Patents by Inventor Alberto Figoli

Alberto Figoli 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).

  • Publication number: 20250357496
    Abstract: An electrochemical device suitable to work both as electrolyser and fuel cell has a housing (10), a central tubular electrode (11) provided with a plurality of through holes (13) and having a first electrical connector (6) that is connected to an electrical supply or an electrical load, a first gas diffusion layer or GDL (2), a catalyst coated membrane for exchanging of ionic species or CCM (3), which is wound on the first gas diffusion layer or GDL (2), a second gas diffusion layer or electrode-GDL (4), wound on the catalyst coated membrane or CCM (3) and provided with a second electrical connector (5). The first gas diffusion layer or GDL (2), the catalyst coated membrane or CCM (3), and the second gas diffusion layer or electrode-GDL (4) are suitable to surround the central tubular electrode (11) for at least 360°.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Publication date: November 20, 2025
    Applicants: CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE, MIPRONS SRL
    Inventors: Alberto FIGOLI, Johannes Carolus JANSEN, Enrica FONTANANOVA, Elisa ESPOSITO, Roberto JERACE, Mariagiulia LONGO, Angelo MINOTTI
  • Patent number: 11517860
    Abstract: The invention relates to dense synthetic membranes made from polymerised phosphonium-based ionic liquids which were found to be particularly suitable for use in gas separation. The membranes are obtainable by copolymerization via UV-curing of a composition comprising a phosphonium-based ionic liquid monomer, a co-monomer, a cross-linker, a surfactant and a photo-initiator, the remainder of the polymerization mixture consisting of water. The invention also relates to a process of manufacturing said membranes, resulting in solid, dense and mechanically stable membranes, and to the use of the membranes so produced in the separation of gas mixtures, particularly gas mixtures containing carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignees: Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Universitá Di Pisa, Universitá Della Calabria
    Inventors: Alberto Figoli, Francesco Galiano, Giuseppe Barbieri, Adele Brunetti, Lidietta Giorno, Christian Silvio Pompelli, Cinzia Chiappe, Bartolo Gabriele, Raffaella Mancuso, Yujiro Itami
  • Publication number: 20210053016
    Abstract: The invention relates to dense synthetic membranes made from polymerised phosphonium-based ionic liquids which were found to be particularly suitable for use in gas separation. The membranes are obtainable by copolymerization via UV-curing of a composition comprising a phosphonium-based ionic liquid monomer, a co-monomer, a cross-linker, a surfactant and a photo-initiator, the remainder of the polymerization mixture consisting of water. The invention also relates to a process of manufacturing said membranes, resulting in solid, dense and mechanically stable membranes, and to the use of the membranes so produced in the separation of gas mixtures, particularly gas mixtures containing carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Alberto FIGOLI, Francesco GALIANO, Giuseppe BARBIERI, Adele BRUNETTI, Lidietta GIORNO, Christian Silvio POMPELLI, Cinzia CHIAPPE, Gabriele BARTOLO, Raffaella MANCUSO, Yujiro ITAMI
  • Patent number: 8518263
    Abstract: Hydrophobic, asymmetric membranes are formed integrally from elastomeric polymers. The membranes have a dense, discriminating layer and a thick, porous support layer and require no other support. The membranes of the invention provide an economic advantage over prior art composite membranes used for separating target organics from a mixture. Using the methods of the invention it is possible to separate two or more organic components wherein discrimination is made on the basis of molecular size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Inventors: Subhas K. Sikdar, John O. Burckle, Binay K. Dutta, Alberto Figoli, Enrico Drioli
  • Publication number: 20120132590
    Abstract: Hydrophobic, asymmetric membranes are formed integrally from elastomeric polymers. The membranes have a dense, discriminating layer and a thick, porous support layer and require not other support. The membranes of the invention provide an economic advantage over prior art composite membranes used for separating target organics from a mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Inventors: Subhas K. Sikdar, John O. Burckle, Binay K. Dutta, Alberto Figoli, Enrico Drioli
  • Patent number: 8096424
    Abstract: Using the methods of the invention, an elastomeric polymer is dissolved in a suitable solvent, cast in one of the membrane casting techniques using a phase inversion technique, and immersed in a coagulation bath comprised of suitable solvent/non-solvent pairs (e.g., THF/water and ethanol). Asymmetric membranes having a dense discriminating layer and a thicker porous support layer suitable for application in pervaporation processes were obtained in a single step. An increase of the polymer concentration in the casting solution gives a more dense layer. When cast as formed using the methods of the invention, the membrane obtained is an integrally skinned membrane comprising a thin, dense separation layer over a porous support layer (asymmetric membrane) formed in a single casting operation. The resulting membrane is homogenous with respect to chemical composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Environmental Protection Agency
    Inventors: Subhas K. Sikdar, John O. Burckle, Binay K. Dutta, Alberto Figoli, Enrico Drioli
  • Publication number: 20080114087
    Abstract: Hydrophobic, asymmetric membranes are formed integrally from elastomeric polymers. The membranes have a dense, discriminating layer and a thick, porous support layer and require not other support. The membranes of the invention provide an economic advantage over prior art composite membranes used for separating target organics from a mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Subhas K. Sikdar, John O. Burckle, Binay K. Dutta, Alberto Figoli, Enrico Drioli