Intellectual Property Office
Non-Confidential Disclosures
“Carbon Nanocomposite Membranes”
PSU Inv. Disc. No 3005
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Keywords
Carbon membranes, nanoparticles, molecular sieve, catalysts
Inventors:
Henry Foley, Ramakrishnan Rajagopalan, Anna Merritt
Links:
Published Patent Application
Inventor Website - 1
Inventor Website - 2
Background:
Current nanoporous carbon membranes are formed by pyrolizing organic materials and they are comprised primarily of carbon with an active surface and a controlled pore structure. Normally they are formed on a support member such as stainless steel. They have utility as a molecular sieve and can be used to separate gas mixtures, or in catalytic systems. However, since the carbon membrane is supported by stainless steel, the difference in the thermal coefficient of the two materials can lead to the membrane becoming brittle and cracking. Furthermore, the gas permeability of these carbon membranes is too low for many applications.
Invention description:
This invention is an improved nanoporous carbon membrane that has improved thermal cycling performance to reduce cracking and significantly enhances the gas permeability of the membrane. The manufacturing approach incorporates nanoscale particulate matter into the membrane and enables the porosity to be tailored and allows for enhanced catalytic effects. Data have been collected that show that these carbon membranes have very good selective transport characterisitics for air (O2/N2).
Advantages:
- High gas permeance and gas selectivity
- Ability to control the membrane porosity and chemical structure of the membrane
- Useful for gas separations and catalysis
- Allows for the formation of thinner carbon membranes
Contact:
Richard M. Weyer
Sr. Technology Licensing Officer
Intellectual Property Office
113 Technology Center
The Pennsylvania State Univ.
University Park, PA 16802-7000
Phone: (814) 865-6279
Fax: (814) 865-3591
E-mail:rmw4@psu.edu |
