Patents Assigned to Global Graphene Group, Inc.
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Patent number: 10822239Abstract: Provided is a method of producing graphene from a microwave-expandable un-exfoliated graphite or graphitic carbon, comprising: (a) feeding a powder of the microwave-expandable material onto a non-metallic solid substrate, wherein the powder is in a ribbon shape having a first ribbon width and a first ribbon thickness; (b) moving the ribbon-shape powder into a microwave applicator chamber containing a microwave power zone having a microwave application width (no less than the first ribbon width) and a microwave penetration depth (no less than the first ribbon thickness) so that the entire ribbon-shape powder receives and absorbs microwave power with a sufficient power level for a sufficient length of time to exfoliate and separate the powder for producing graphene sheets; and (c) moving the graphene sheets out of the microwave chamber, cooling the graphene sheets, and collecting the graphene sheets in a collector container or for a subsequent use.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Yi-Jun Lin, Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10826113Abstract: A zinc ion-exchanging battery device comprising: (A) a cathode comprising two cathode active materials (a zinc ion intercalation compound and a surface-mediating material); (B) an anode containing zinc metal or zinc alloy; (C) a porous separator disposed between the cathode and the anode; and (D) an electrolyte containing zinc ions that are exchanged between the cathode and the anode during battery charge/discharge. The zinc ion intercalation compound is selected from chemically treated carbon or graphite material having an expanded inter-graphene spacing d002 of at least 0.5 nm, or an oxide, carbide, dichalcogenide, trichalcogenide, sulfide, selenide, or telluride of niobium, zirconium, molybdenum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, manganese, iron, nickel, or a combination thereof. The surface-mediating material contains exfoliated graphite or multiple single-layer sheets or multi-layer platelets of a graphene material.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2015Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10818926Abstract: A method of producing a powder mass for a lithium battery, comprising: (a) mixing an inorganic filler and an elastomer or its precursor in a liquid medium or solvent to form a suspension; (b) dispersing a plurality of particles of an anode active material in the suspension to form a slurry; and (c) dispensing the slurry and removing the solvent and/or polymerizing or curing the precursor to form the powder mass, wherein at least a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of anode particles being encapsulated by a layer of inorganic filler-reinforced elastomer having a thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, and a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm and the inorganic filler has a lithium intercalation potential from 1.1 V to 4.5 V versus Li/Li+.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Baofei Pan, Hui He, Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Single crystal graphene or polycrystalline graphene matrix composite containing carbon-based fillers
Patent number: 10808158Abstract: A process for producing a unitary graphene matrix composite, the process comprising: (a) preparing a graphene oxide gel having graphene oxide molecules dispersed in a fluid medium, wherein the graphene oxide gel is optically transparent or translucent; (b) mixing a carbon or graphite filler phase in said graphene oxide gel to form a slurry; (c) dispensing said slurry onto a surface of a supporting substrate or a cavity of a molding tool; (d) partially or completely removing the fluid medium from the slurry to form a composite precursor; and (e) heat-treating the composite precursor to form the unitary graphene composite at a temperature higher than 100° C. This composite exhibits a combination of exceptional thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, surface hardness, and scratch resistance.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2017Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang -
Patent number: 10804537Abstract: Provided is an anode active material layer for a lithium battery, comprising multiple particulates of an anode active material, wherein a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of particles of a high-capacity anode active material being embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of a high-elasticity polymer having a recoverable tensile strain no less than 5% when measured without an additive or reinforcement, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?6 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 0.5 nm (or a molecular monolayer) to 10 ?m (preferably less than 100 nm), and wherein the high-elasticity polymer contains a polyrotaxane network having a rotaxane structure or a polyrotaxane structure at a crosslink point of the polyrotaxane network.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2017Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10797313Abstract: Provided is method of producing anode or cathode particulates for an alkali metal battery. The method comprises: (a) preparing a slurry containing particles of an anode or cathode active material, an electron-conducting material, and an electrolyte containing a lithium salt or sodium salt and an optional polymer dissolved in a liquid solvent; and (b) conducting a particulate-forming means to convert the slurry into multiple anode or cathode particulates, wherein an anode or a cathode particulate is composed of (i) particles of the active material, (ii) the electron-conducting material, and (iii) an electrolyte, wherein the electron-conducting material forms a 3D network of electron-conducting pathways and the electrolyte forms a 3D network of lithium ion- or sodium ion-conducting channels and wherein the anode particulate or cathode particulate has a dimension from 10 nm to 100 ?m and an electrical conductivity from about 10?6 S/cm to about 300 S/cm.