US20170157665A1

US20170157665A1 - Method of Making a High Efficiency Electrical Wire

Info

Publication number: US20170157665A1
Application number: US15/110,535
Authority: US
Inventors: John M. Bourque
Original assignee: BOURQUE INDUSTRIES Inc
Current assignee: BOURQUE INDUSTRIES Inc
Priority date: 2009-11-06
Filing date: 2016-06-08
Publication date: 2017-06-08

Abstract

In a method of treating a material solvent, brass granules, copper granules, and carbon nanotubes are mixed, in the absence of silver, iron pyrite, and graphene, to form a first mixture. The first mixture is then added to a second mixture of brass and copper granules. The first and second mixtures are mixed until all of the granules of the second mixture of brass and copper are uniformly saturated with the first mixture, whereafter the second mixture is dried to form a treated material. The treated material can be mixed with one or more metals in a high-temperature crucible and heated until melted to form a metal alloy. Each of the one or more metals can be a ferrous and/or nonferrous metal. The melted metal alloy can be poured into a mold and allowed to cool and harden. The cooled and hardened metal alloy can be formed into a finished form via drawing through a die; continuous casting; or rolling.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the national phase of International application no. PCT/US2016/036413, filed Jun. 8, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/172,606, filed Jun. 8, 2015. International application no. PCT/US2016/036413 is also a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/069,172, filed Mar. 14, 2016, which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 13/771,062, tiled Feb. 19, 2013, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,285,192) which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/830,798, filed Jul. 6, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,375,840), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/613,902, filed Nov. 6, 2009, now abandoned. All of the foregoing referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to electrically conductive wire. More specifically, this application relates to wire fabricated from a new metallic mixture employing carbon nanotubes.
Description of Related Art
Electrical wire is a basic, integral part of modern electrical infrastructure. Electrical wire brings electricity to homes and places of business and within those units, connects a myriad of electrical appliances to produce all the functions of modern life.
Electrical wiring varies by composition, width and other parameters and is selected based on the desired use, the amount of current to be delivered, etc.
To date, copper has been the chosen conductor, although other metals including but not limited to aluminum, silver, and gold also are excellent conductors. Highly purified copper has been the best conductor. However, adding 200-400 ppm of oxygen has been known to improve copper conductivity because the oxygen combines with impurities to form oxides, which are precipitates from the rest of the copper. If the impurities are not precipitated, they interfere with the copper conductivity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various preferred and non-limiting examples or aspects of the present invention will now be described and set forth in the following numbered clauses:
Clause 1: A method of treating a material can comprise: (a) adding a solvent to a high-speed blender; (b) concurrent with or following step (a), adding brass granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed; (c) concurrent with or following step (a), adding copper granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed; (d) concurrent with or following step (a), adding carbon nanotubes (CNT) to the blender and blending until mixed; (e) mixing a solution produced by steps (b)-(d), which solution excludes silver, iron pyrite, and graphene, into an additional mixture of brass and copper granules and mixing until all of the additional mixture of brass and copper granules are uniformly saturated with the solution; and (f) drying the mixture of step (e) to a dry powder thereby forming a treated material.
Clause 2: The method of clause 1 can further include (g) mixing the treated material with one or more metals in a high-temperature crucible and heating until melted thereby forming a metal alloy, wherein each of the one or more metals is a ferrous and/or nonferrous metal.
Clause 3: The method of clause 1 or 2 can further include (h) pouring the melted metal alloy of step (g) into a mold and allowing the poured melted metal alloy to cool and harden.
Clause 4: The method of any of clauses 1-3 can further include (i) forming the cooled and hardened metal alloy into a finished form via one of the following processes: drawing through a die; or continuous casting; or rolling.
Clause 5: The method of any of clauses 1-4, wherein at least one of the brass and copper granules can be passed through 100 mesh.
Clause 6: The method of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the solvent can be acetone.
Clause 7: The method of any of clauses 1-6, wherein, in steps (a) and (b), 1.9 liters-3.79 liters (½ gallon-1 gallon) of acetone and 0.45 kilograms-0.91 kilograms (1 pound-2 pounds) of brass granules can be added to the blender.
Clause 8: The method of any of clauses 1-7, wherein, in step (c), 0.45 kilograms-0.91 kilograms (1 pound-2 pounds) of copper granules can be added to the blender.
Clause 9: The method of any of clauses 1-8, wherein each instance of blending can be repeated for five minute periods.
Clause 10: The method of any of clauses 1-9, wherein, in step (d), 1-2 grams of carbon nanotubes (CNT) can be added to the acetone-brass-copper mixture.
Clause 11: The method of any of clauses 1-10, wherein one or the one or more metals can be copper or aluminum.
Clause 12: The method of any of clauses 1-11, wherein in step (e) the mixture of brass and copper can be a 1:1 ratio of brass and copper.
Clause 13: The method of any of clauses 1-12, wherein the mixture of brass and copper can comprise 9.1 kilograms-13.6 kilograms (20 pounds-30 pounds) of each.
Clause 14: The method of any of clauses 1-13, wherein 3.6 kilograms-9.1 kilograms (8 pounds-20 pounds) of the treated material can be added to 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90pounds-120 pounds) of the one or more metals.
Clause 15: The method of any of clauses 1-14, wherein 5 kilograms-5.9 kilograms (11 pounds-13 pounds) of treated material can be added to 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90pounds-120 pounds) of the one or more metals.
Clause 16: The method of any of clauses 1-15, wherein steps (b)-(d) can be performed in any order to produce the solution.
Clause 17: The method of any of clauses 1-16, wherein any two or more of steps (a)-(d) can be combined to produce the solution. P Clause 18: A method of treating a material can comprise: (a) mixing solvent, brass granules, copper granules, and carbon nanotubes in the absence of silver, iron pyrite, and graphene; (b) adding the mixture of step (a) to an additional mixture of brass and copper granules and mixing until all of the granules of the additional mixture of brass and copper are uniformly saturated with the mixture of step (a); and (c) drying the mixture of step (b) to a powder to form a treated material.
Clause 19: The method of clause 18 can further include mixing the treated material with one or more ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) in a high temperature crucible and heating until melted.
Clause 20: The method of clause 18 or 19, wherein step (a) can include mixing in a blender.
Clause 21: A method of treating a material includes mixing solvent, brass granules, copper granules, and carbon nanotubes, in the absence of silver, iron pyrite, and graphene, to form a first mixture. The first mixture is then added to a second mixture of brass and copper granules. The first and second mixtures are mixed until all of the granules of the second mixture of brass and copper are uniformly saturated with the first mixture, whereafter the second mixture is dried to form a treated material.
Clause 22: The method of clause 21, wherein the treated material can be mixed with one or more metals in a high-temperature crucible and heated until melted to form a metal alloy. Each of the one or more metals can be a ferrous and/or nonferrous metal.
Clause 23: The method of clause 21 or 22 can further include pouring the melted metal alloy into a mold and allowing the poured melted metal alloy to cool and harden.
Clause 24: The method of any of clauses 21-23 can further include forming the cooled and hardened metal alloy into a finished form via one of the following processes: drawing through a die; or continuous casting; or rolling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process for making an example treating wash.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating front and top views of a ballistic strike plate assembly according to another aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a ballistic strike plate assembly according to another aspect of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a ballistic strike plate assembly according to another aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic of the heat sink with a high-wattage LED light source which is also an exemplary heat source;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views (6B in partial cross-section) of one example heat sink;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views (7B in partial cross-section) of the example heat sink shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B;

FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C are schematics illustrating heat transfer from the LED back plate to the heat sink by surface mounting (FIG. 8A), pocket mounting (FIG. 8B) and encasement mounting (FIG. 8C);

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another example heat sink with numerous separated pins to dissipate heat;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views of another example heat sink; FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the heat sink with the heat source embedded in a circular area. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the heat sink with the heat source shown at the bottom with multiple tins to dissipate heat;

FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C show top, side, and cross-sectional views of another exemplary heat sink; and

FIGS. 12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating processes for making example treated materials, each of which can be mixed with any ferrous and/or nonferrous metal or combinations of ferrous and/or nonferrous metals (alloys) on the periodic table of the elements to form a metal or alloy having improved properties, especially improved electrical and thermal conductance and hardness.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various nonlimiting examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures where like reference numbers correspond to like or functionally equivalent elements.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons.
The present invention relates to solid-material compositions having enhanced physical and electrical properties as well as products formed using the material and methods for making the material and the products.
Numerous products can be made using the composition of the present invention. One aspect of the present invention includes a wash or bath employed to treat ingredients used to form the ballistic strike plates and assemblies according to the present invention. Since the volume of the wash or bath will vary with the particular application, an illustrative example is given for formulating the wash using one gallon of acetone. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the amounts of the ingredients disclosed in the example can be linearly scaled to formulate larger or smaller batches of the wash.
In one illustrative example shown in FIG. 1, at reference numeral 10, brass is mixed with acetone in a commercial blender. In the example, about 454 grams of brass (about 100 mesh or finer) is mixed with one gallon of acetone in a commercial blender at high speed for about 10 minutes or until a gold color appears at the suffice of the acetone when the blender is stopped. At reference numeral 12, about 2 grams of silver granules are added and mixed. At reference numeral 14, carbon nanotube material is added and mixed. In the illustrative example, about one gram of multi-walled carbon nanotube material is added and mixed at high speed for about 5 minutes. At reference numeral 16, iron pyrite is added and mixed. In the illustrative example, about 33.5 grams of iron pyrite having a grain size of about 0.125 inch is added and mixed for a minimum of about 3 minutes at high speed. At reference numeral 18, copper is added and mixed. In the illustrative example, about 517 grains of copper (about 100 mesh or finer) is added and mixed at high speed for about 8 minutes until a slurry begins to form on the surface after the blender is turned off. The order in which the carbon nanotube material, the silver, the iron pyrite, and the copper are added is not critical.
After the ingredients have all been mixed as described, the liquid is strained and may be used as a wash or bath. All of the strained solid matter (herein “the first example treated material”) may be stored for further use as disclosed herein. Once materials are processed, the wash liquid used may be collected and recycled by adding it to new batches of the wash liquid.
Once the wash liquid is formulated, constituent materials of products to be fabricated are washed using it. A sticky film merges with the constituent materials. The constituent materials are bonded together by drying and application of pressure, either in an oven or at room temperature.
According to one aspect of the present invention, ballistic strike plates formed from a special aluminum alloy are advantageously employed in armor assemblies, especially body armor assemblies. Since the amount of alloy needed to form plates of particular dimensions will vary with sizes of the plates needed for the particular application, an illustrative example is given for formulating a kilogram of the alloy. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the amounts of the ingredients disclosed in the example can be linearly scaled to formulate larger or smaller amounts of the aluminum alloy.
For a total weight of about 1 Kg of special aluminum alloy, about 130 grams of the first example treated material as described above and about 10 grams of silver powder are melted into about 860 grams of aluminum. The aluminum alloy formulated according to the present invention as just described is referred to herein as “special aluminum alloy.”
The ballistic strike plates of the present invention may be formed by hot rolling ingots of the special aluminum alloy or may be formed by casting from the molten alloy. The ballistic strike plates of the present invention may be formed by hot rolling ingots of aluminum or other aluminum alloys or may be formed by casting from molten aluminum or other aluminum alloys but are believed to have a lower strength than the special aluminum alloy. Thickness of the finished ballistic strike plates will vary according to the particular application; for body armor the plates may be about 0.0625 inch to about 0.250 inch thick, depending on the threat level they are designed to meet. For vehicle or structure armor the ballistic strike plates may have a thickness of up to an inch or greater, depending on the threat level they are designed to meet.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the composition is usefully employed to form a ballistic strike plate 20 that may be used in body armor according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a front view of a ballistic strike plate assembly according to the present invention. FIG. 2B shows an illustrative top view of strike plate assembly 20. While the illustrative bottom view shown in FIG. 2A indicates that plate 20 is curved, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that plate 90 may be formed flat, depending on the application. For example, body-armor vests are sometimes constructed by supplying a vest made from a fabric material. The vests contain pockets into which ballistic strike plates or plate assemblies are inserted. The ballistic strike plate assemblies according to the present invention include assemblies formed in this manner and configured to be inserted into the pockets of such fabric vests.
Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, diagrams illustrate a cross-sectional view and a face view, respectively, of a ballistic strike plate assembly 30 according to another aspect of the present invention.
