Facile methods to manufacture intelligent graphene nanomaterials and the use of for super-light machine and vehicles
| Title: | Facile methods to manufacture intelligent graphene nanomaterials and the use of for super-light machine and vehicles |
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| Patent Number: | 11339,259 |
| Publication Date: | May 24, 2022 |
| Appl. No: | 16/158814 |
| Application Filed: | October 12, 2018 |
| Abstract: | This utility invention is to replace some of the parts of current vehicles and robotic machines with intelligent graphene-based fibers and nanocomposites to achieve significantly weight-decreasing and energy-savings. This invention also is related to the formation of new generation vehicles, machine parts including robotics, which include but not limited to all kinds of cars, trailers, trucks, vehicles on roads and in the sky, ships on the ocean, and intelligent robotics for Human, as well as computer parts, bicycles, and sports supplies. |
| Inventors: | Zeng, Tingying (Woburn, MA, US); Qi, Kevin Zeng (Woburn, MA, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A method of producing graphene based carbon fiber comprising the steps of: dispersing a quantity of at least one of a graphene powder, graphene flakes, graphene oxide powder, and graphene oxide flakes into a solvent solution with a surfactant; adding at least one of a nanocellulose fiber, a polymer, and a resin into the solvent solution with the surfactant to form a mixture comprising the quantity of at least one of the graphene powder, graphene flakes, graphene oxide powder, and graphene oxide flakes, solvent solution with the surfactant and the at least one of the nanocellulose fiber, the polymer, and the resin; stirring the mixture to obtain a uniform viscosity mixture; heating the uniform viscosity mixture to a temperature of between 20° to 400° C. to form a plurality of porous carbon fiber sheets, a pore size of the pores being in a range of lnm to 8 μm; and annealing the plurality of porous carbon fiber sheets at a temperature of 400° C. to 2000° C. after the heating step. |
| Claim: | 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the plurality of carbon fiber sheets from the uniform viscosity mixture further comprises using a 3D printing machine, the 3D printing machine being computerized, and configured to force the uniform viscosity mixture through a nozzle onto a substrate. |
| Claim: | 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the forcing of the uniform viscosity mixture through the nozzle forms a graphene-based composite filament. |
| Claim: | 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is one of water, an alcohol, acetone, a ketone, dimethyl formamide (DMF), ethylene glycol (EG), and DMSO. |
| Claim: | 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the adding step comprises adding the polymer to the solvent solution with the surfactant, wherein the polymer is one of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polystyrene, portion of asphalt, epoxy, polycarbonate, and any kind of cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene glycol, nylon, polydimethylsiloxane, polyacrylamide, and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). |
| Claim: | 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the adding step comprises adding the resin to the solvent solution with the surfactant, wherein the resin is one of a polyvinyl resin, polyester resin, epoxy, polycarbonate resin, polyurethane resin, silicone resin, poly(methyl methacrylate) resin, and an epoxy siloxane resin. |
| Claim: | 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of adding an additive to the solvent solution with the surfactant, the additive being at least one of nanoparticles or nanowires of metal, steel nano-powder, carbon nanotubes, and a metal oxide, and combinations thereof. |
| Claim: | 8. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the carbon fibers into the plurality of sheets under a vacuum. |
| Claim: | 9. The method of forming the plurality of carbon fiber sheets of claim 8 further comprising a step of placing the sheets in a mold; injecting a quantity of second resin into the mold; drawing the vacuum on the sheets and second resin; and curing the second resin at approximately 20° C.-400° C. forming a cured composition, the curing step forming chemical bonds to enhance mechanical strength. |
| Claim: | 10. The method of forming the plurality of carbon fiber sheets of claim 9 comprising a step of forming the plurality of sheets into a shape of a vehicle body part; and attaching the cured composition to a vehicle. |
| Claim: | 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of adding a foaming agent to the solvent with the surfactant, the foaming agent being at least one of colophony, helium, ammonium carbonate, carbon dioxide, tetramethyl ammonium acetate, hydrogen, nitrogen, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium acetate, peroxide, ammonium nitrate, and basic cupric carbonate. |
| Claim: | 12. A method of forming a carbon fiber item using the plurality of carbon fiber sheets formed by the method of claim 1 , and further comprising the steps of: layering the plurality of sheets; applying a second resin to the plurality of sheets; and curing the second resin; and annealing the cured second resin and plurality of sheets in an inert gas at a temperature of 1800° C. |
| Claim: | 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of cutting the carbon fiber item to a desired shape after the step of annealing the cured second resin and plurality of sheets. |
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| Other References: | Cheng, H et al. Graphene fiber: a new material platform for unique applications. NPG Asia Materials, vol. 6, Jul. 8, 2014; abstract; pp. 6-7. cited by applicant Li, Y et al. Highly conductive microfiber of graphene oxide template carbonization of nanofibrillated cellulose. Advanced Functional Materials, vol. 24, No. 46, pp. 7366-7372. Dec. 1, 2014; abstract; pp. 7367-7368, 7371. cited by applicant Deng, C et al. Effects of electrophoretically deposited graphene oxide coatings on interfacial properties of carbon fiber composite. Journal of Materials Science, vol. 50, pp. 5886-5892. Jun. 3, 2015; abstract; p. 5888. cited by applicant Patent Cooperation Treaty International Search Report—PCT/US17/27228, dated Jul. 6, 2017. cited by applicant Haven, Paul et al. Fact Sheet—Vehicle Efficiency and Emissions Standards. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Aug. 26, 2015. cited by applicant Xu, Y et al. Flexible graphene films via the filtration of water-soluble noncovalent functionalized graphene sheets. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2008. vol. 130. No. 18; pp. 5856-5857; p. 5856, figure 1. cited by applicant Patent Cooperation Treaty International Search Report—PCT/US17/27445, dated Jul. 17, 2017. cited by applicant Non-Final Rejection of U.S. Appl. No. 15/441,972, dated Jan. 29, 2020. cited by applicant CN 102588684, machine translation, 2015. (Year: 2015). cited by applicant WO2015097047, machine translation, 2015. (Year: 2015). cited by applicant Non-Final Rejection of U.S. Appl. No. 16/158,855, dated Jun. 26, 2020. cited by applicant Non-Final Rejection of U.S. Appl. No. 15/441,972, dated Dec. 28, 2018. cited by applicant Final Rejection of U.S. Appl. No. 15/441,972, dated Jul. 18, 2019. cited by applicant |
| Assistant Examiner: | Smith, Jr., Jimmy R |
| Primary Examiner: | Tucker, Philip C |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Lambert Shortell & Connaughton Connaughton, Jr., David J. Tinger, Justin P. |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.11339259 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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