Patents by Inventor Steven Woltornist

Steven Woltornist 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: 11355259
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Publication number: 20210027907
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Patent number: 10832828
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Patent number: 10002686
    Abstract: A method of infusing fibrous substrates with conductive organic particles (e.g. graphene/graphite) and conductive polymer, and the resulting electrically conductive fibrous substrates prepared therefrom are disclosed. All organic electrically conductive fibrous substrates prepared from synthetic fibrous substrates, graphene/graphite, and conductive polymer have been prepared having high electrical conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
    Inventors: Gregory Sotzing, Douglas Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Fahad Alamer
  • Publication number: 20170178762
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Patent number: 9685261
    Abstract: Advantageous films and coatings (e.g., transparent conductive films), and improved methods for fabricating such films and/or coatings, are provided. The improved methods for fabricating transparent conductive films/coatings may involve trapping at least a portion of a layered material (e.g., graphene sheet(s) or layer(s) of graphite) at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an interface of two non-mixing solvents). Transparent, one to four layer, conductive films/coatings of pristine natural flake graphene are produced by kinetically trapping graphene sheets at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an oil/water interface).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Patent number: 9646735
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Publication number: 20170018326
    Abstract: A method of infusing fibrous substrates with conductive organic particles (e.g. graphene/graphite) and conductive polymer, and the resulting electrically conductive fibrous substrates prepared therefrom are disclosed. All organic electrically conductive fibrous substrates prepared from synthetic fibrous substrates, graphene/graphite, and conductive polymer have been prepared having high electrical conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Gregory Sotzing, Douglas Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Fahad Alamer
  • Publication number: 20150348669
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides advantageous graphene/graphite stabilized composites (e.g., graphene/graphite stabilized emulsion-templated foam composites), and improved methods for fabricating such graphene/graphite stabilized composites. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved methods for fabricating pristine, graphene/graphite/polymer composite foams derived from emulsions stabilized by graphene/graphite kinetic trapping. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides that, instead of viewing the insolubility of pristine graphene/graphite as an obstacle to be overcome, it is utilized as a means to create or fabricate water/oil emulsions, with graphene/graphite stabilizing the spheres formed. These emulsions are then the frameworks used to make foam composites that have shown bulk conductivities up to about 2 S/m, as well as compressive moduli up to about 100 MPa and breaking strengths of over 1200 psi, with densities as low as about 0.25 g/cm3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin
  • Publication number: 20140305571
    Abstract: Advantageous films and coatings (e.g., transparent conductive films), and improved methods for fabricating such films and/or coatings, are provided. The improved methods for fabricating transparent conductive films/coatings may involve trapping at least a portion of a layered material (e.g., graphene sheet(s) or layer(s) of graphite) at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an interface of two non-mixing solvents). Transparent, one to four layer, conductive films/coatings of pristine natural flake graphene are produced by kinetically trapping graphene sheets at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an oil/water interface).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
    Inventors: Douglas H. Adamson, Steven Woltornist, Andrey V. Dobrynin