The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 01, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 26, 2004
Benji Maruyama, Yellow Springs, OH (US);
Benji Maruyama, Yellow Springs, OH (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
The method of the present invention utilizes high pressure, near-supercritical COwithin a pressure vessel to process filamentary nanocarbon to debulk, disperse, purify, surface treat, pre-impregnate, and micronize the carbon nanofibers. In accordance with the invention, near-supercritical COis utilized within a pressure vessel to effect the desired process upon filamentary nanocarbon. For example, a quantity of filamentary nanocarbon can be effectively debulked, de-agglomerated and disentangled by agitating the mixture within the pressure vessel. When the COis released from the pressure vessel, the filamentary nanocarbon exhibits a dramatic reduction in volume. Other nanofiber processes can be performed such as surface treating and pre-impregnation by introduction of the desirable species into the near-supercritical COprior to processing. Purification processing can additionally be performed by introducing a co-solvent into the near-supercritical CO.