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2017Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Hui He, Baofei Pan, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10797306Abstract: Provided is an impact-transfer method of producing multiple anode particulates for a lithium battery, the method comprising: (a) mixing multiple particles of a graphitic material, multiple polymer-coated porous primary anode active material particles, with or without the presence of externally added milling balls or beads, to form a mixture in an impacting chamber of an energy impacting apparatus; (b) operating the energy impacting apparatus for peeling off graphene sheets from the particles of graphitic material and transferring the peeled graphene sheets to surfaces of the polymer-coated anode active material particles to produce particulates of graphene-encapsulated polymer-coated porous anode active material particles; (c) recovering the particulates from the impacting chamber and separating the particles of ball-milling media from the particulates; and (d) thermally converting the polymer in the polymer-coated particles into a carbon foam to obtain porous, graphene-encapsulated carbon foam-protected anodType: GrantFiled: January 2, 2019Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventor: Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10784509Abstract: Provided is a lithium secondary battery, comprising a cathode, an anode, and a porous separator or electrolyte, wherein the anode comprises: (a) an anode active layer containing a layer of lithium or lithium alloy, in a form of a foil, coating, or multiple particles aggregated together, as an anode active material; (b) a first anode-protecting layer having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m, a specific surface area greater than 50 m2/g and comprising a thin layer of electron-conducting material selected from graphene sheets, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon or graphite fibers, expanded graphite flakes, metal nanowires, conductive polymer fibers, or a combination thereof, and (c) a second anode-protecting layer having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m and comprising an elastomer having a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 1,000% and a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2018Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Hui He, Baofei Pan, Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10777808Abstract: A lithium battery cathode layer containing multiple particles or coating of a cathode active material (metal fluoride or metal chloride) and a layer of exfoliated graphite worms composed of interconnected graphite flakes and inter-flake pores, wherein (a) the graphite worms are selected from exfoliated natural graphite, exfoliated artificial graphite, exfoliated meso carbon micro-beads, exfoliated coke, exfoliated meso-phase pitch, exfoliated carbon or graphite fiber, or a combination thereof; (b) the cathode active material particles or coating has a size from 0.4 nm to 10 ?m, and is in an amount from 1% to 99% by weight based on the total weight of graphite worms and the cathode active material combined; and (c) some of the pores are lodged with particles or coating of the cathode active material.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2017Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10777810Abstract: Provided is a lithium secondary battery, comprising a cathode, an anode, and a porous separator or electrolyte, wherein the anode comprises: (a) an anode active layer containing a layer of lithium or lithium alloy, in a form of a foil, coating, or multiple particles aggregated together, as an anode active material; (b) a first anode-protecting layer having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m (preferably <1 ?m and more preferably <100 nm) and comprising a lithium ion-conducting material having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm; and (c) a second anode-protecting layer having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m and comprising an elastomer having a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 1,000% and a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2018Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Hui He, Baofei Pan, Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10770755Abstract: A surface-enabled, metal ion-exchanging battery device comprising a cathode, an anode, a porous separator, and a metal ion-containing electrolyte, wherein the metal ion is selected from aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), or bismuth (Bi), and at least one of the electrodes contains therein a metal ion source prior to the first charge or discharge cycle of the device and at least the cathode comprises a functional material or nanostructured material having a metal ion-capturing functional group or metal ion-storing surface in direct contact with the electrolyte. This energy storage device has a power density significantly higher than that of a lithium-ion battery and an energy density dramatically higher than that of a supercapacitor.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10770721Abstract: Provided is lithium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte or separator-electrolyte assembly disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the anode comprises: (a) a foil or coating of lithium or lithium alloy as an anode active material; and (b) a thin layer of a high-elasticity polymer having a recoverable tensile strain no less than 5%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?6 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, wherein the high-elasticity polymer contains an ultrahigh molecular weight polymer having a molecular weight from 0.5×106 to 9×106 g/mole and is disposed between the lithium or lithium alloy and the electrolyte or separator-electrolyte assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2017Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10770748Abstract: Provided is a lithium-selenium battery, comprising a cathode, an anode, and a porous separator/electrolyte assembly, wherein the anode comprises an anode active layer containing lithium or lithium alloy as an anode active material, and the cathode comprises a cathode active layer comprising a selenium-containing material, wherein an anode-protecting layer is disposed between the anode active layer and the separator/electrolyte and/or a cathode-protecting layer is disposed between the cathode active layer and the separator/electrolyte; the protecting layer contains a composite comprising from 0.01% to 50% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material and has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 100 S/cm.