Patents by Inventor Brandon J. Hopkins

Brandon J. Hopkins 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).

  • Patent number: 11670759
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making porous zinc electrodes. Taken together, the steps are: forming a mixture of water, a soluble compound that increases the viscosity of the mixture, an insoluble porogen, and metallic zinc powder; placing the mixture in a mold to form a sponge; optionally drying the sponge; placing the sponge in a metal mesh positioned to allow air flow through substantially all the openings in the mesh; heating the sponge in an inert atmosphere at a peak temperature of 200 to 420° C. to fuse the zinc particles to each other to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a peak temperature of 420 to 700° C. to form ZnO on the surfaces of the sintered sponge. The heating steps burn out the porogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Brandon J. Hopkins, Joseph F. Parker, Jeffrey W. Long, Debra R. Rolison
  • Publication number: 20210344001
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making porous zinc electrodes. Taken together, the steps are: forming a mixture of water, a soluble compound that increases the viscosity of the mixture, an insoluble porogen, and metallic zinc powder; placing the mixture in a mold to form a sponge; optionally drying the sponge; placing the sponge in a metal mesh positioned to allow air flow through substantially all the openings in the mesh; heating the sponge in an inert atmosphere at a peak temperature of 200 to 420° C. to fuse the zinc particles to each other to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a peak temperature of 420 to 700° C. to form ZnO on the surfaces of the sintered sponge. The heating steps burn out the porogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Brandon J. Hopkins, Joseph F. Parker, Jeffrey W. Long, Debra R. Rolison
  • Patent number: 11069889
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making porous zinc electrodes. Taken together, the steps are: forming a mixture of water, a soluble compound that increases the viscosity of the mixture, an insoluble porogen, and metallic zinc powder; placing the mixture in a mold to form a sponge; optionally drying the sponge; placing the sponge in a metal mesh positioned to allow air flow through substantially all the openings in the mesh; heating the sponge in an inert atmosphere at a peak temperature of 200 to 420° C. to fuse the zinc particles to each other to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a peak temperature of 420 to 700° C. to form ZnO on the surfaces of the sintered sponge. The heating steps burn out the porogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: The Government of the United Stales of America, as represented by the Secretare of the Navy
    Inventors: Brandon J. Hopkins, Joseph F. Parker, Jeffrey W. Long, Debra R. Rolison
  • Publication number: 20210020916
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods of making porous zinc electrodes. Taken together, the steps are: forming a mixture of water, a soluble compound that increases the viscosity of the mixture, an insoluble porogen, and metallic zinc powder; placing the mixture in a mold to form a sponge; optionally drying the sponge; placing the sponge in a metal mesh positioned to allow air flow through substantially all the openings in the mesh; heating the sponge in an inert atmosphere at a peak temperature of 200 to 420° C. to fuse the zinc particles to each other to form a sintered sponge; and heating the sintered sponge in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a peak temperature of 420 to 700° C. to form ZnO on the surfaces of the sintered sponge. The heating steps burn out the porogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Brandon J. Hopkins, Joseph F. Parker, Jeffrey W. Long, Debra R. Rolison
  • Patent number: 10589286
    Abstract: A low-cost, portable, destructive sanitization method for solid state drives (SSDs) is provided. Preferably, an SSD is destroyed by disintegration within a given time period (approximately 30 minutes or less) using a blending device operating at a given peak power, e.g., greater than 450 W. A pulverizing agent may be admixed with pieces of an SSD printed circuit board prior to initiating the disintegration process to increase the number of particle collisions in a processing/blending chamber. The pulverizing agent may also contain moisture that mitigates suspension of processed SDD particles in the surrounding air (when the mixing chamber is opened). The overall process may be video-recorded for compliance purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon J. Hopkins, Kevin A. Riggle
  • Publication number: 20170050190
    Abstract: A low-cost, portable, destructive sanitization method for solid state drives (SSDs) is provided. Preferably, an SSD is destroyed by disintegration within a given time period (approximately 30 minutes or less) using a blending device operating at a given peak power, e.g., greater than 450 W. A pulverizing agent may be admixed with pieces of an SSD printed circuit board prior to initiating the disintegration process to increase the number of particle collisions in a processing/blending chamber. The pulverizing agent may also contain moisture that mitigates suspension of processed SDD particles in the surrounding air (when the mixing chamber is opened). The overall process may be video-recorded for compliance purposes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Brandon J. Hopkins, Kevin A. Riggle