Abstract: Disclosed herein is a dual density disc comprising a dense outer tube comprising alumina having a purity of greater than 99%; and a porous core comprising alumina of a lower density than a density of the dense outer tube; wherein the porous core has an alumina purity of greater than 99%. Disclosed herein too is method comprising disposing in a dense outer tube a slurry comprising alumina powder and a pore former; heating the dense outer tube with the slurry disposed therein to a temperature of 300 to 600° C. to activate the pore former; creating a porous core in the dense outer tube; and sintering the dense outer tube with the porous core at a temperature of 800 to 2000° C. in one or more stages.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are static mixer assemblies, and related methods of fabrication and use. The disclosure provides advantageous static mixer assemblies, and improved systems/methods for utilizing and/or fabricating the static mixer assemblies. The disclosure provides static mixer assemblies fabricated at least in part by additive manufacturing (e.g., via a 3D printing process, such as, for example, via a fused deposition modeling (“FDM”) process), and related methods of use. The static mixer assemblies of the present disclosure can be particularly well-suited for applications such as, without limitation, high performance liquid chromatography (“HPLC”) applications. The additive manufacturing or 3D printing processes (e.g., FDM or LAMT techniques) as described herein can be used to manufacture static mixer assemblies with complex shapes/designs (e.g., and that are highly effective yet small in shape).

Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous porous assemblies, and improved systems and methods for utilizing and/or fabricating the porous assemblies. More particularly, the present disclosure provides porous assemblies fabricated at least in part by additive manufacturing (e.g., via a 3D printing process, such as, for example, via an electron beam additive manufacturing process, via a laser additive manufacturing technology, via an inkjet or a binder jet additive manufacturing process, etc.), the porous assemblies including a porous monolith support structure or substrate for a sensitive or active layer of a multi-layer application (e.g., for sensitive/active layers in fuel cell/electrolyzer/battery and other multi-layer applications).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a dual density disc comprising a dense outer tube comprising a metal oxide having a purity of greater than 92%; and a porous core comprising a metal oxide of a lower density than a density of the dense outer tube; wherein the porous core has a metal oxide purity of greater than 99%; where the dense outer tube has an inner tapered surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are advantageous drug delivery assemblies, and related methods of fabrication and use thereof. The present disclosure provides improved drug delivery assemblies for extended drug delivery (e.g., via passive diffusion) and/or tunability, and improved systems/methods for utilizing and fabricating the drug delivery assemblies. More particularly, the present disclosure provides single or dual compartment, and dual porous membrane based (e.g., porous zinc membrane based) drug delivery assemblies for extended drug delivery (e.g., via passive diffusion) and/or tunability. The present disclosure also provides for a method for utilizing a drug delivery assembly. The assemblies can be utilized for the extended drug delivery of pharmaceuticals or the like, such as biologics, for the sustained release of medication for greater than six months to overcome difficulties with daily dosing regimes.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are phase separator devices, and related methods of fabrication and use. The disclosure provides improved phase separator devices for phase separation of input feeds, and systems/methods for utilizing and fabricating the devices. The disclosure provides phase separator devices utilizing inertial separation and porous media extraction for the phase separation of two-phase input feeds (e.g., to separate an input feed of a two-phase mixture to a first phase output (e.g., to a liquid output flow) and to a second phase output (e.g., to a gas output flow)). The device can separate a mixed fluid flow of both liquid and gases. The liquid and gas can include liquid and vapor phases of the same chemical/constituent (e.g., ammonia), or may include liquid and gases of two different constituents (e.g., liquid water and air). The phase separator devices can be utilized at standard gravity to micro-gravity to zero gravity environments.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous rotary interfaces for fluid assemblies (e.g., rotary interfaces for fluid flow in bioreactor applications), and related methods of fabrication and use. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved rotary interfaces for fluid flow through porous impellers for filtration and/or sparging for fluid assemblies (e.g., bioreactor applications), and related methods of fabrication and use. Disclosed herein is a fluid assembly (e.g., bioreactor) that includes a porous impeller which is in fluid communication with a hollow shaft that can be used to transport a reaction fluid to an external storage tank or the like. The fluid assembly/bioreactor can include a coupling mechanism that transmits rotary motion from a motor to a primary shaft and then to a hollow secondary shaft, while at the same time permitting removal of a filtrate from the fluid assembly or bioreactor via the hollow secondary shaft and a porous impeller.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a dual density disc comprising a dense outer tube comprising alumina having a purity of greater than 99%; and a porous core comprising alumina of a lower density than a density of the dense outer tube; wherein the porous core has an alumina purity of greater than 99%. Disclosed herein too is method comprising disposing in a dense outer tube a slurry comprising alumina powder and a pore former; heating the dense outer tube with the slurry disposed therein to a temperature of 300 to 600° C. to activate the pore former; creating a porous core in the dense outer tube; and sintering the dense outer tube with the porous core at a temperature of 800 to 2000° C. in one or more stages.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a porous membrane comprising a porous substrate; a porous ceramic coating disposed on the porous substrate; where an average pore size of pores in the porous substrate are larger than an average pore size of pores in the porous coating. Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a porous membrane comprising disposing upon a porous substrate a porous ceramic coating, where the porous ceramic coating has an average pore size that is less than an average pore size of the porous substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices and drug delivery. In particular, the present disclosure relates to implantable medical devices, systems and methods for controlled and consistent drug release through a porous body into a patient.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the field of filtration. In particular, the present disclosure relates to filtration devices, systems and methods for high flowrates and low pressure differentials through porous bodies of metal fiber media.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are phase separator devices, and related methods of fabrication and use. The disclosure provides improved phase separator devices for phase separation of input feeds, and systems/methods for utilizing and fabricating the devices. The disclosure provides phase separator devices utilizing inertial separation and porous media extraction for the phase separation of two-phase input feeds (e.g., to separate an input feed of a two-phase mixture to a first phase output (e.g., to a liquid output flow) and to a second phase output (e.g., to a gas output flow)). The device can separate a mixed fluid flow of both liquid and gases. The liquid and gas can include liquid and vapor phases of the same chemical/constituent (e.g., ammonia), or may include liquid and gases of two different constituents (e.g., liquid water and air). The phase separator devices can be utilized at standard gravity to micro-gravity to zero gravity environments.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are advantageous phase separator devices, and related methods of fabrication and use thereof. The present disclosure provides improved phase separator devices for phase separation of feedstreams, and improved systems/methods for utilizing and fabricating the phase separator devices. More particularly, the present disclosure provides porous (e.g., three-dimensional gradient porous) phase separator devices for phase separation of fluid mixtures (e.g., to separate a two-phase fluid mixture) to a first fluid phase flow (e.g., to a liquid flow) and to a second fluid phase flow (e.g., to a gas flow). At least a portion of the phase separator devices of the present disclosure can be fabricated via machining, powder metallurgy (e.g., sintering), and/or produced utilizing additive manufacturing techniques.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell with a dense barrier layer formed at or near the outer surface of the top and/or bottom electrode layers in a fuel cell stack. The dense barrier layer (DBL) acts as a seal to prevent gas in the electrode layer (either air in a cathode layer or fuel gas in an anode layer) from leaking out of the stack though the outer surface of the outermost electrode layers. The use of a DBL with porous outer electrode layers reduces the amount of gas escaping the stack and minimizes the chances for leak-induced problems ranging from decreases in performance to catastrophic stack failure.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell with a dense barrier layer formed at or near the outer surface of the top and/or bottom electrode layers in a fuel cell stack. The dense barrier layer (DBL) acts as a seal to prevent gas in the electrode layer (either air in a cathode layer or fuel gas in an anode layer) from leaking out of the stack though the outer surface of the outermost electrode layers. The use of a DBL with porous outer electrode layers reduces the amount of gas escaping the stack and minimizes the chances for leak-induced problems ranging from decreases in performance to catastrophic stack failure.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a hot press and methods of using the hot press. In an embodiment, the hot press can include a pressing element including a flared body. In another embodiment, the hot press can include a compression surface. The compression surface can include a first layer including a monocrystalline material and a second layer including a polycrystalline material, wherein the monocrystalline material and the polycrystalline material include a same primary compound. In a further embodiment, a sample including more than one layer of ceramic oxide material can be hot pressed without a die.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) article including a SOFC unit cell having a functional layer of an average thickness of not greater than about 100 ?m, wherein the functional layer has a first type of porosity having a vertical orientation, and the first type of porosity has an aspect ratio of length:width, the width substantially aligned with a dimension of thickness of the functional layer.

Abstract: An interconnect material is formed by combining a lanthanum-doped strontium titanate with an aliovalent transition metal to form a precursor composition and sintering the precursor composition to form the interconnect material. The aliovalent transition metal can be an electron-acceptor dopant, such as manganese, cobalt, nickel or iron, or the aliovalent transition metal can be an electron-donor dopant, such as niobium or tungsten. A solid oxide fuel cell, or a strontium titanate varistor, or a strontium titanate capacitor can include the interconnect material that includes a lanthanum-doped strontium titanate that is further doped with an aliovalent transition metal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a hot press and methods of using the hot press. In an embodiment, the hot press can include a pressing element including a flared body. In another embodiment, the hot press can include a compression surface. The compression surface can include a first layer including a monocrystalline material and a second layer including a polycrystalline material, wherein the monocrystalline material and the polycrystalline material include a same primary compound. In a further embodiment, a sample including more than one layer of ceramic oxide material can be hot pressed without a die.

Abstract: A component of a solid oxide fuel cell includes an electrolyte having a stabilized zirconia and one or more dopants. The stabilized zirconia particles can have a d50 particle size of at least 150 nm. The electrolyte can have a peak sintering temperature of not greater than 1120° C. The solid oxide fuel cell can have an average open cell voltage (OCV) of not greater than 1.09 V.