the nitrogen by applying a microwave energy within the microwave oven. The metal or metalloid article or composite is maintained at that temperature for a period of time sufficient to convert the article of metal or metalloid or composite to an article or composite of refractory nitride. In addition, a method of applying a coating, such as a coating of an oxide, a carbide, or a carbo-nitride, to an article of metal or metalloid by microwave heating.

Method of nitriding refractory metal articles

Pressureless sintering of whisker-toughened ceramic composites

A method of nitriding an article of refractory-nitride-forming metal or metalloids. A consolidated metal or metalloid article is placed inside a microwave oven and nitrogen containing gas is introduced into the microwave oven. The metal or metalloid article is heated to a temperature sufficient to react the metal or metalloid with the nitrogen by applying a microwave energy within the microwave oven. The metal or metalloid article is maintained at that temperature for a period of time sufficient to convert the article of metal or metalloid to an article of refractory nitride. in addition, a method of applying a coating, such as a coating of an oxide, a carbide, or a carbo-nitride, to an article of metal or metalloid by microwave heating.

Method of nitriding, carburizing, or oxidizing refractory metal articles

Silicon carbide whisker-reinforced ceramic composites are fabricated in a highly reproducible manner by beneficating the surfaces of the silicon carbide whiskers prior to their usage in the ceramic composites. The silicon carbide whiskers which contain considerable concentrations of surface oxides and other impurities which interact with the ceramic composite material to form a chemical bond are significantly reduced so that only a relatively weak chemical bond is formed between the whisker and the ceramic material. Thus, when the whiskers interact with a crack propagating into the composite the crack is diverted or deflected along the whisker-matrix interface due to the weak chemical bonding so as to deter the crack propagation through the composite. The depletion of the oxygen-containing compounds and other impurities on the whisker surfaces and near surface region is effected by heat treating the whiskers in a suitable oxygen sparaging atmosphere at elevated temperatures. Additionally, a sedimentation technique may be utilized to remove whiskers which suffer structural and physical anomalies which render them undesirable for use in the composite. Also, a layer of carbon may be provided on the surface of the whiskers to further inhibit chemical bonding of the whiskers to the ceramic composite material.

Modified silicon carbide whiskers

An improved ceramic-metal composite comprising a mixture of a ceramic material with a ductile intermetallic alloy, preferably Ni.sub.3 Al.

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Lenoir City, TN, United States of America

Terry N Tiegs