An illustrative ballistic plate assembly according to the present invention is formed using a special aluminum alloy plate 32 made according to the present invention. In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, plate 32 may have a thickness of about 0.125 inches. A grade II titanium plate 34 such as a 0.125 inch thick plate CAS 7440-32-6 available from Allegheny Ludlum Corp., of Brackenridge, Pa. is also used. While in the present example the two plates have the same thickness, this is not necessary for practicing the present invention. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the thicknesses of plates 32 and 34 will be selected according to the threat level to which the ballistic strike plate assembly will be designed to encounter.
A sheet of ballistic gap foam 36, having a thickness of about 0.125 inches in an illustrative embodiment, having adhesive disposed on both surfaces, such as model DMG-FM-004, manufactured by DMG, a division of Hisco, of Tempe Ariz., is adhered to a first surface of one of the plates. A first surface of the other plate is adhered to the other surface of the foam sheet 36.
A ballistic fabric plate 38 is made using multiple layers of a ballistic fabric such as Spectra II available from Honeywell of Colonial Heights, Va. in a presently preferred embodiment, a first stack of a plurality of layers of such fabric. A sheet 40, formed from a material such as a titanium sheet, having a thickness of about 0.05 inches in an illustrative embodiment, such as a CAS 7440-32-6 plate from Allegheny Ludlum Corp. of Brackenridge, Pa., is placed over the stack and a second stack of a plurality of layers of such fabric are placed over the titanium sheet. In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, fifty sheets are employed in the first and second stacks. The assembled stacks are then heated to about 275. degree. F. for about four hours under a pressure of, for example, 10 tons to form a ballistic fabric plate. The ballistic fabric plate is adhered to the exposed second surface of the aluminum plate 32 using a double-sided adhesive tape 42, such as 3M-VHB 4950, available from 3M Corporation of St. Paul, Minn.
The ballistic plate assembly 30 is then covered with a first sheet 44 of ballistic wrap such as M-7 Spall System Nylon PSA from DMG a division of Hisco of Tempe Ariz. The first sheet 44 of ballistic wrap is held in place by a layer of adhesive 46. The edges 48 of the first sheet of ballistic wrap 44 are folded over the four edges of the assembly. A second smaller sheet of ballistic wrap 50 is placed over the portion of the second surface of the aluminum plate not covered by the folded over edges of the first sheet of ballistic wrap. The second sheet 50 of ballistic wrap is also held in place by a layer of adhesive 46. The titanium face of the assembly faces outward towards the threat.
Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, diagrams illustrate a cross-sectional view and a face view, respectively, of a body-armor plate assembly according to another aspect of the present invention.
According to the aspect of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, an armor plate assembly 60 is formed using a special aluminum alloy plate 62 made according to the teachings of the present invention. In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, plate 22 may have a thickness of about 0.125 inches. A grade II titanium plate 64 such as a 0.125 inch thick plate CAS 7440-32-6 available from Allegheny Ludlum Corp., of Brackenridge, Pa. While in the present example the two plates have the same thickness, this is not necessary for practicing the present invention. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the thicknesses of plates 62 and 64 will be selected according to the threat level to which the ballistic strike plate assembly will be designed to encounter.
A first surface of a sheet of ballistic gap foam 66, having a thickness of about 0.125 inches in an illustrative embodiment, having adhesive disposed on both faces, such as model DMG-FM-004, manufactured by DMG, a division of HISCO, of Tempe Ariz., is adhered to a first surface of one of the plates 62 and 64. A first surface of the other plate is adhered to the other surface of the foam sheet 66.
A ballistic backing plate 68 is made using multiple layers of a ballistic fabric such as Spectra II available from Honeywell of Colonial Heights, Va. In a presently preferred embodiment, a stack is assembled from a plurality of layers of such fabric. A sheet 70 formed from a material such as a titanium sheet, having a thickness of about 0.05 inches in an illustrative embodiment, such as a CAS 7440-32-6 plate from Allegheny Ludlum Corp. of Brackenridge, Pa. is placed over the stack and a second stack of a plurality of layers of such fabric are placed over the titanium sheet. In one illustrative embodiment of the invention, fifty sheets are employed in the first and second stacks. The assembled stacks are then heated to about 275.degree. F. for about four hours under a pressure of, for example, 10 tons to form ballistic fabric plate 68. The ballistic fabric plate 68 is adhered to the exposed second surface of the aluminum plate 62 using a double sided adhesive tape, such as 3M-VHB 4950, available from 3M Corporation of St. Paul, Minn.
The ballistic plate assembly 60 is then covered with a first sheet 74 of ballistic wrap such as M-7 Spall System Nylon PSA from DMG a division of Hisco of Tempe Ariz. The first sheet 74 of ballistic wrap is held in place by a layer of adhesive 76. The edges 78 of the first sheet of ballistic wrap 74 are folded over the four edges of the assembly. A second smaller sheet of ballistic wrap 80 is placed over the portion of the second surface of the aluminum plate not covered by the folded over edges of the first sheet of ballistic wrap. The second sheet 80 of ballistic wrap is also held in place by a layer of adhesive 76. The titanium face of the assembly faces outward towards the threat.
A coating 82, for example an elastomeric coating such as Plasti-Dip coating from Plasti-Dip International of Blaine, Minn., is formed over the seams 84 made by the intersection of the edges of folded-over portions 78 of the first sheet of ballistic wrap layer 74 and at the outer edges 86 of the second sheet 80 of the ballistic wrap.
In another example, a second example treated material is disclosed hereafter that can be mixed with any ferrous or nonferrous metal or combination of two or more ferrous and/or nonferrous metals on the periodic table of the elements to form a metal or metal alloy having improved properties, especially improved electrical and thermal conductance and hardness. An example target application for this new metal or alloy is a heat sink for a 255 Watt LED light source that outputs 25,000 lumens of light without using fans. Requirements for this LED light source included operation temperatures less than 85° C. for prolonged intervals of time (e.g., overnight) without causing thermal damage to the LED light source. Another requirement was no moving parts or mechanisms requiring external supervision or maintenance, because failure to such moving parts would cause failure of the LED light source. The LED light source by itself should also be able to stay operational for over 20 years without maintenance.
Turning to FIG. 5, an example heat sink 1 is illustrated. Generally, heat sinks are passive heat exchangers that cool an attached or adjacent heat source, such as an LED light source by dissipating heat into the surrounding medium. In general, the performance of a heat sink is affected by the material(s) and properties of the materials forming the heat sink, the mass of the material, and the surface area available for heat exchange with a cooler medium than the heat source. In an example, a heat sink for an LED light source can optionally be accompanied by a fan for faster dispersion of heat therefrom.
