Patents by Inventor Zebulon D. Vance, JR.

Zebulon D. Vance, JR. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method of treating a material to achieve sufficient hydrophilicity for making hydrophilic articles
    Patent number: 8906448
    Abstract: An exemplary method of treating a material such as carbon or graphite to render at least some surfaces of the material hydrophilic includes coating at least a portion of the at least some surfaces with an oxygenated element and controlling a rate of a breakdown of the oxygenated element to leave a corresponding elemental oxide on the surfaces. In one example, the material is treated before being incorporated into an article comprising the material. Another example method includes treating an article comprising the material. Disclosed examples include precipitation or decomposition as the breakdown of the oxygenated element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Gennady Resnick, Glenn M. Allen, Zebulon D. Vance, Jr., Ned E. Cipollini
  • METHOD OF TREATING A MATERIAL TO ACHIEVE SUFFICIENT HYROPHILICITY FOR MAKING HYROPHILIC ARTICLES
    Publication number: 20120003382
    Abstract: An exemplary method of treating a material such as carbon or graphite to render at least some surfaces of the material hydrophilic includes coating at least a portion of the at least some surfaces with an oxygenated element and controlling a rate of a breakdown of the oxygenated element to leave a corresponding elemental oxide on the surfaces. In one example, the material is treated before being incorporated into an article comprising the material. Another example method includes treating an article comprising the material. Disclosed examples include precipitation or decomposition as the breakdown of the oxygenated element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Gennady Resnick, Glenn M. Allen, Zebulon D. Vance, JR., Ned E. Cipollini