Research at UD

Advantages

• Chrome Free
• Non-toxic
• Pigments available in many colors
• Works well in multiple applications

Applications

• Protection of metal and other surfaces from corrosion equal to chrome
• Any application where chrome cannot be used to protect metals
• Easy application and use

Description

This invention is a series of corrosion-inhibiting pigments using a rare earth element, manganese, or cobalt and a valence stabilizer combined to form a metal/valence stabilizer complex. An inorganic or organic material is used to stabilize the tetravalent metal ion to form a compound that is sparingly soluble in water. Specific stabilizers are chosen to control the release rate of tetravalent cerium, terbium, or praseodymium during exposure to water and to tailor the compatibility of the powder when used as a pigment in a chosen binder system. Stabilizers may also modify the processing and handling characteristics of the formed powders. Many stabilizer combinations are presented that can equal the performance of conventional hexavalent chromium systems.

IP Status

https://www.google.com/patents/US7291217

https://www.google.com/patents/US7833331

https://www.google.com/patents/US7789958

Inventors

Andrew Phelps, Jeff Sturgill, Joseph Swartzbaugh

Advantages

• Chrome Free
• Non-toxic
• Pigments available in many colors
• Works well in multiple applications

Applications

• Protection of metal and other surfaces from corrosion equal to chrome
• Any application where chrome cannot be used to protect metals
• Easy application and use

Description

The invention is an aqueous conversion coating composition for treating steel substrates to provide a conversion coating that protects the steel from corrosion. The conversion coating composition comprises: a) a source of aluminum ions; b) hexafluorozirconic acid or its salts; c) at least one pH adjuster; and d) optionally, a surfactant. The conversion coating composition provides a corrosion resistant coating on the metal surface and improves the adhesion of subsequently applied layers.

IP Status

https://www.google.com/patents/US7294211

https://www.google.com/patents/US7407711

https://www.google.com/patents/US7235142

https://www.google.com/patents/US7422793

Inventors

Andrew Phelps, Jeff Sturgill, Joseph Swartzbaugh

Advantages

• Higher sensitivity
• Higher selectivity
• Ease of wireless interrogation

Applications

• Detention of specific trance environment analytes in solid or gaseous form, such as odors, ammonia, TNT, etc.

Description

A resonant sensor can vary its output in accordance with changes in specific environment conditions near the sensor. Typically, resonant sensors are comprised of an inductance-capacitance (LC) circuit with a specific resonance frequency.

Biopolymers, such as Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-cetyltrimethylammonium (CTMA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), have been found to have unique dielectrical properties. These biodielectrics can exhibit voltage tunable dielectric properties at room temperatures at microwave frequencies. Dielectric tunability of more than 50% has been measured in DNA-CTMA biopolymer and about 40% in BSA-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer. Therefore, the voltage dependent dielectric tunability of these polymers can offer a unique opportunity to use the polymers in resonant sensor applications.

The described invention is a resonant sensor applicable for sensing bio-chemicals or trace chemicals in solid or gaseous form. It uses functionalized biopolymers as a sensing layer, whose dielectric properties or electrical conductance changes in the presence of an analyte. These changes can be sensed wirelessly.

IP Status

US patent

EPO - European Patent Office

Inventor

Dr. Guru Subramanyam

Advantages

• Rectifies parasitic inductance with a structure that has negative self-inductance
• Structure is unpowered
• Fits in very small spaces, suitable for microelectronics

Applications

• Electrical devices where parasitic inductance is a problem
• Suitable for very small boards and electronics
• Smaller than existing inductors
• Any electrical device where power is an issue

Description

High-speed integrated circuits and semiconductor devices are known to suffer from parasitic inductances that occur, for example, in individual components and around interconnection lines. This invention can solve this common issue. The invention is a conductor which is a vertical stack of three or more multilayer films. The multilayer film comprises two layers of metal and a specific shape, which gives the structure the unique ability to be an unpowered, passive inductor. The metals and thicknesses are chosen so the inductor exhibits a negative electrical self-inductance when an electrical signal is transmitted from a first contact point to a second contact point.

Patent Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US7956715B2/en

Inventors

Agus Widjaja, Andrew Sarangan

Description

A solid composite electrolyte membrane for use in a lithium battery is provided which exhibits a conductivity ranging from about 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ to about 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature. The membrane is formed by providing a glass or glass-ceramic powder formed from a mixture of lithium carbonate, alumina, titanium dioxide, and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. The powder is mixed with a conditioning agent and at least one solvent, followed by the addition of a binder and one or more plasticizers. The resulting slurry is cast into a tape which is then subjected to a binder burn-off and sintering process to form the membrane. The resulting membrane may be a glass-ceramic composite having a porosity ranging from 0 to 50%, or the membrane may be further infiltrated with a polymer to form a water-impermeable polymeric-ceramic composite membrane.

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US7771880B2/en?oq=7771880

Inventor

Binod Kumar, et al.