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10741335Abstract: A lithium super-battery cell comprising: (a) A cathode comprising a cathode active material having a surface area to capture or store lithium thereon, wherein the cathode active material is not a functionalized material and does not bear a functional group; (b) An anode comprising an anode current collector; (c) A porous separator disposed between the two electrodes; (d) A lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the two electrodes, wherein the cathode active material has a specific surface area of no less than 100 m2/g being in direct physical contact with the electrolyte to receive lithium ions therefrom or to provide lithium ions thereto; and (e) A lithium source implemented at one or both of the two electrodes prior to a first charge or a first discharge cycle of the cell. This new generation of energy storage device exhibits the best properties of both the lithium ion battery and the supercapacitor.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10730070Abstract: A continuous process for producing a surface-metalized polymer article, comprising: (a) continuously immersing a polymer article into a graphene dispersion comprising multiple graphene sheets dispersed in a liquid medium for a period of immersion time and then retreating the polymer article from the dispersion, enabling deposition of graphene sheets onto a surface of the polymer article to form a graphene-attached polymer article; (b) continuously moving the graphene-attached polymer article into a drying or heating zone to enable bonding of graphene sheets to said surface to form a graphene-covered polymer article; and (c) continuously moving the graphene-covered polymer article into a metallization zone where a layer of a metal is chemically, physically, electrochemically or electrolytically deposited onto a surface of the graphene-covered polymer article to form the surface-metalized polymer article. Step (a) may be preceded by a surface treatment of the polymer article.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Yi-jun Lin, Shaio-yen Lee, Yao-de Jhong, Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10734635Abstract: Provided is graphene-embraced particulate for use as a lithium-ion battery anode active material, wherein the particulate comprises primary particle(s) of an anode active material and multiple sheets of a first graphene material overlapped together to embrace or encapsulate the primary particle(s) and wherein a single or a plurality of graphene-encapsulated primary particles, along with an optional conductive additive, are further embraced or encapsulated by multiple sheets of a second graphene material, wherein the first graphene and the second graphene material is each in an amount from 0.01% to 20% by weight and the optional conductive additive is in an amount from 0% to 50% by weight, all based on the total weight of the particulate. Also provided are an anode and a battery comprising multiple graphene-embraced particulates.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Hao-Hsun Chang, Yu-Sheng Su, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10734648Abstract: Provided is a lithium ion battery that exhibits a significantly improved specific capacity and much longer charge-discharge cycle life. In one preferred embodiment, the battery comprises a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte in ionic contact with both the cathode and the anode, and an optional separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein, prior to the battery being assembled, the anode comprises (a) an anode active material layer composed of fine particles of a first anode active material having an average size from 1 nm to 10 ?m, an optional conductive additive, and an optional binder that bonds the fine particles and the conductive additive together to form the anode active material layer having structural integrity and (b) a layer of lithium metal or lithium metal alloy having greater than 80% by weight of lithium therein, wherein the layer of lithium metal or lithium metal alloy is in physical contact with the anode active material layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10731931Abstract: A highly oriented humic acid film, comprising multiple humic acid (HA) or chemically functionalized humic acid (CHA) sheets that are chemically bonded or merged and are substantially parallel to one another, wherein the film has a thickness from 5 nm to 500 ?m, a physical density no less than 1.3 g/cm3, hexagonal carbon planes with an inter-planar spacing d002 of 0.4 nm to 1.3 nm as determined by X-ray diffraction, and a non-carbon element content or oxygen content lower than 5% by weight.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2016Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Jang
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Patent number: 10734671Abstract: Provided is a lithium-ion battery containing an anode, a cathode, a porous separator, and an electrolyte, wherein the cathode comprises particles of a cathode active material that are packed together to form a cathode active material layer having interstitial spaces to accommodate a lithium ion receptor disposed therein and configured to receive lithium ions from the anode and enable lithium ions to enter the particles in a time-delayed manner, wherein the receptor comprises lithium-capturing groups selected from (a) redox forming species that reversibly form a redox pair with a lithium ion when the battery is charged; (b) electron-donating groups interspaced between non-electron-donating groups; (c) anions and cations wherein the anions are less or more mobile than the cations; (d) chemical reducing groups that partially reduce lithium ions from Li+1 to Li+?, wherein 0<?<1; (e) an ionic liquid; or (f) a combination thereof.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z. Jang
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Patent number: 10734642Abstract: Provided is an anode active material layer for a lithium battery. This layer comprises multiple particulates of an anode active material, wherein at least a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of particles of a high-capacity anode active material being encapsulated by a thin layer of elastomeric material that has a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?7 S/cm (preferably no less than 10?5 S/cm) at room temperature and an encapsulating shell thickness from 1 nm to 10 ?m, and wherein the high-capacity anode active material (e.g. Si, Ge, Sn, SnO2, Co3O4, etc.) has a specific capacity of lithium storage greater than 372 mAh/g (the theoretical lithium storage limit of graphite).Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2016Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Global Graphene Group, Inc.Inventors: Aruna Zhamu, Bor Z Jang