The example heat sink 1 includes a base plate 7 that abuts the LED light source 2 (i.e., a single LED or multiple LEDs). LED light source 2 can have a base plate 6 to provide a surface for heat transfer to heat sink base plate 7. Thermal paste or other greases 5 can be optionally used to improve heat transfer between abutting surfaces of base plates 6 and 7. Base plate 7 can have various shaped fins extending from base plate 7 that serve to provide surface area for heat exchange to ambient air 3 surrounding heat sink 1. Heating of air 9 adjacent fins 8 of heat sink 1 induces a natural conduction generating air flow cooling heat sink. Operation of the heat sinks 1, 101 (FIGS. 6A-7A) requires airflow 3, 9.
Designs for heat sink 1 are presented in FIGS. 6A-11C. In an example, the design of heat sink 101 is governed by the same principles used for heat sink 1. It is believed that when used to make parts of a heat sink, such as fins 8, the new metal or alloy formed using the second example treated material (discussed hereinafter) can improve the efficiency of heat exchange, allowing the heat sink to handle cooling of higher heat-generating sources, such as LED light source 2. In an example, the mass of a base plate 107 of heat sink 101 is selected to handle the wattage of LED light source 2. However, this mass is less than what would be required by heat sinks made from the prior art metals or alloys.
In an example, the shape of the base plate 107 shown in FIGS. 6A-79 was made collinearly bell shape (shown best in FIG. 7B) to focus the mass directly behind the LED light source 2 to absorb heat efficiently. However, any shape can be used for base plate 107 made from the new metal or alloy. In an example, the thermal mass of base plate 107 must still stay below a given saturated equilibrium, where it can no longer absorb additional heat from the LED light source 2. Fins 108 made from the new metal or alloy stay cooler and are more effective exchanging heat with air than fins 108 made from prior art metals or alloys. In an example, fins 108 can be modularly attached to the base plate 107 to allow for ease of trying different fin designs. Optionally, fins 108 can be directly cast with base plate 107. Heat sink 101 can optionally include an upper attachment 111 and/or a lower attachment 112 to assemble fins 108 to base plate 107 and to provide additional cooling surface area. Heat source 101 can include additional structures (not shown), such as a focusing lens for LED light source 2 and/or structural mounting components for supporting heat sink 101 for use.
In developing heat sink 101, fundamental relationships used for designing heat sinks were questioned with increasing surface area. Variations in heat sink mass appeared to exert a greater effect on the overall thermal conductivity rate than adjusting the amount of the exposed surface area to the ambient air. While not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed this is due to the efficacy of the conductivity of the new metal or alloy being greater than that of prior art metallic materials. The new metal or alloy also transfers heat from LED light source 2 at a greater rate. Sufficient mass was required to stay within the thermal mass limit for the LED light source 2 prior to saturation, where saturation was taken as having insufficient mass, where equilibrium states in temperatures between the LED's base plate 6 and adjacent surface material within the heat sink would approach allowing temperatures in the LED to increase above operational limits.
The physical mounting/placement of LED light source 2 and its backing plate 6 with the base plate 7, 107 of heat sink 1, 101 played a role in the effectiveness of heat transfer as will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 8A-C. In an example, surface mounting back plate 6 of LED light source 2 to heat sink 107 of heat sink 101 provides surface-to-surface contact (FIG. 8A). In another example, submerging back plate 6 of LED light source 2 into a pocket P of base plate 107 improves heat transfer, particularly with including edges of the base plate 6 within base plate 107 to wick heat from around a perimeter of base plate 6 (FIG. 8B). In another example, encasement of base plate 6 on all exposed surfaces with components, e.g., upper attachment 111 and base plate 107 of heat sink 101, provided the best heat transfer (FIG. 8C).
In an example, various materials 6 can be inserted between base plate 6, 106 and base plate 7, 107 including, but not limited to, grease, insulating mica washer, thermally conductive tape, epoxy, wire-form Z clips, standoff spacers, push pins with expandable ends, and flat sprig clips. These materials can optimize thermal conductivity between base plate 6, 106 and base plate 7, 107, which may not have perfectly even surfaces for maximal heat transfer.
In an example, carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene are used to form the new metal or alloy. It has been observed that the addition of small amounts of CNT and graphene to a ferrous and/or nonferrous metal, and/or a combination of ferrous and/or nonferrous metals results in higher heat conductivity in the resulting metal or alloy. In an example, two attempts to measure thermal conductivity of the new metal or alloy formed with CNT and graphene exceeded the heat conductivity measurable on equipment routinely used to measure heat conductivity. CNT (single- or multiple-walled carbon nanotubes) and graphene are available from many commercial sources.
In an example, the second example treated material (described hereinafter) can be mixed with one or more of the following to form one example of the new metal or alloy: aluminum (new or recycled), copper, tungsten, carbide, silver, steel, lead, and combinations thereof. The thus formed new metal or alloy can be used in a variety of composites including, for example, beryllium oxide in a beryllium matrix. The new metal or alloy can also be utilized with diamonds, and/or silicon carbide in aluminum matrix, for example, a matrix of diamond in a copper-silver matrix, and plastics.
In an example, a variety of fin 8, 108 arrangements were tested, including straight and curved tins that were removably attached, or molded into the heat sink. In an example, fins are cross-cut at regular intervals to enable more air flow. In an example, the heat sink design described herein must be weighted under the heat source more than typical designs. Larger lateral projections were not as successful.
An example of a process for forming the second example treated material will now be described with reference to FIG. 12. In this example, the second example treated material can be used with any ferrous and/or nonferrous metal or combination of metals on the periodic table of the elements, including, without limitation, aluminum (new or recycled), copper, steel, lead, and combinations thereof. The second example treated material can also be utilized to treat nonmetallic materials, such as plastic.
