Hydrogen storage apparatus

• US 20060076354A1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Naturalnano Research, Inc. (Omni Shrimp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Naturalnano Research, Inc. (Omni Shrimp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lanzafame, John Francis
• Application Number:
  US11/244,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20060076354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/560.40
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/001 characterised by the uptaking medium; Treatment thereof
• 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: H01M 8/065 by dissolution of metals or alloys; by dehydriding metallic substances
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/32 Hydrogen storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosed is hydrogen storage processes and assemblies using metallized halloysite or metalized lipids. The addition of metals or metal salts increases the hydrogen storage ability of the halloysite or lipids relative to their non-metallized state.

Claims

1. A process for storing hydrogen comprising:

a. Coating haloysite with a metal to create metalized halloysite;

b. disposing a quantity of said metalized halloysite in a sealed vessel;

c. introducing a volume of said hydrogen into said sealed vessel whereby said hydrogen is absorbed into said metalized halloysite.

2. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said halloysite is comprised of at least 30 weight percent of halloysite tubules.

3. The process as recited in claim 2, wherein said halloysite tubules have a length in the range from about 0.1 to about 1000 microns and a diameter in the range from about 0.02 to about 1.0 microns.

4. The process as recited in claim 3, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 10.

5. The process as recited in claim 4, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 8.

6. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

7. The process as recited in claim 6, wherein said metalized halloysite is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

8. The process as recited in claim 4, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

9. The process as recited in claim 8, wherein said metalized halloysite is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

10. An assembly for storing hydrogen comprising halloysite, said halloysite having a coating of a metal thereon thereby becoming metalized halloysite, a quantity of said metalized halloysite disposed in a sealed vessel, said sealed vessel having a valve attached thereto for introducing said hydrogen therein.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said halloysite is comprised of at least 30 weight percent of halloysite tubules.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 11, wherein said halloysite tubules have a length in the range from about 0.1 to about 1000 microns and a diameter in the range from about 0.02 to about 1.0 microns.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 12, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 10.

14. The assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said halloysite tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 8.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

16. The assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein said metalized halloysite is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

17. The assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

18. The assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein said metalized halloysite is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

19. A process for storing hydrogen comprising:

a. Coating a lipid microstructure with a metal to create a metalized lipid microstructure;

b. disposing a quantity of said metalized lipid microstructure in a sealed vessel;

c. introducing a volume of said hydrogen into said sealed vessel whereby said hydrogen is absorbed into said metalized lipid microstructure.

20. The process as recited in claim 19, wherein said lipid microstructure is comprised of lipid tubules.

21. The process as recited in claim 20, wherein said lipid tubules are phospholipid tubules.

22. The process as recited in claim 20, wherein said lipid tubules have a length in the range from about 0.1 to about 1000 microns and a diameter in the range from about 0.02 to about 1.0 microns.

23. The process as recited in claim 22, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said lipid tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 10.

24. The process as recited in claim 23, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said lipid tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 8.

25. The process as recited in claim 19, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

26. The process as recited in claim 25, wherein said metalized lipid microstructure is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

27. The process as recited in claim 23, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

28. The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said metalized lipid microstructure is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

29. An assembly for storing hydrogen comprising a lipid microstructure, said lipid microstructure having a coating of a metal thereon thereby becoming a metalized lipid microstructure, a quantity of said metalized lipid microstructure disposed in a sealed vessel, said sealed vessel having a valve attached thereto for introducing said hydrogen therein.

30. The assembly as recited in claim 29, wherein said lipid microstructure is comprised of lipid tubules.

31. The process as recited in claim 30, wherein said lipid tubules are phospholipid tubules.

32. The assembly as recited in claim 30, wherein said lipid tubules have a length in the range from about 1 to about 1000 microns and a diameter in the range from about 0.1 to about 1.0 microns.

33. The assembly as recited in claim 32, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said lipid tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 10.

34. The assembly as recited in claim 33, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said lipid tubules have an aspect ratio of said length to said diameter of from about 2 to about 8.

35. The assembly as recited in claim 29, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

36. The assembly as recited in claim 35, wherein said metalized lipid microstructure is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.

37. The assembly as recited in claim 33, wherein said metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, alloys of each of these metals, and oxides of each of these metals.

38. The assembly as recited in claim 37, wherein said metalized lipid microstructure is comprised of between about 1% and about 10% by weight of said metal.