US 12,034,151 B2
Polyimide bead materials and methods of manufacture thereof
Nicholas A. Zafiropoulos, Wayland, MA (US); Roxana Trifu, Worcester, MA (US); Redouane Begag, Hudson, MA (US); Harris R. Miller, Sharon, MA (US); Wendell E. Rhine, Belmont, MA (US); Nicholas Leventis, Worcester, MA (US); George L. Gould, Mendon, MA (US); and Alexei A. Erchak, Easton, MA (US)
Assigned to Aspen Aerogels, Inc., Northborough, MA (US)
Filed by Aspen Aerogels, Inc., Northborough, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/408,841.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/070,230, filed on Aug. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0069290 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 4/36 (2006.01); C01B 32/05 (2017.01); H01M 4/38 (2006.01); H01M 4/587 (2010.01); H01M 10/0525 (2010.01); H01M 4/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 4/364 (2013.01) [C01B 32/05 (2017.08); H01M 4/386 (2013.01); H01M 4/587 (2013.01); H01M 10/0525 (2013.01); C01P 2004/61 (2013.01); C01P 2006/10 (2013.01); C01P 2006/11 (2013.01); C01P 2006/12 (2013.01); C01P 2006/14 (2013.01); C01P 2006/16 (2013.01); C01P 2006/40 (2013.01); H01M 2004/021 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming a porous carbon composition in bead form, the method comprising:
providing an organogel precursor in an organic solvent;
initiating gelation of the organogel precursor to provide an organogel sol;
combining the organogel sol with a medium that is non-miscible with the organogel sol, wherein the combining comprises stirring under a high-shear condition, thereby forming droplets of organogel;
isolating the droplets of the organogel;
drying the droplets to yield porous organogel beads; and
pyrolyzing the porous organogel beads to yield the porous carbon composition in bead form, wherein the porous carbon composition has a porosity between about 10% and about 90%.