Hydrogen storage apparatus comprised of halloysite

• US 7,425,232 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nanoset LLC, Naturalnano Research, Inc. (Omni Shrimp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Naturalnano Research, Inc. (Omni Shrimp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weiner, Michael L., Wang, Xingwu
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US11/099,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20050233199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 861/08, 861/54, 502/60, 502/87, 502/400, 502/415, 502/526, 206/0.7, 423/248, 423/648.1, 423/328.1, 977813-815, 977/962
• US Class Current: 96/154
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/20 Accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 11/005 for hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04216 characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 502/526 Sorbent for fluid storage, other than an alloy for hydrogen storage

Abstract

Disclosed in this specification is an apparatus for storing hydrogen which is comprised of molecular hydrogen, halloysite rods, and a supporting substrate wherein hydrogen is stored within the lumen of the halloysite rods.

Claims

1. An apparatus for storing hydrogen comprising

a. molecular hydrogen,

b. halloysite, wherein

i. said halloysite is comprised of at least about 30 weight percent halloysite rods,

ii. said halloysite rods are comprised of a lumen, wherein said molecular hydrogen is disposed within said lumen, and

c. a substrate, wherein

i. said halloysite is disposed on said substrate.

2. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 1, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite rods have an aspect ratio of from about 1 to about 10.

3. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 2, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite rods have an aspect ratio of from about 2 to about 8.

4. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 3, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite rods have a surface to volume ratio of about 1 to about 10,000.

5. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 4, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite rods have a surface to volume ratio of about 10 to about 1,000.

6. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 4, wherein said substrate is a flexible substrate.

7. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 6, wherein said substrate is flexible stainless steel.

8. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 6, wherein said substrate is a flexible polymeric substrate.

9. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 8, wherein said polymeric substrate is a polyanionic polymer.

10. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 9, wherein said polyanionic polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethyleneimine), poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride), poly(allylamine), polylysine, chitosan, and combinations thereof.

11. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 10, wherein said halloysite is disposed on said substrate that said halloysite is present in a monolayer.

12. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 4, wherein said substrate is disposed within a sealed storage container.

13. An apparatus for storing hydrogen comprising

a. molecular hydrogen,

b. halloysite, wherein

i. said halloysite is comprised of at least about 50 weight percent halloysite rods,

ii. said halloysite rods are comprised of a lumen, wherein said molecular hydrogen is disposed within said lumen,

c. a plurality of flexible substrates, wherein said halloysite is disposed on said flexible substrates, and

d. a sealed storage container wherein said plurality of substrates is disposed within said sealed storage container.

14. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 13, wherein said halloysite rods have an aspect ratio of from about 1 to about 10.

15. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 14, wherein said halloysite rods have an aspect ratio of from about 2 to about 8.

16. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 13, wherein said halloysite rods have a surface to volume ratio of about 1 to about 10,000.

17. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 13, wherein said halloysite rods have a surface to volume ratio of about 10 to about 1,000.

18. An apparatus for storing hydrogen comprising

a. molecular hydrogen,

b. hydrated halloysite, wherein said halloysite consists essentially of halloysite agglomerates and halloysite rods, wherein at least about 60 weight of said halloysite is halloysite rods,

c. said halloysite rods are comprised of a lumen, wherein said molecular hydrogen is disposed within said lumen.

19. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 18, wherein at least about 1 weight percent of said molecular hydrogen is present in said apparatus.

20. The apparatus for storing hydrogen as recited in claim 19, wherein at least about 5 weight percent of said molecular hydrogen is present in said apparatus.