In an example, at reference numeral 210 brass is mixed with acetone in a commercial blender. In an example, about 454 grams (1 pound) of brass granules (in an example, 100 mesh or finer) is mixed with about 1.9 liters (0.5 gallons) of acetone in a commercial blender at high speed until a gold color appears at the surface of the acetone when the blender is stopped. In an example, the brass granules and acetone were mixed in about five-minute increments until the gold color appeared at the surface of the acetone. This mixing produces an acetone-brass (AB) combination.
At reference numeral 212, about 454 grams (1 pound) of copper granules (in an example, 100 mesh or finer) are added to the AB combination and mixed for about 5 minutes to ensure complete mixing. This produced an ABC combination.
At reference numeral 214, about one gram of carbon nanotube (CNT) material is added to the ABC combination in the blender to form an ABC-CNT mixture. This ABC-CNT mixture was mixed for about five minutes producing an ABC-CNT combination.
Next, at reference numeral 216, one gram of graphene (G) is added to the ABC-CNT combination in the blender mixed at high speed for about five minutes to form an ABCG-CNT mixture.
At reference numeral 218, the ABCG-CNT combination is mixed with a mixture of brass and copper granules (in an example, each of which is 100 mesh or finer). In an example, the mixture of brass and copper granules of step 218 is a 50/50 or 1:1 mixture of brass and copper granules. In an example, the 50/50 mixture of brass and granules includes, for example, about 11.3 kilograms (25 pounds) of brass and about 11.3 kilograms (25 pounds of copper) to produce an ABCG25-CNT mixture that is mixed for about ten minutes and/or until all the materials are uniformly saturated.
The order in which the brass, copper, CNT, graphene, and brass/copper mixture are combined or mixed is not crucial. Moreover, two or more of steps 210-216 can be combined into a single step if desired. Accordingly, the foregoing example is not to be construed in a limiting sense.
The process of mixing acetone, brass, and copper in steps 210 and 212 with a commercial blender has the effect of knocking small particles of brass and copper from the brass and copper granules, which small particles become suspended in the acetone due to the action of the commercial blender running at high speed. Once these small particles are in suspension within the acetone, they can readily combine with the CNT, graphene, and mixture of brass and copper granules in steps 214-218.
After all of the ingredients in steps 210-218 have been mixed, the ABCG25-CNT combination is fully dried to form an ABCG25-CNT powder that is free of residual solvent. This ABCG25-CNT powder is the second example treated material.
The thus prepared second example treated material can be mixed with any ferrous or nonferrous metal, or combinations of ferrous and/or nonferrous metals of the periodic table of the elements in a high-temperature crucible with induction heater for casting metals. Hereinafter, the “ferrous or nonferrous metal” or “combinations of ferrous and/or nonferrous metals” will be individually or collectively referred to as “the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s)”.
The ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) can be the same or different from those in the second example treated material.
In an example, the second example treated material can be added at the start of melting the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) prior to casting. However, in another example, the second example treatment material can be added to the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) at any time.
In an example, a ratio of the second example treated material to the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) can be about 5 kilograms-5.9 kilograms (11 pounds-13 pounds) of the second example treated material to 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90 pounds-120 pounds) of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s). In an example, the transition of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) mixed with the second example treated material required a higher temperature than normally used for said ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) not mixed with the second example treated material and was in the range of about 815° C. to 1538° C. (1500° F. to 2800° F.), depending on the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) used. In an example, degassing means were utilized during mixing of the second example treated material with the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) to ensure safety.
In the foregoing example, acetone was used as a solvent. However, it is envisioned that other solvents can be utilized, examples of other suitable solvents include polar or nonpolar solvents. Examples of polar solvents include water, acetone, alcohol, dimethylformamide, n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dichloroethylene, or chloroform.
The times, weights, and ratios of the weights given above are examples for the purpose of illustration only and may be varied by one skilled in the art to obtain desired results. For example, in each of steps 210 and 212 above, anywhere between 0.34 kilograms-0.9 kilograms (0.75 pounds-2 pounds) of brass and copper can be added; the solvent can vary from about 1.9 liters-7.6 liters (0.5 gallon-2 gallons). CNT can be varied from 0.5 grams-10 grams, in an example from 0.6 grams-5 grams, in another example from 0.8 grams-2 grams. In addition, as discussed above, the order of steps 210-218 can be varied by one skilled in the art and/or steps 210-218 can be combined as necessary for convenience. For example, without limitation, the brass and copper granules of steps 210-212 may be added to the acetone in the blender at the same time. The ABC25G-CNT powder can be optionally filtered after being dried.
The weights of brass and copper discussed above in connection with step 218 were chosen for effectiveness as well as convenience with the available equipment and can be varied depending on desired parameters as well as sizes of mixing containers. The weight of each of brass and copper in step 218 can range from 6.8 kilograms-22.6 kilograms (15 pounds-50 pounds), in another example between about 9.1 kilograms-15.9 kilograms (20 pounds-35 pounds), and in another example between about 10 kilograms-13.6 kilograms (22 pounds-30 pounds). Similarly, the amount of the second example treated material, namely, the ABCG25-CNT powder can be varied when added to the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s). Accordingly, the foregoing examples including weights and/or ratio of weights and mixing times are not to be construed in a limiting sense but only as examples of forming the second example treated material and using the second example treated material to form the treated metal or alloy.
Before or during the melting of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) in the casting operation, other additives can be added, such as, in an example, metallic alloys, plastic, cloth, or any combination thereof.
It is believed that using the second example treated material enables the material being treated, for example, the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s), to achieve greater electrical and mechanical properties than said ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) would achieve without the second example treated material. It is also believed that one or more of the following properties of ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) mixed with the second example treated material are improved by use of the second example treated material in the manner discussed above: thermal conductance, electrical conductance, hardness, and resistance to microwaves. In addition, in an example, it is believed that the second example treated material and/or the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) treated with the second example treated material can be part of a coating that can be applied in any suitable and/or desirable manner to other materials such as metal, plastic, cloth, etc. to form a coating on said other materials.
