A new provisional patent application was filed July 10, 2013 by Gearhart Law for inventors Karim Zaghib, Gordon Chiu, Abdelbast Guerfi, and Amélie Forand. The application describes a new composition using a type of graphene. This material will be important for the energy industry, in everything from alternative energy storage and transmission to improved consumer products. The inventors have successfully formed a uniform composite containing carbon-coated lithium metal phosphate with MesografTM, which is a graphene composition obtained from natural graphite. The material will be useful in storing and conducting energy. The patent will be jointly owned by HydroQuebec and Grafoid.
Today’s consumers are not satisfied with the current inefficiencies in the devices we all use every day. Additionally, these inefficiencies are holding back applications for use in, for instance, electric vehicles. The unique invention described briefly below could help advance the needs and demands of airplane manufacturers such as Boeing, auto manufacturers such as Tesla and the mobile computing industry. Imagine a smart phone or tablet that holds a charge for a month or more, or an electric car that has a battery the size of an orange. With the development of this new technology, it may not be that far off.
The entire energy industry is aiming for faster charging rates for batteries, greater safety, more capacity and longer energy storage times. These added benefits would lead to more efficient and more cost effective devices and products. This new technology has the potential to have a large impact on the energy industry; the invention is a material that has novel structural, conductive, and hybrid properties that allow it to act as an energy storage mechanism and as an energy conduit.
Alternative energy may also see a huge benefit from the new technology. Among the challenges in using alternative energy technologies are the abilities to store and transport the energy. Batteries must be able to store a large amount of energy, and conduits typically lose a large amount of energy as it is transported along power lines. Imagine being able to capture solar power in Arizona and using it to heat a home in North Dakota, all for a few pennies. This new technology is a step on the path to the realization of that vision.
HydroQuebec is the world’s expert and holder of the patents for developing lithium iron phosphate charging systems.
Graphene became well-known in the scientific community in 2010, when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the Nobel Prize in physics for their work with it. Graphene is a material composed of pure carbon, with atoms arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern, and can be described as a one-atom thick layer of the mineral graphite. Graphene has high conductivity, thousands of times higher than copper. This means that it can transport electricity highly efficiently. It is also the strongest material ever discovered. Graphene is very light, weighing only 0.77 milligrams per square meter. Graphene can be made in many forms, each performing differently in respect to varied physical parameters.
Dr. Gordon Chiu is Vice President and co-founder of Grafoid, a collaborative venture with a significant graphite entity, whose mission is to develop, patent and secure the global rights for specific graphene technologies. The joint venture is based in New York City. Described as an “execution-driven businessman,” Chiu has combined domestic and international experience in the chemical, technology, medical, and related industries. A lecturer and corporate advisor, Chiu is engaged in the discovery and research of graphene on behalf of Grafoid and provides advice on project selection with a view to increasing overall uses and applications of graphite/graphene.
Dr. Karim Zaghib obtained his MS in 1987 and his PhD in 1990, both in electrochemistry from the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France under the direction of Bernadette Nguyen. In 2002, he received the HDR (Habilitation à Diriger la Recherche) in materials science from the Université de Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
