Patents by Inventor Zan Gao

Zan Gao 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: 20250006999
    Abstract: A battery includes: an anode; a cathode including chalcogen separated from the anode; and an electrolyte composition in fluid communication with the anode and the cathode, the electrolyte composition including a fluorinated solvent including: greater than 30 vol % fluorinated carbonate, used with the cathode including a carbon-chalcogen composite having at least 50 wt % chalcogen based on solids weight of the carbon-chalcogen composite; and/or at least 20 vol % fluorinated carbonate and a fluorinated compound different from the fluorinated carbonate, the vol % based on total volume of the electrolyte composition excluding salts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2024
    Publication date: January 2, 2025
    Inventors: Linze Du Hill, Zan Gao, Wen-Qing Xu, Xinyu Lu, Charan Masarapu, William B. Stasko, Evan Zhou
  • Publication number: 20240396049
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed an electrode and an electrochemical device having an electrode. The electrode includes a body with an active material that can react with ions in an electrochemical reaction within the electrochemical device. The body has a first surface that can abut against electrolyte of a separator of the electrochemical device, and second surfaces that define a plurality of cavities extending a depth from the first surface into the electrode. The plurality of cavities define pathways into the electrode that receive the electrolyte. The pathways improve ion transfer from the electrolyte to an inner subset of the active material that is located closer to one or more of the pathways than to the first surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: DI LAN, XINYU LU, ZAN GAO, WEN-QING XU
  • Publication number: 20240170803
    Abstract: An electrochemical device including: an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, and a separator separating the anode from the cathode. The separator includes a material that includes at least one of: a linear polymer; a kinetic friction coefficient of up to 2.0; an elongation of at least 240, elongation defined as elongation at break; a ratio of elongation to thickness of at least 10; and/or a modulus of elasticity of up to 270 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Wen-Qing Xu, Charan Masarapu, Xinyu Lu, Linze Du Hill, Zan Gao, Xiaoming Li
  • Publication number: 20240105911
    Abstract: A double-sided coating may include a substrate having a first side and an opposing second side, a first coating forming a first electrode arranged on the first side, and a second coating forming a second electrode arranged on the second side. Each of the first coating and the second coating have a thickness of at least 30 ?m and a surface roughness (Ra) of less than 10 ?m and are formed from a slurry including a liquid carrier suspending solid particles. The slurry includes a binder, an active material, and a conductive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Xinyu Lu, Wen-Qing Xu, Zan Gao
  • Publication number: 20240076188
    Abstract: Methods and systems for producing graphene from spent lithium-ion batteries are disclosed. One method includes applying an acid leaching solution to an anode of a lithium-ion battery to produce expanded graphite, applying a hydrothermal process to the expanded graphite to produce purified graphite, and subjecting the purified graphite to a shear mixing process to produce dispersed graphene. In some examples, the shear mixing process is combined with a hydrogen passivation process, which collectively improves each of graphene quality, graphene conversion rate, and graphene production efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Xiaodong Li, Yucheng Zhou, Zan Gao
  • Publication number: 20230317918
    Abstract: An electrochemical device includes a first electrode having 50 wt.% to 99 wt.% immobilized sulfur, 1 wt. % to 12 wt.% binder, and 0.2 wt.% to 12 wt.% porous composition. The porous composition includes 0.0001 wt.% to 40 wt.% of a first porous material having an average pore size less of than 2 nm and 0.05 wt.% to 40 wt.% of a second porous material having an average pore size of 2 nm to 100 nm. The electrochemical device further includes a second electrode opposed from the first electrode and an electrolyte positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Wen-Qing Xu, Linze Du Hill, Chengkun Xu, Zan Gao, Xinyu Lu, Christopher S. Koeppen
  • Publication number: 20220235516
    Abstract: A new technique for treating non-PAN-based pre-cursor polymeric fibers, tows, yarns, and films has been created for use in making stabilized pre-cursor polymers. By applying stepwise or non-stepwise microwave and/or ultraviolet radiation to the pre-cursor polymeric fibers, tows, yarn, or films prior to the stabilization thereof, a reduction in time for the costly stabilization process is achieved. Application of this technique extends to less-costly production of carbon fibers, for uses in industries such as automotive, aviation, trains, medical, military, sporting goods, orthopedics, and other industries. The pre-cursor polymeric fibers, tows, yarns, or films may be a multi-component polymer composite comprised of a non-PAN-based polymeric fiber, tow, yarn, or film and at least one or more constituent materials. Carbonization of such pre-cursor polymeric fibers, tows, yarns, or films results in less-costly carbon fibers that perform equally, if not better, than traditional costly PAN-based carbon fibers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Xiaodong Li, Zan Gao, Jiadeng Zhu, Yellapu V. Murty, Kenneth Brown, Clifton Bumgardner
  • Patent number: 10446329
    Abstract: A flexible electrode comprises an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and graphene and a process for making the flexible electrode. The process may comprise preparing a cotton textile containing Ni(NO3)2. Then, the cotton textile containing Ni(NO3)2 may be heated at a first temperature to produce an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel nanoparticles and graphene. The activated cotton textile composite may be then treated with sulfur to produce an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and graphene. The nickel sulfide particles may be NiS2 nanoparticles in a form of nanobowls, and distributed on a surface and inside the activated carbon fibers. The activated carbon fibers and the nickel sulfide nanoparticles may be coated with graphene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PATENT FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Xiaodong Li, Zan Gao, Yunya Zhang
  • Patent number: 10199178
    Abstract: A flexible electrode comprises an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and graphene and a process for making the flexible electrode. The process may comprise preparing a cotton textile containing Ni(NO3)2. Then, the cotton textile containing Ni(NO3)2 may be heated at a first temperature to produce an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel nanoparticles and graphene. The activated cotton textile composite may be then treated with sulfur to produce an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and graphene. The nickel sulfide particles may be NiS2 nanoparticles in a form of nanobowls, and distributed on a surface and inside the activated carbon fibers. The activated carbon fibers and the nickel sulfide nanoparticles may be coated with graphene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA PATENT FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Xiaodong Li, Zan Gao, Yunya Zhang
  • Publication number: 20170084924
    Abstract: A flexible electrode comprises an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and graphene and a process for making the flexible electrode. The process may comprise preparing a cotton textile containing Ni(NO3)2. Then, the cotton textile containing Ni(NO3)2 may be heated at a first temperature to produce an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel nanoparticles and graphene. The activated cotton textile composite may be then treated with sulfur to produce an activated cotton textile composite comprising activated carbon fibers, nickel sulfide nanoparticles and graphene. The nickel sulfide particles may be NiS2 nanoparticles in a form of nanobowls, and distributed on a surface and inside the activated carbon fibers. The activated carbon fibers and the nickel sulfide nanoparticles may be coated with graphene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Applicant: University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Xiaodong Li, Zan Gao, Yunya Zhang