Patents by Inventor Sankara N. Sankaran

Sankara N. Sankaran 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: 20240026516
    Abstract: Methods for making layered materials and layered materials including high atomic number metals and metal alloys adhered to surfaces are provided. Such surfaces may be oxygen or hydroxyl rich surfaces. Certain methods include depositing a tie down layer of a first metal or metal alloy particles onto a first surface of base material and depositing a high atomic number metal or metal alloy layer onto the first surface after depositing the tie down layer, wherein particles comprising the high atomic number metal or metal alloy layer have a higher atomic number than the first metal or metal alloy particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: DONALD L. THOMSEN, III, SANKARA N. SANKARAN, JOEL A. ALEXA
  • Patent number: 11795536
    Abstract: Methods for making layered materials and layered materials including high atomic number metals and metal alloys adhered to surfaces are provided. Such surfaces may be oxygen or hydroxyl rich surfaces. Certain methods include depositing a tie down layer of a first metal or metal alloy particles onto a first surface of base material and depositing a high atomic number metal or metal alloy layer onto the first surface after depositing the tie down layer, wherein particles comprising the high atomic number metal or metal alloy layer have a higher atomic number than the first metal or metal alloy particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
    Inventors: Donald L. Thomsen, III, Sankara N. Sankaran, Joel A. Alexa
  • Patent number: 11724834
    Abstract: In some aspects, this disclosure relates to improved Z-grade materials, such as those used for shielding, systems incorporating such materials, and processes for making such Z-grade materials. In some examples, the Z-grade material includes a diffusion zone including mixed metallic alloy material with both a high atomic number material and a lower atomic number material. In certain examples, a process for making Z-grade material includes combining a high atomic number material and a low atomic number material, and bonding the high atomic number material and the low atomic number together using diffusion bonding. The processes may include vacuum pressing material at an elevated temperature, such as a temperature near a softening or melting point of the low atomic number material. In another aspect, systems such as a vault or an electronic enclosure are disclosed, where one or more surfaces of Z-grade material make up part or all of the vault/enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
    Inventors: Donald L. Thomsen, III, Sankara N. Sankaran, Joel A. Alexa
  • Publication number: 20210188464
    Abstract: In some aspects, this disclosure relates to improved Z-grade materials, such as those used for shielding, systems incorporating such materials, and processes for making such Z-grade materials. In some examples, the Z-grade material includes a diffusion zone including mixed metallic alloy material with both a high atomic number material and a lower atomic number material. In certain examples, a process for making Z-grade material includes combining a high atomic number material and a low atomic number material, and bonding the high atomic number material and the low atomic number together using diffusion bonding. The processes may include vacuum pressing material at an elevated temperature, such as a temperature near a softening or melting point of the low atomic number material. In another aspect, systems such as a vault or an electronic enclosure are disclosed, where one or more surfaces of Z-grade material make up part or all of the vault/enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventors: Donald L. Thomsen, III, Sankara N. Sankaran, Joel A. Alexa
  • Patent number: 10919650
    Abstract: In some aspects, this disclosure relates to improved Z-grade materials, such as those used for shielding, systems incorporating such materials, and processes for making such Z-grade materials. In some examples, the Z-grade material includes a diffusion zone including mixed metallic alloy material with both a high atomic number material and a lower atomic number material. In certain examples, a process for making Z-grade material includes combining a high atomic number material and a low atomic number material, and bonding the high atomic number material and the low atomic number together using diffusion bonding. The processes may include vacuum pressing material at an elevated temperature, such as a temperature near a softening or melting point of the low atomic number material. In another aspect, systems such as a vault or an electronic enclosure are disclosed, where one or more surfaces of Z-grade material make up part or all of the vault/enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF NASA
    Inventors: Donald L. Thomsen, III, Sankara N. Sankaran, Joel A. Alexa
  • Publication number: 20210025047
    Abstract: Methods for making layered materials and layered materials including high atomic number metals and metal alloys adhered to surfaces are provided. Such surfaces may be oxygen or hydroxyl rich surfaces. Certain methods include depositing a tie down layer of a first metal or metal alloy particles onto a first surface of base material and depositing a high atomic number metal or metal alloy layer onto the first surface after depositing the tie down layer, wherein particles comprising the high atomic number metal or metal alloy layer have a higher atomic number than the first metal or metal alloy particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Donald L. Thomsen, III, Sankara N. Sankaran, Joel A. Alexa
  • Publication number: 20190256228
    Abstract: In some aspects, this disclosure relates to improved Z-grade materials, such as those used for shielding, systems incorporating such materials, and processes for making such Z-grade materials. In some examples, the Z-grade material includes a diffusion zone including mixed metallic alloy material with both a high atomic number material and a lower atomic number material. In certain examples, a process for making Z-grade material includes combining a high atomic number material and a low atomic number material, and bonding the high atomic number material and the low atomic number together using diffusion bonding. The processes may include vacuum pressing material at an elevated temperature, such as a temperature near a softening or melting point of the low atomic number material. In another aspect, systems such as a vault or an electronic enclosure are disclosed, where one or more surfaces of Z-grade material make up part or all of the vault/enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: DONALD L. THOMSEN, III, SANKARA N. SANKARAN, JOEL A. ALEXA
  • Publication number: 20170032857
    Abstract: In some aspects, this disclosure relates to improved Z-grade materials, such as those used for shielding, systems incorporating such materials, and processes for making such Z-grade materials. In some examples, the Z-grade material includes a diffusion zone including mixed metallic alloy material with both a high atomic number material and a lower atomic number material. In certain examples, a process for making Z-grade material includes combining a high atomic number material and a low atomic number material, and bonding the high atomic number material and the low atomic number together using diffusion bonding. The processes may include vacuum pressing material at an elevated temperature, such as a temperature near a softening or melting point of the low atomic number material. In another aspect, systems such as a vault or an electronic enclosure are disclosed, where one or more surfaces of Z-grade material make up part or all of the vault/enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Donald Laurence Thomsen, III, Sankara N. Sankaran, Joel A. Alexa