Patents by Inventor Xiaotu MA

Xiaotu MA 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: 20240079580
    Abstract: A method for recycling secondary battery charge materials includes a one-step molten-salt process to upcycle mixed Ni-lean polycrystalline NMC cathodes into Ni-rich single-crystal NMC cathodes. The method includes receiving a recycling stream of charge materials from end-of-lifetime batteries, adding additional charge materials based on an upcycled battery chemistry intended for the upgraded, recycled battery, and sintering the combined charge materials for generating a single crystal charge material corresponding to the upcycled battery chemistry using a molten salt direct recycling process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Xiaotu Ma
  • Patent number: 11827998
    Abstract: A recycling and synthesis of charge material for secondary batteries generates single-crystal charge materials for producing batteries with greater charge cycle longevity. Charge material particles undergo a heating for fusing or enhancing grain boundaries between polycrystalline particles. The resulting, more well-defined grain boundaries are easily etched by a relatively weak mineral acid solution. The acid solution removes material at the grain boundaries to separate secondary particles into primary particles along the grain boundaries. The resulting single crystal (monocrystalline) charge material particles are washed and filtered, and typically re-sintered to accommodate any needed lithium (lithium carbonate), and result in a charge material with larger surface area, higher lithium diffusivity and lower cation ordering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Xiaotu Ma, Eric Gratz, Jinzhao Fu, Panawan Vanaphuti
  • Publication number: 20230129075
    Abstract: A method for measuring and suppressing errors within instrument (sequencer) of targeted next generation sequencing workflow are described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Inventors: Xiaotu Ma, Eric M. Davis
  • Publication number: 20220325378
    Abstract: Lithium recycling from expended Li-Ion batteries occurs thought selective recovery of lithium charge materials from a recycling stream including transition metals used for the charge material. Li recovery includes dissolving the lithium based charge material in an organic acid having a resistance or lack of affinity to dissolution of transition metals, and distilling a leach solution formed from the dissolved charge material for generating a powder including lithium and trace impurities of the transition metals. Sintering of the generated powder forms lithium carbonate and carbonates of the trace impurities that eluded the selective leach, however, since the trace impurities are insoluble in water, the lithium carbonate is recoverable by water washing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Jiahui Hou, Xiaotu MA, Jinzhao Fu
  • Publication number: 20210372001
    Abstract: A recycling and synthesis of charge material for secondary batteries generates single-crystal charge materials for producing batteries with greater charge cycle longevity. Charge material particles undergo a heating for fusing or enhancing grain boundaries between polycrystalline particles. The resulting, more well-defined grain boundaries are easily etched by a relatively weak mineral acid solution. The acid solution removes material at the grain boundaries to separate secondary particles into primary particles along the grain boundaries. The resulting single crystal (monocrystalline) charge material particles are washed and filtered, and typically re-sintered to accommodate any needed lithium (lithium carbonate), and result in a charge material with larger surface area, higher lithium diffusivity and lower cation ordering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Xiaotu MA, Eric Gratz, Jinzhao Fu, Panawan Vanaphuti
  • Patent number: 10741890
    Abstract: Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Al (Aluminum) and Mn (manganese) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of valuable charge materials such as cobalt, nickel, aluminum and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. However, LiFePO4 is a waste stream charge material often discarded due to infeasibility of recycling. LiFePO4 is precipitated as FePO4 and remains as a by-product, along with graphite and carbon, which are not dissolved into the solution. FePO4 can be separated from graphite and carbon, FePO4 can be used to synthesize LiFePO4 as cathode materials and graphite can be regenerated as anode materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Xiaotu Ma
  • Publication number: 20180261894
    Abstract: Cathode material from exhausted lithium ion batteries are dissolved in a solution for extracting the useful elements Co (cobalt), Ni (nickel), Al (Aluminum) and Mn (manganese) to produce active cathode materials for new batteries. The solution includes compounds of valuable charge materials such as cobalt, nickel, aluminum and manganese dissolved as compounds from the exhausted cathode material of spent cells. However, LiFePO4 is a waste stream charge material often discarded due to infeasibility of recycling. LiFePO4 is precipitated as FePO4 and remains as a by-product, along with graphite and carbon, which are not dissolved into the solution. FePO4 can be separated from graphite and carbon, FePO4 can be used to synthesize LiFePO4 as cathode materials and graphite can be regenerated as anode materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Publication date: September 13, 2018
    Inventors: Yan Wang, Xiaotu MA