Another application of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) treated with the second example treated material is electrical wire. In an example, the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) treated with the second example treated material can be used to make electrical wire grade copper or aluminum.
In another example, a third example treated material is described hereafter that can be mixed with any ferrous or nonferrous metal or combination of two or more ferrous and/or nonferrous metals on the periodic table of the elements to form a metal or metal alloy having improved properties, especially improved electrical conductivity. An example target application for this new metal or alloy is electrical wire used to conduct electricity.
In an example, the third example treated material (described hereinafter), can be mixed with one or more of the following to form one example of the new metal or alloy: aluminum (new or recycled), copper, tungsten, silver, brass, steel, lead, and combinations thereof. The thus formed new metal or alloy can be used in a variety of composites, including, for example, beryllium oxide in a beryllium matrix. The new metal or alloy can also be utilized with diamonds, and/or silicon carbide in an aluminum matrix, for example, a matrix of diamond in a copper-silver matrix, and plastics.
Brass is known to be an alloy of copper and zinc. It is available in a wide range of ratios. In an example, brass can have a copper range of 50-97% and a zinc range of 3-50%. Brass is known for its low friction and high workability. In an example it can be strengthened with aluminum to form a highly beneficial hard layer of aluminum oxide. Adding iron, aluminum, silicon, and manganese to brass makes it more durable. The copper in brass makes brass germicidal, so microbial damage to the new metal or alloy formed with e third example treated material described hereinafter is avoided.
An example process for forming the third example treated material will now be described with reference to FIG. 13. In this example, the third example treated material can be used with any ferrous and/or nonferrous metal or combination of metals on the periodic table of the elements, including, without limitation, aluminum (new or recycled), copper, steel, lead, and combinations thereof. The third example treated material can also or alternatively be utilized to treat non-metallic materials, such as plastic. Experience with the third example treated materials suggests that the new metal or alloy formed with the third example treated material can be used with other host metals that are at least minimally electrically conductive, as well as on some non-metallic materials, such as, without limitation, plastics, rubber, fabric, and paper.
Referring to FIG. 13, in an example, at reference number 310, brass is mixed with acetone in a commercial blender. In an example, about 454 grams (1 pound) of brass granules (in an example, 100 mesh or finer) is mixed with about 3.8 liters (1.0 gallons) of acetone in a commercial blender at high speed until a gold color appears at the surface of the acetone when the blender is stopped. In an example, the brass granules and acetone were mixed in about 5 minute increments until the gold color appeared at the surface of the acetone. This mixing produced an acetone-brass (AB) combination. At reference number 312, about 454 grams (1 pound) of copper granules (in an example, 100 mesh or finer) are added to the AB combination and mixed for about 5 minutes to ensure complete mixing. This produced an ABC combination.
At reference number 314, about 1 gram of carbon nanotube (CNT) material is added to the ABC combination in the blender to form an ABC-CNT mixture. This ABC-CNT mixture was mixed for about 5 minutes producing an ABC-CNT combination. At reference 316, the ABC-CNT combination is mixed with a mixture of brass and copper granules (in an example, each of which is 100 mesh or finer). In an example, the mixture of brass and copper granules of step 316 is a 50/50 or 1:1 mixture of brass and copper granules. In an example, the 50/50 mixture of brass and granules includes, for example, about 11.3 kilograms (25 pounds) of brass and about 11.3 kilograms (25 pounds) of copper to produce an ABC25-CNT mixture that is mixed for about 10 minutes and/or until all the materials are uniformly saturated.
In an example, all mixing described herein occurs in a commercial blender. However, this is not to be construed in a limiting sense.
The order in which brass, copper, CNT, and the brass/copper mixture are combined or mixed is not crucial. Moreover, two more of steps 310-314 can be combined into a single step if desired. Accordingly, the foregoing example is not to be construed in a limiting sense.
The process of mixing acetone, brass, and copper in steps 310 and 312 with a commercial blender has the effect of knocking small particles of brass and copper from the brass and copper granules, which small particles become suspended in the acetone due to the action of the commercial blender running at high speed. Once these small particles are in suspension within the acetone, they can readily combine with the CNT, and the mixture of brass and copper granules in steps 314 and 316. After all of the ingredients in steps 310-316 have been mixed, the ABC25-CNT combination is fully dried to form an ABC25-CNT powder that is free of residual solvent. This ABC25-CNT powder is the third example treated material.
The thus prepared third example treated material can be mixed with any ferrous or nonferrous metal, or combinations of ferrous and/or nonferrous metals of the periodic table of the elements in a high-temperature crucible with induction heater for casting metals. Hereinafter, the “ferrous or nonferrous metals” or “combinations of ferrous and/or nonferrous metals” will be individually or collectively referred to as “the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s)”.
The ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) can be the same or different from those in the first or second example treated materials described above.
In an example, the third example treated material can be added at the start of melting the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) prior to casting. However, in another example the third example treated material can be added to the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) at any time.
It is to be appreciated that the third example treated material is prepared without the use of silver and iron pyrite, used to prepare the first example treated material, and without graphene used to prepare the third example treated material. Accordingly, the third example treated material is distinguishable over the first and second example treated materials by the absence of silver, iron pyrite, and graphene.
