NEI Corporation receives new Patent Allowance
October 8, 2019
Somerset, NJ (USA) – NEI Corporation announced today that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently issued a notice of allowance to the company on a patent application for producing a new class of energetic, core-shell nanoparticles.
Core-shell nanoparticles with a metal core can be used in various applications, such as energetic, pyrotechnics, joining, medical imaging, liquid hydrocarbon fuels, munitions, and energy storage. However, the presence of an oxide layer on the surface of the core metal nanoparticles can significantly reduce the performance of the core-shell nanoparticles. Consequently, the negative impact of the oxide layer outweighs the benefits of high enthalpy nanoparticles. NEI’s patent is directed at synthesizing a new core-shell nanoparticle structure comprised of a metal core, a metal boride intermediate layer, and an outer metal or metal oxide shell. The key characteristic of this core-shell structure is that it allows the use of both pristine metal, as well as oxygen containing metal particles, whereby the oxide surface layer of the metal particles is transformed into metal boride.
Metal-metal boride-metal based core-shell particles and a method to produce the same
Abstract: A new class of energetic nanoparticles and a method to produce the same. The energetic nanoparticles are differentiated from other metallic energetic nanoparticles by their core-shell nanostructure, including an intermediate boride layer that provides oxidation protection and acts as an active mass. An intermetallic reaction occurs between aluminum and nickel. Aluminum based nanoparticles were used for the examples, but the principle is applicable to other materials as well.
Patent History
Patent number: 10421695
Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 20, 2015
Date of Patent: Sep 24, 2019
Assignee: NEI Corporation (Somerset, NJ)
Inventors: Mohit Jain (East Brunswick, NJ), Biju Mathew (Monroe, NJ)
Primary Examiner: Robert S Cabral
Application Number: 14/803,673
View / Download Full Patent (pdf) ⇓
About NEI Corporation
Founded in 1997, NEI Corporation is an application driven company that utilizes nanotechnology to develop and produce advanced materials. The company’s core competencies are in synthesizing nanoscale materials and prototyping products that incorporate advanced materials to create significant performance improvements in manufactured goods. NEI’s products include advanced protective coatings, high performance battery electrode materials, and specialty nanoscale materials for diverse applications. NEI’s state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facility includes high temperature furnaces with controlled atmospheres, mixing, blending and drying equipment, coaters, particle characterization instruments, corrosion testing equipment, polymer films & coatings characterization, and a Li-ion battery testing laboratory. Learn more »
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