Uchicago Argonne, LLC

University of Chicago

Amoco Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

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

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

U.S. Department of Energy

Argonne National Laboratory

Uthamalingam Balachandran

Beihai Ma

Stephen E Dorris

Tae H Lee

Manoj Narayanan

Mark S Kleefisch

Thaddeus P Kobylinski

Dean J Miller

Shanshan Liu

Roger B Poeppel

Shiyou Pei

Sheng Chao

Sherry L Morissette

Nicholas G Eror

Milan Lelovic

Carl William Berlin

Ralph S Taylor

Kenneth C Goretta

Joseph T Dusek

David R Forrest

Richard W Siegel

Boyd W Veal

Arun C Bose

Sun-Ju Song

Ling Chen

Shuangyan Wang

James E Emerson

Wei Zhong

Arvydas Paulikas

Michael Patrick Chudzik

Carl A Udovich

Michael T Lanagan

Rodney L Mieville

John C Parker

Manuel Ray Fairchild

Howard G McIlvried

John J Picciolo

M Ray Fairchild

Suvankar Sengupta

Donglu Shi

Jiann Yuan Huang

Stanley A Johnson

Celine Wk Wong

P Subraya Maiya

Thomas R Askew

Celine W K Wong

Pradeep Haldar

Leszek Motowidlo

Meiya Li

Gary J Stiegel

Thadeus P Kobylinski

Tae-Hyun Lee

Jieguang Hu

Anand N Iyer

Thomas G Truchan

Christopher Klingshirn

Robert Foley

A method for preparing a covetic, nanocarbon-infused, metal composite material is described is herein. The method comprises heating a stirring molten mixture of a metal (e.g., Cu, Al, Ag, Au, Fe, Ni, Pt, Sn, Pb, Zn, Si, and the like) and carbon (e.g., graphite) at a temperature sufficient to maintain the mixture in the molten state in a reactor vessel, while passing an electric current through the molten mixture via at least two spaced electrodes submerged or partially submerged in the molten metal. Each of the electrodes has an electrical conductivity that is at least about 50 percent of the electrical conductivity of the molten mixture at the temperature of the molten mixture. Preferably, the conductivity of the electrodes is equal to or greater than the conductivity of the molten mixture.

Electrodes for making nanocarbon-infused metals and alloys

Ceramic proton-conducting oxide membranes are described herein, which are useful for separating steam from organic chemicals under process conditions. The membranes have a layered structure, with a dense film of the perovskite over a porous composite substrate comprising the perovskite material and a metallic material (e.g., Ni, Cu, or Pt). The perovskite comprises an ABO-type structure, where 'A' is Ba and 'B' is a specified combination of Ce, Zr, and Y. The perovskite ceramic materials described herein have an empirical formula of Ba(CeZrY)O, wherein 0&#x3c;x&#x3c;0.8 (e.g., 0.1&#x2264;x&#x2264;0.7 or 0.2&#x2264;x&#x2264;0.5); and 0.05&#x2264;n&#x2264;0.2; and &#x3b4;=n/2. In some embodiments n is about 0.2. In some other embodiments 0.6&#x2264;x&#x2264;0.8; and n is about 0.2, such as Ba(CeZrY)O, also referred to herein as BCZY712.

High temperature steam separation membrane

A method for making covetic metal-nanostructured carbon composites or compositions is described herein. This method is advantageous, in that it provides substantially oxygen-free covetic materials and allows precise control of the composition of the covetic material to be produced. The method comprises introducing carbon into a molten metal in a heated reactor under low oxygen partial pressure, while passing an electric current through the molten metal. The reactor is heated at a temperature sufficient to form a network of nanostructured carbon within a matrix of the metal. After heating the covetic material is recovered from the reactor.

Method for making metal-nanostructured carbon composites

A method for making covetic metal-carbon composites or compositions by electron beam melt heating under vacuum (pressure &#x3c;10Torr) is described herein. This fabrication method is advantageous, in that it provides oxygen-free covetic materials in a process that allows precise control of the composition of the covetic material to be produced. The method described herein also can be applied to produce multi-element-carbon composites within a metal or alloy matrix, including high melting temperature materials such as ceramic particles or prefabricated nano- or micro-structures, such as carbon nanotubes or graphene compounds. The covetic reaction between metal and carbon takes place under the influence of flowing electrons through the melted metal-carbon precursor. This process creates strong bonding between nanocarbon structure and the metal elements in the melt.

Method for making metal-carbon composites and compositions

The invention provides a process for making ceramic film capacitors, the process comprising supplying a flexible substrate, depositing a first electrode on a first region of the flexible substrate, wherein the first electrode defines a first thickness, overlaying the first electrode with a dielectric film; and depositing a second electrode on the ceramic film, wherein the second electrode defines a second thickness. Also provided is a capacitor comprising flexible substrate, a first electrode deposited on said flexible substrate, a dielectric overlaying the first electrode; and a second electrode deposited on said dielectric.