In an example, a ratio of the third example treated material to the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) can be about 5 kilograms-5.9 kilograms (11 pounds-13 pounds) of the third example treated material to 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90 pounds-120 pounds) of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s). In an example, the transition of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) mixed with the third example treated material required a higher temperature than normally used for said ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) not mixed with the third example treated material and was in the range of about 815° C. to 1538° C. (1500° F. to 2800° F.), depending on the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) used. In an example, degassing means were utilized during mixing of the third example treated material with the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) to ensure safety.
After the mixture is completely melted, it was poured into long narrow molds where it was allowed to cool, after which it was drawn to make narrow gauge wires. In an example, the drawing process can be done with polycrystalline dyes or natural single crystal diamond dyes. Alternatively, in an example, instead of a drawing process, the cool, molded mixture can be formed utilizing a continuous casting and rolling process. The dust formed narrow gauge wires exhibited a hardness of 85 on the Rockwell Scale versus a hardness of 110 for a spherical copper sample.
In an example, various materials can be used to coat the thus formed wires, including, in an example, grease, an insulating mica washer, thermally conductive tape, epoxy, wire-form Z clips, standoff spacers, push pins with expandable ends, and flat spring clips. These devices and materials optimize the junction of the wire and connections with other devices.
In the foregoing example, acetone was used as a solvent. However, it is envisioned that other solvents can be utilized, examples of other suitable solvents include polar or nonpolar solvents. Examples of polar solvents include water, acetone, alcohol, dimethylformamide, n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dichloroethylene, or chloroform.
The times, weights, and ratios of the weights given above are examples for the purpose of illustration only and can be varied by one skilled in the art to obtain desired results. For example, in each of steps 310 and 312 above, anywhere between 0.34 kilograms-0.9 kilograms (0.75 pounds-2 pounds) of brass and copper can be added; the solvent can vary from about 1.9 liters-7.6 liters (0.5 gallons-2 gallons). CNT can be varied from 0.5 grams-10 grams, in an example from 0.6 grams-5 grams, in another example from 0.8 grams-2 grams. In addition, as discussed above, the order of steps 218 to 310-314 can be varied by one skilled in the art and/or steps 310-314 can be combined as necessary for convenience. For example, without limitation, the brass and copper granules of steps 310-312 can be added to the acetone in the blender at the same time. The ABC25G-CNT powder can be optionally filtered after being dried.
The weights of brass and copper discussed above in connection with step 316 were chosen for effectiveness as well as convenience with the available equipment and can be varied depending on desired parameters as well as sizes of mixing containers. The weight of each of brass and copper in step 316 can range from 6.8 kilograms-22.6 kilograms (15 pounds-50 pounds), in another example between about 9.1 kilograms-15.9 kilograms (20 pounds-35 pounds), and in another example between about 10 kilograms-13.6 kilograms (22 pounds-30 pounds). Similarly, the amount of the third example treated material, namely, the ABC25-CNT powder can be varied when added to the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s). Accordingly, the foregoing examples including weights and/or ratio of weights and mixing times are not to be construed in a limiting sense but only as examples of forming the third example treated material and using the third example treated material to form the treated metal or alloy.
Before or during the melting of the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) in the casting operation, other additives can be added, such as, in an example, metallic alloys, plastic, cloth, or any combination thereof.
It is believed that using the third example treated material enables the material being treated, for example, the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s), to achieve greater electrical and mechanical properties than said ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) would achieve without the third example treated material. It is also believed that one or more of the following properties of ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) mixed with the third example treated material are improved by use of the third example treated material in the manner discussed above: thermal conductance, electrical conductance, hardness, and resistance to microwaves. In addition, in an example, it is believed that the third example treated material and/or the ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) treated with the third example treated material can be part of a coating that can be applied in any suitable and/or desirable manner to other materials such as metal, plastic, cloth, etc. to form a coating on said other materials.
In an example, a mixture formed by mixing the third example treated material with copper (in the ratios discussed above) was molded into a small cup with a cover. This cup was partially filled with water and a live inchworm was placed therein. The cover was then placed on the filled cup which was then placed inside of a home-grade microwave next to a coffee mug filled with water. The microwave was operated for 3 minutes on full power. Both the mug and the cup were removed from the microwave whereupon the water in the mug was observed to be steaming but the water in the cup formed from the copper mixture was still cool to the touch and the inchworm was observed to be moving.
In another example, the cup was also used to test the effects on digital storage devices (thumb drives) to microwave radiation. In this example, a thumb device partially loaded with files was placed in the cup and the lid placed thereon. After 3 minutes of exposure to microwaves in the home-grade microwave at full power, the thumb drive was removed from the cup and inserted into a computer port. The files were observed to still be readable. This latter example suggests that the copper mixture formed from the third example treated material can be used for safe containment, transport, and storage of materials or elements that emit ionizing radiation, such as isotypes used for nuclear medicine, nuclear waste, and the like. This copper alloy blocks radiation and is an excellent heat sink, features that will contain radiation but avoid heat buildup. This copper alloy can replace all or a part of thick steel used in current containers. Hospital and clinic treatment rooms can benefit from containers made with the copper alloy for containment of administered isotopes in a variety of tests. Moreover, spent nuclear reactor fuel, which is highly radioactive and often hot, can be contained.
The examples have been described with reference to the accompanying figures. Modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the foregoing examples. Accordingly, the foregoing examples are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure.

