Virginia Ann Davis

US Patent:

7125502, Oct 24, 2006

Filed:

Jul 2, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/189129

Inventors:

Richard E. Smalley - Houston TX, US
Rajesh Kumar Saini - Houston TX, US
Ramesh Sivarajan - Houston TX, US
Robert H. Hauge - Houston TX, US
Virginia Angelica Davis - Webster TX, US
Matteo Pasquali - Houston TX, US
Lars Martin Ericson - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/12

US Classification:

252378R, 4234471, 423460, 977842, 264105

Abstract:

The present invention involves fibers of highly aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes and a process for making the same. The present invention provides a method for effectively dispersing single-wall carbon nanotubes. The process for dispersing the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprises mixing single-wall carbon nanotubes with 100% sulfuric acid or a superacid, heating and stirring under an inert, oxygen-free environment. The single-wall carbon nanotube/acid mixture is wet spun into a coagulant to form the single-wall carbon nanotube fibers. The fibers are recovered, washed and dried. The single-wall carbon nanotubes were highly aligned in the fibers, as determined by Raman spectroscopy analysis.

US Patent:

7288238, Oct 30, 2007

Filed:

Jul 2, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/187729

Inventors:

Richard E. Smalley - Houston TX, US
Rajesh Kumar Saini - Houston TX, US
Ramesh Sivarajan - Houston TX, US
Robert H. Hauge - Houston TX, US
Virginia Angelica Davis - Webster TX, US
Matteo Pasquali - Houston TX, US
Lars Martin Ericson - Houston TX, US
Satish Kumar - Lawrenceville GA, US
Sreekumar Thaliyil Veedu - Atlanta GA, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/12

US Classification:

4234471, 423460, 977847

Abstract:

The present invention involves alewives of highly aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT), process for making the same and compositions thereof. The present invention provides a method for effectively making carbon alewives, which are discrete, acicular-shaped aggregates of aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes and resemble the Atlantic fish of the same name. Single-wall carbon nanotube alewives can be conveniently dispersed in materials such as polymers, ceramics, metals, metal oxides and liquids. The process for preparing the alewives comprises mixing single-wall carbon nanotubes with 100% sulfuric acid or a superacid, heating and stirring, and slowly introducing water into the single-wall carbon nanotube/acid mixture to form the alewives. The alewives can be recovered, washed and dried. The properties of the single-wall carbon nanotubes are retained in the alewives.

US Patent:

20050160798, Jul 28, 2005

Filed:

Apr 30, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/836551

Inventors:

Matteo Pasquali - Houston TX, US
Virginia Davis - Webster TX, US
Ingrid Stepanek-Basset - La Grand'Combe, FR
Robert Hauge - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

William Marsh Rice University - Houston TX

International Classification:

G01B013/02

US Classification:

073054020, 073866000

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to at least one method and at least one apparatus for determining the length of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The method generally comprises the steps of: dispersing a sample of SWNTs into a suitable dispersing medium to form a solvent-suspension of solvent-suspended SWNTs; determining the mean SWNT diameter of the solvent-suspended SWNTs; introducing the solvent-suspended SWNTs into a viscosity-measuring device; obtaining a specific viscosity for the SWNT solvent-suspension; and determining the length of the SWNTs based upon the specific viscosity by solving, for example, the Kirkwood-Auer equation corrected by Batchelor's formula for the drag on a slender cylinder for “L,” to determine the length of the SWNTs. The apparatus generally comprises: a SWNT sample introduction mechanism; a dispersal chamber; a SWNT radius-determination chamber; and a viscosity determining chamber, wherein the SWNT sample introduction mechanism, the dispersal chamber, the SWNT radius-determination chamber, and the viscosity determination chamber are each operatively connected to at least one of the others.

US Patent:

20110110843, May 12, 2011

Filed:

Oct 29, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/740529

Inventors:

Matteo Pasquali - Houston TX, US
Wen-Fang Hwang - Midland MI, US
Howard K. Schmidt - Cypress TX, US
Natneal Behabtu - Houston TX, US
Virginia Davis - Auburn AL, US
A. Nicholas G. Parra-Vasquez - Houston TX, US
Micah J. Green - Houston TX, US
Richard Booker - Houston TX, US
Colin c. Young - Houston TX, US
Hua Fan - Houston TX, US

Assignee:

WILLIAM MARCH RICE UNIVERSITY - Houston TX

International Classification:

D01F 9/12
C01B 31/02
B29C 47/00
B82Y 30/00
B82Y 40/00

US Classification:

4234472, 423448, 4234471, 26417713, 2641771, 977742, 977750, 977752, 977842

Abstract:

Articles comprising neat, aligned carbon nanotubes and methods for production thereof are disclosed. The articles and methods comprise extrusion of a super acid solution of carbon nanotubes followed by removal of the super acid solvent. The articles may be processed by wet-jet wet spinning, dry-jet wet spinning, and coagulant co-flow extrusion techniques.