Patents by Inventor Andre Van Neste

Andre Van Neste 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: 20090324470
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing an activated perovskite-based washcoat formulation suitable for reduction of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides emissions from an exhaust gas stream. The process includes the steps of high energy ball milling a fully synthesized perovskite structure to provide an activated nanocrystalline perovskite powder of a given surface area; mixing the activated nanocrystalline perovskite powder with dispersing media and grinding the mixture; removing partially or totally the dispersing media to obtain an activated perovskite-based catalyst washcoat formulation wherein the activated perovskite in the formulation has a specific surface area greater than that of the activated nanocrystalline perovskite powder. The process may further include a step of applying the formulation on a substrate to obtain a catalytic converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Houshang Alamdari, Mahbod Bassir, Purnesh Seegopaul, André Van Neste
  • Patent number: 7201789
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for preparing a nanocomposite based on magnesium and another element or compound known to absorb hydrogen and hardly miscible when ground with magnesium or its hydride, such as vanadium, titanium or niobium. The method is characterised in that it consists in submitting magnesium or a compound based on magnesium known to absorb hydrogen to hydrogenation to obtain the corresponding hydride in powder form. Said resulting powder hydride is then mixed with the other element or compound or a hydride of said other element or compound and the resulting mixture is subjected to intense mechanical grinding until the corresponding nanocomposite is obtained in the form of a hydride. Finally, if necessary, the resulting nanocomposite is subjected to hydrogen desorption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Hydro-Quebec
    Inventors: Robert Schulz, Guoxiang Liang, Guy Lalande, Jacques Huot, Sabin Boily, André Van Neste
  • Patent number: 6770256
    Abstract: Metal oxides having a perovskite or perovskite-like crystal structure are prepared by a process comprising subjecting a mixture of starring powders to a high energy milling sufficient to induce chemical reaction of the components and thereby directly mechanosynthesize said metal oxide in the form of a perovskite or a perovskite-like material having a nanocrystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffractometry. The process according to the present invention is simple, efficient, not expensive and does not require any heating step for producing a perovskite that may easily show a very high specific surface area. Another advantage is that the perovskite obtained according to the present invention also has a high density of lattice defects thereby showing a higher catalytic activity, a characteristic which is highly desirable in their eventual application as catalysts and electronic conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Universite Laval
    Inventors: Serge Kaliaguine, André Van Neste
  • Patent number: 6713037
    Abstract: A process method for producing a lithium based mixed oxide of the formula LiM′x . . . Oy through the steps of combining a lithium oxide with a second oxide having the base metal element (M′) at room temperature; and applying to the combination, a high energy milling process, wherein the high energy milling process obtains, without the addition of substantial external heat being added to the synthesis, a chemical synthesis of a composite oxide of the above formula, having crystallites of nanometer dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Nanox, Inc.
    Inventor: Andre Van Neste
  • Patent number: 6620346
    Abstract: The invention concerns novel varistors based on zinc oxide and a method for making same, which consists in using as base products nanocrystalline powders obtained by high-intensity mechanical grinding and in subjecting the mixture resulting from said nanocrystalline powders a consolidating treatment such as sintering, in suitably selected temperature and time conditions so as to retain the smallest possible grain size of ZnO. The resulting varistors have a very fine homogeneous microstructure and an average grain size characteristically not more than 3 mu m, i.e. five times smaller than standard materials. Said novel varistors have a larger number of grain boundaries per length unit and therefore a much higher breakdown voltage. Said voltage is characteristically higher than 10 kV/cm and can reach 17 kV/cm which is almost one order of magnitude above the breakdown voltage of standard varistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: Hydro-Quebec
    Inventors: Robert Schulz, Sabin Boily, Alain Joly, André Van Neste, Houshang Alamdari
  • Publication number: 20030082098
    Abstract: A process method for producing a lithium based mixed oxide of the formula LiM′x . . . Oy through the steps of combining a lithium oxide with a second oxide having the base metal element (M′) at room temperature; and applying to the combination, a high energy milling process, wherein the high energy milling process obtains, without the addition of substantial external heat being added to the synthesis, a chemical synthesis of a composite oxide of the above formula, having crystallites of nanometer dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventor: Andre Van Neste
  • Patent number: 6017504
    Abstract: Perovskite-type structure compounds having the general empirical formula ABO.sub.3 are prepared by a process comprising subjecting a mixture of starting powders formulated to contain the components represented by A and B in the formula to a high energy milling sufficient to induce chemical reaction of the components and thereby synthesize a mechanically-alloyed powder comprising the perovskite in the form of nanostructural particles. The process according to the present invention is simple, efficient, not expensive and does not require any heating step for producing a perovskite that may easily show a very high specific surface area. Another advantage is that the perovskite obtained according to the present invention also has a high density of lattice defects thereby showing a higher catalytic activity, a characteristic which is highly desirable in their eventual application as catalysts and electronic conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Universite Laval
    Inventors: Serge Kaliaguine, Andre Van Neste
  • Patent number: 5872074
    Abstract: Leached nanocrystalline materials having a high specific surface are particularly useful for storing hydrogen or as catalysts or electrocatalysts in the manufacture electrodes, especially for fuel cells. Such materials can be manufactured by preparing a nanocrystalline material consisting of a metastable composite or alloy of at least two different chemical elements. To be nanocrystalline, this material must have a crystalline structure with the grain size lower than 100 nm. Then, the so prepared nanocrystalline material can be subjected to a leaching treatment in order to eliminate partially or totally one of the elements of the composite or alloy. This leaching results in nanocrystalline materials having a porous structure and, thereby, the requested high specific surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignee: Hydro-Quebec
    Inventors: Robert Schulz, Guy Lalande, Jacques Huot, Marie-Chantal Denis, Guoxian Liang, Andre Van Neste, Daniel Guay, Jean-Pol Dodelet
  • Patent number: 5662834
    Abstract: An alloy of formula:Ti.sub.30+x Ru.sub.15+y Fe.sub.25+z O.sub.30+t M.sub.uwherein M represent at least one metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, manganese, vanadium, tungsten, antimony, platinum and lead; x is an integer ranging between -30 and +50; y is an integer ranging between -10 and +35; z is an integer ranging between -25 and +70; t is an integer ranging between -28 and +10; and u is an integer ranging between 0 and +50; x, y, z, t and u being selected so that: x+y+z+t+u=0. This alloy, especially when it has a nanocrystalline structure, is useful for the manufacture cathodes for the electro-chemical synthesis of sodium chlorate. These cathodes have an over-potential of hydrogen lower than the one of the soft-steel cathodes presently in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Hydro-Quebec
    Inventors: Robert Schulz, Andre Van Neste, Sabin Boily, Shize Jin