Claims

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of treating a material comprising:

(a) adding a solvent to a high-speed blender;

(b) concurrent with or following step (a), adding brass granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed;

(c) concurrent with or following step (a), adding copper granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed;

(d) concurrent with or following step (a), adding carbon nanotubes (CNT) to the blender and blending until mixed;

(e) mixing a solution produced by steps (b)-(d), which solution excludes silver, iron pyrite, and graphene, into an additional mixture of brass and copper granules and mixing until all of the additional mixture of brass and copper granules are uniformly saturated with the solution; and

(f) drying the mixture of step (e) to a dry powder thereby forming a treated material.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

(g) mixing the treated material with one or more metals in a high-temperature crucible and heating until melted thereby forming a metal alloy, wherein each of the one or more metals is a ferrous and/or nonferrous metal.

3. The method of claim 2, further including:

(h) pouring the melted metal alloy of step (g) into a mold and allowing the poured melted metal alloy to cool and harden.

4. The method of claim 3, further including:

(i) forming the cooled and hardened metal alloy to a finished form via one of the following processes:

drawing through a die; or

continuous casting; or

rolling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the brass and copper granules are passed through 100 mesh.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the solvent is acetone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, in steps (a) and (h), 1.9 liters-3.79 liters (½ gallon-1 gallon) of acetone and 0.45 kilograms 0.91 kilograms (1 pound-2 pounds) of brass granules are added to the blender.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (c), 0.45 kilograms 0.91 kilograms (1 pound-2 pounds) of copper granules are added to the blender.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each instance of blending is repeated for five minute periods.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (d), 1-2 grams of carbon nanotubes (CNT) are added to the acetone-brass-copper mixture.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein one or the one or more metals is copper or aluminum.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (e) the mixture of brass and copper is a 1:1 ratio of brass and copper.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the mixture of brass and copper comprises 9.1 kilograms-13.6 kilograms (20 pounds-30 pounds) of each.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein 3.6 kilograms-9.1 kilograms (8 pounds-20 pounds) of the treated material is added to 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90 pounds-120 pounds) of the one or more metals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein 5 kilograms-5.9 kilograms (11 pounds-13 pounds) of treated material is added to 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90 pounds-120 pounds) of the one or more metals.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (b)-(d) are performed in any order to produce the solution.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein any two or more of steps (a)-(d) are combined to produce the solution.

18. A method of treating a material comprising:

(a) mixing solvent, brass granules, copper granules, and carbon nanotubes in the absence of silver, iron pyrite, and graphene;

(b) adding the mixture of step (a) to an additional mixture of brass and copper granules and mixing until all of the granules of the additional mixture of brass and copper are uniformly saturated with the mixture of step (a); and

(c) drying the mixture of step (b) to a powder to form a treated material.

19. The method of claim 18, further including mixing the treated material with one or more ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) in a high temperature crucible and heating until melted.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein step (a) includes mixing in a blender.