Wound/stacked ceramic film capacitors, method for making ceramic film capacitors

The invention provides a stacked capacitor configuration comprising subunits each with a thickness of as low as 20 microns. Also provided is combination capacitor and printed wire board wherein the capacitor is encapsulated by the wire board. The invented capacitors are applicable in micro-electronic applications and high power applications, whether it is AC to DC or DC to AC, or DC to DC.

Multilayer capacitors, method for making multilayer capacitors

The invention provides a process for forming crack-free dielectric films on a substrate. The process comprises the application of a dielectric precursor layer of a thickness from about 0.3 &#x3bc;m to about 1.0 &#x3bc;m to a substrate. The deposition is followed by low temperature heat pretreatment, prepyrolysis, pyrolysis and crystallization step for each layer. The deposition, heat pretreatment, prepyrolysis, pyrolysis and crystallization are repeated until the dielectric film forms an overall thickness of from about 1.5 &#x3bc;m to about 20.0 &#x3bc;m and providing a final crystallization treatment to form a thick dielectric film. The process provides a thick crack-free dielectric film on a substrate, the dielectric forming a dense thick crack-free dielectric having an overall dielectric thickness of from about 1.5 &#x3bc;m to about 20.0 &#x3bc;m.

Method for fabrication of crack-free ceramic dielectric films

The present invention provides a multilayer anode/electrolyte assembly comprising a porous anode substrate and a layered solid electrolyte in contact therewith. The layered solid electrolyte includes a first dense layer of yttrium-doped barium zirconate (BZY), optionally including another metal besides Y, Ba, and Zr (e.g., a lanthanide metal such as Pr) on one surface thereof, a second dense layer of yttrium-doped barium cerate (BCY), and an interfacial layer between and contacting the BZY and BCY layers. The interfacial layer comprises a solid solution of the BZY and BCY electrolytes. The porous anode substrate comprises at least one porous ceramic material that is stable to carbon dioxide and water (e.g., porous BZY), as well as an electrically conductive metal and/or metal oxide (e.g., Ni, NiO, and the like).

Multi-layered proton-conducting electrolyte

The present invention provides copper substrate coated with a lead-lanthanum-zirconium-titanium (PLZT) ceramic film, which is prepared by a method comprising applying a layer of a sol-gel composition onto a copper foil. The sol-gel composition comprises a precursor of a ceramic material suspended in 2-methoxyethanol. The layer of sol-gel is then dried at a temperature up to about 250&#xb0; C. The dried layer is then pyrolyzed at a temperature in the range of about 300 to about 450&#xb0; C. to form a ceramic film from the ceramic precursor. The ceramic film is then crystallized at a temperature in the range of about 600 to about 750&#xb0; C. The drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing are performed under a flowing stream of an inert gas.

Method for fabrication of ceramic dielectric films on copper foils

The invention is directed to a process for making a dielectric ceramic film capacitor and the ceramic dielectric laminated capacitor formed therefrom, the dielectric ceramic film capacitors having increased dielectric breakdown strength. The invention increases breakdown strength by embedding a conductive oxide layer between electrode layers within the dielectric layer of the capacitors. The conductive oxide layer redistributes and dissipates charge, thus mitigating charge concentration and micro fractures formed within the dielectric by electric fields.

Method of making dielectric capacitors with increased dielectric breakdown strength

The invention provides for A method for producing pure phase strontium ruthenium oxide films, the method comprising solubilizing ruthenium-containing and strontium-containing compounds to create a mixture; subjecting the mixture to a first temperature above that necessary for forming RuOwhile simultaneously preventing formation of RuO; maintaining the first temperature for a time to remove organic compounds from the mixture, thereby forming a substantially dry film; and subjecting the film to a second temperature for time sufficient to crystallize the film. Also provided is pure phase material comprising strontium ruthenium oxide wherein the material contains no RuO.

Method for producing thin film electrodes

A lead-lanthanum-zirconium-titanate (PLZT) capacitor on a substrate formed of glass. The first metallization layer is deposited on a top side of the substrate to form a first electrode. The dielectric layer of PLZT is deposited over the first metallization layer. The second metallization layer deposited over the dielectric layer to form a second electrode. The glass substrate is advantageous as glass is compatible with an annealing process used to form the capacitor.

PLZT capacitor on glass substrate

The present invention provides a method for fabricating a ceramic film on a copper foil. The method comprises applying a layer of a sol-gel composition onto a copper foil. The sol-gel composition comprises a precursor of a ceramic material suspended in 2-methoxyethanol. The layer of sol-gel is then dried at a temperature up to about 250&#xb0; C. The dried layer is then pyrolyzed at a temperature in the range of about 300 to about 450&#xb0; C. to form a ceramic film from the ceramic precursor. The ceramic film is then crystallized at a temperature in the range of about 600 to about 750&#xb0; C. The drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing are performed under a flowing stream of an inert gas. In some embodiments an additional layer of the sol-gel composition is applied onto the ceramic film and the drying, pyrolyzing and crystallizing steps are repeated for the additional layer to build up a thicker ceramic layer on the copper foil. The process can be repeated one or more times if desired.

Growing community of inventors

Willowbrook, IL, United States of America

Uthamalingam Balachandran