Advantages

• Cost effective process for remediation of hex chrome waste
• Low energy
• Chrome recovered for later use
• Maintains chrome's charge state

Applications

• Waste stream remediation
• Any situation where it is desired to remove hex chrome from aqueous environments
• Electroplating clean up
• Industrial waste removal

Description

The invention is a process for recovery of hexavalent chromium from waste streams. The method is reacting non-toxic precipitating reagent with the hexavalent chromium to form an insoluble precipitate, which is very easily collected from the waste stream. It may optionally include reacting the insoluble precipitate with an acidic solution to form a soluble compound that is removed by other means.

IP Status

US Patent

Inventors

Andrew Phelps, Jeff Sturgill, Joseph Swartzbaugh

Advantages

• Ability to make highly conductive, lightweight sheets and structures
• Sheets display high fatigue resistance

Applications

• Aerospace
• Any lightweight application for conductive materials

Description

The invention is a highly conductive metal-containing polymer fiber or sheet made by immersing a polymer in a solution containing a metal precursor selected from organic or inorganic salts of copper, silver, aluminum, gold, iron and nickel. The metal precursor is then reduced by chemical, electrochemical, or thermal means such that conductive metal is incorporated into the polymer. What results is a highly conductive, lightweight, polymer fiber or sheet.

IP Status

https://www.google.com/patents/US6228922

Inventors

Chyi-Shan Wang, Jar-Wha Lee, Richard Vaia

Description

A method of joining metals to a ceramic material such as a ceramic matrix composite is provided which utilizes a compliant interlayer having a coefficient of thermal expansion between the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal and that of the ceramic matrix composite. The compliant interlayer is bonded to the metal, and the ceramic matrix composite is then bonded to the bonded interlayer/metal. The method results in a high strength joint between a metal having a high coefficient of thermal expansion and a ceramic material having a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080274362A1/

Inventor

Dan Kramer

IP Status

US Patent Pending; Publication #20090084171

Inventor

Robert Kauffman

Advantages

• Lightweight
• Safe to transport (versus other methods of hydrogen production)
• No additional additives necessary
• Generate large quantities of hydrogen quickly

Applications

• Field-portable power
• Any technology that can use portable hydrogen as a fuel source

Description

The desire for technologies that utilize hydrogen gas for power generation has increased in recent years. However, the use of hydrogen for such applications requires readily available, safe, and environmentally friendly access to hydrogen. This invention meets those needs –a new class of energetic nanoparticles composed of an aluminum core protected by a unique, two component shell that prevents oxidation of the aluminum in ambient air, but readily allows the oxidation of the aluminum in water to yield hydrogen gas.

Patent Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US9011572B1/en

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20150266730A1/en

Inventors

K.A. Shiral Fernando, Barbara (Harruff) Miller, Christopher Bunker, Elena Guliants, Marcus J. Smith

Advantages

• Monitors the structural health of composite structures when physical inspection may be impractical
• Data collection compatible with existing sensors
• Low power, simple voltage measurement
• Easily applied to complex shapes with minimal surface preparations

Applications

• Any composite structure that should be monitored for structural health, such as wind turbine blades, pipelines, bridges, aircraft, satellites and ships

Description

Monitoring the structural health of structures which are used over long periods of time has become increasingly important. Over time, structures such as architectural and vehicular structures as well as aircraft, turbine blades, bridges, satellites, and ships can suffer from defects such as fractures and fatigue cracks. Such defects, if undetected, may result in dangerous accidents. Currently, the monitoring of such structures is time consuming and expensive. This is particularly evident where the structures to be monitored must be disassembled and transported to testing facilities. Detecting hidden defects without disassembly of the structures is even more difficult when the structures cannot be disassembled, for example, in the case of buildings and bridges. Structural health monitoring systems are also helpful in instances where structural performance may be uncertain (e.g., prototypes) or where inspection is impractical (e.g., buried structures or structures in remote locations). This invention is a structural health monitoring system consisting of a robust, tailorable conductive ink, a simple application method, and data acquisition system based on DC-resistance measurement. The ink, which incorporates carbon nanofibers, may be applied in a variety of patterns that are tailored to yield the desired component information.

IP Status

• US: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7921727B2/en
• Canada: https://patents.google.com/patent/CA2570117C/en

Inventor

Brian Rice

Description

A nanocomposite dry adhesive. The nanocomposite dry adhesive includes a substrate; and an array of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes or vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the substrate, wherein the nanocomposite dry adhesive utilizes the array of single-walled carbon nanotubes or multi-walled carbon nanotubes as synthesized, the as synthesized single-walled carbon nanotubes being substantially free of randomly entangled nanotube segments on top of the vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes, the as synthesized multi-walled carbon nanotubes having randomly entangled nanotube segments on top of the vertically aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes; wherein the dry adhesive has a normal adhesion strength of at least about 5 N·cm⁻², and a shear adhesion strength of at least about 13 N·cm⁻². Methods of making a nanocomposite dry adhesive are also described.

IP Status

https://patents.google.com/patent/US8974904B2/en

Inventor

Liming Dai, et al.