Patents by Inventor Robin E. Richards

Robin E. Richards 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: 5599383
    Abstract: Tubular solid-state membrane modules for separating oxygen from an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture which provide improved pneumatic and structural integrity and ease of manifolding. The modules are formed from a plurality of tubular membrane units, each membrane unit which comprises a channel-free porous support having connected through porosity which is in contact with a contiguous dense mixed conducting oxide layer having no connected through porosity. The dense mixed conducting oxide layer is placed in flow communication with the oxygen-containing gaseous mixture to be separated and the channel-free porous support of each membrane unit is placed in flow communication with one or more manifolds or conduits for discharging oxygen which has been separated from the oxygen-containing gaseous mixture by permeation through the dense mixed conducting oxide layer of each membrane unit and passage into the manifolds or conduits via the channel-free porous support of each membrane unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul N. Dyer, Jeffrey D. Bright, Michael F. Carolan, Eric Minford, Robin E. Richards, Steven L. Russek, Dale M. Taylor, Merrill A. Wilson
  • Patent number: 5439706
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing inorganic membranes which are capable of separating oxygen from air. The membranes comprise a thin layer of a multicomponent metallic oxide which has been deposited onto a porous substrate by organometallic chemical vapor deposition. The inorganic membranes are formed by reacting organometallic complexes corresponding to each of the respective metals making up the multicomponent metallic oxide and an oxidizing agent under conditions sufficient to deposit a thin layer of the multicomponent metallic oxide onto the porous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin E. Richards, Robert L. Iampietro, Paul N. Dyer
  • Patent number: 5360635
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing inorganic membranes which are capable of separating oxygen from air. The membranes comprise a thin layer of a multicomponent metallic oxide which has been deposited onto a porous substrate by organometallic chemical vapor deposition. The inorganic membranes are formed by reacting organometallic complexes corresponding to each of the respective metals making up the multicomponent metallic oxide and an oxidizing agent under conditions sufficient to deposit a thin layer of the multicomponent metallic oxide onto the porous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin E. Richards, Robert L. Iampietro, Paul N. Dyer
  • Patent number: 5332597
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing inorganic membranes which are capable of separating oxygen from oxygen-containing gaseous mixtures. The membranes comprise a porous composite of a thin layer of a multicomponent metallic oxide which has been deposited onto a porous support wherein the pores of the multicomponent metallic oxide layer are subsequently filled or plugged with a metallic-based species. The inorganic membranes are formed by depositing a porous multicomponent metallic oxide layer onto the porous support to form a porous composite having a network of pores capable of transporting gases. The network of pores are plugged or filled by organometallic vapor infiltration to form an inorganic membrane having essentially no through porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Carolan, Paul N. Dyer, Stephen M. Fine, Alexander Makitka, III, Robin E. Richards, Leslie E. Schaffer