Lawrence W Hrubesh

6518539, Feb 11, 2003

Sep 7, 2001

09/948444

Lloyd A. Hackel - Livermore CA
Alan K. Burnham - Livermore CA
Bernardino M. Penetrante - San Ramon CA
Raymond M. Brusasco - Livermore CA
Paul J. Wegner - Livermore CA
Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA
Mark R. Kozlowski - Windsor CA
Michael D. Feit - Livermore CA

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

B23K 2600

2191216, 21912183

The present invention provides a system that mitigates the growth of surface damage in an optic. Damage to the optic is minimally initiated. In an embodiment of the invention, damage sites in the optic are initiated, located, and then treated to stop the growth of the damage sites. The step of initiating damage sites in the optic includes a scan of the optic using a laser to initiate defects. The exact positions of the initiated sites are identified. A mitigation process is performed that locally or globally removes the cause of subsequent growth of the damaged sites.

6620458, Sep 16, 2003

Sep 27, 2001

09/970251

John F. Poco - Livermore CA
Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

B01J 1300

427246, 252 62, 423628, 423630, 501 12, 501 85, 516112

A two-step method for producing monolithic alumina aerogels having porosities of greater than 80 percent. Very strong, very low density alumina aerogel monoliths are prepared using the two-step sol-gel process. The method of preparing pure alumina aerogel modifies the prior known sol method by combining the use of substoichiometric water for hydrolysis, the use of acetic acid to control hydrolysis/condensation, and high temperature supercritical drying, all of which contribute to the formation of a polycrystalline aerogel microstructure. This structure provides exceptional mechanical properties of the alumina aerogel, as well as enhanced thermal resistance and high temperature stability.

6666935, Dec 23, 2003

Sep 9, 1997

08/926357

Randall L. Simpson - Livermore CA
Ronald S. Lee - Livermore CA
Thomas M. Tillotson - Tracy CA
Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA
Rosalind W. Swansiger - Livermore CA
Glenn A. Fox - Livermore CA

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

C06B 4510

149 1992, 149 76

Sol-gel chemistry is used for the preparation of energetic materials (explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics) with improved homogeneity, and/or which can be cast to near-net shape, and/or made into precision molding powders. The sol-gel method is a synthetic chemical process where reactive monomers are mixed into a solution, polymerization occurs leading to a highly cross-linked three dimensional solid network resulting in a gel. The energetic materials can be incorporated during the formation of the solution or during the gel stage of the process. The composition, pore, and primary particle sizes, gel time, surface areas, and density may be tailored and controlled by the solution chemistry. The gel is then dried using supercritical extraction to produce a highly porous low density aerogel or by controlled slow evaporation to produce a xerogel. Applying stress during the extraction phase can result in high density materials.

6709600, Mar 23, 2004

Sep 21, 2001

09/957854

Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA
Paul R. Coronado - Livermore CA
Jerome P. Dow - Pleasanton CA

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

B01D 17022

210691, 516136, 203 10

A method for removing organic liquids from aqueous solutions and mixtures. The method employs any porous material preferably in granular form and having small pores and a large specific surface area, that is hydrophobic so that liquid water does not readily wet its surface. In this method, organics, especially organic solvents that mix with and are more volatile than water, are separated from aqueous solution by preferentially evaporating across the liquid/solid boundary formed at the surfaces of the hydrophobic porous materials. Also, organic solvents that are immiscible with water, preferentially wet the surfaces of the hydrophobic material and are drawn within the porous materials by capillary action.

6723378, Apr 20, 2004

Oct 25, 2001

10/002513

Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA
John F. Poco - Livermore CA
Paul R. Coronado - Livermore CA

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

B05D 100

427180, 4273934

Fibers, and fabrics produced from the fibers, are made water repellent, fire-retardant and/or thermally insulating by filling void spaces in the fibers and/or fabrics with a powdered material. When the powder is sufficiently finely divided, it clings tenaciously to the fabrics fibers and to itself, resisting the tendency to be removed from the fabric.

6893518, May 17, 2005

Oct 29, 2003

10/697477

Randall L. Simpson - Livermore CA, US
Ronald S. Lee - Livermore CA, US
Thomas M. Tillotson - Tracy CA, US
Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA, US
Rosalind W. Swansiger - Livermore CA, US
Glenn A. Fox - Livermore CA, US

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

D03D023/00

1491096

Sol-gel chemistry is used for the preparation of energetic materials (explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics) with improved homogeneity, and/or which can be cast to near-net shape, and/or made into precision molding powders. The sol-gel method is a synthetic chemical process where reactive monomers are mixed into a solution, polymerization occurs leading to a highly cross-linked three dimensional solid network resulting in a gel. The energetic materials can be incorporated during the formation of the solution or during the gel stage of the process. The composition, pore, and primary particle sizes, gel time, surface areas, and density may be tailored and controlled by the solution chemistry. The gel is then dried using supercritical extraction to produce a highly porous low density aerogel or by controlled slow evaporation to produce a xerogel. Applying stress during the extraction phase can result in high density materials.

6986818, Jan 17, 2006

Oct 16, 2001

09/981076

Thomas M. Tillotson - Tracy CA, US
Randall L. Simpson - Livermore CA, US
Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA, US
Alexander Gash - Livermore CA, US

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

C06B 45/10

149 1992, 524431, 524 80

A synthetic route for producing nanostructure metal-oxide-based materials using sol-gel processing. This procedure employs the use of stable and inexpensive hydrated-metal inorganic salts and environmentally friendly solvents such as water and ethanol. The synthesis involves the dissolution of the metal salt in a solvent followed by the addition of a proton scavenger, which induces gel formation in a timely manner. Both critical point (supercritical extraction) and atmospheric (low temperature evaporation) drying may be employed to produce monolithic aerogels and xerogels, respectively. Using this method synthesis of metal-oxide nanostructured materials have been carried out using inorganic salts, such as of Fe, Cr, Al, Ga, In, Hf, Sn, Zr, Nb, W, Pr, Er, Nd, Ce, U and Y. The process is general and nanostructured metal-oxides from the following elements of the periodic table can be made: Groups 2 through 13, part of Group 14 (germanium, tin, lead), part of Group 15 (antimony, bismuth), part of Group 16 (polonium), and the lanthanides and actinides. The sol-gel processing allows for the addition of insoluble materials (e. g.

6986819, Jan 17, 2006

Apr 24, 2003

10/422488

Thomas M. Tillotson - Tracy CA, US
Randall L. Simpson - Livermore CA, US
Lawrence W. Hrubesh - Pleasanton CA, US

The Regents of the University of California - Oakland CA

D03D 23/00

1491096, 149 37

A method of preparing energetic metal-oxide-based energetic materials using sol-gel chemistry has been invented. The wet chemical sol-gel processing provides an improvement in both safety and performance. Essentially, a metal-oxide oxidizer skeletal structure is prepared from hydrolyzable metals (metal salts or metal alkoxides) with fuel added to the sol prior to gelation or synthesized within the porosity metal-oxide gel matrix. With metal salt precursors a proton scavenger is used to destabilize the sol and induce gelation. With metal alkoxide precursors standard well-known sol-gel hydrolysis and condensation reactions are used. Drying is done by standard sol-gel practices, either by a slow evaporation of the liquid residing within the pores to produce a high density solid nanocomposite, or by supercritical extraction to produce a lower density, high porous nanocomposite. Other ingredients may be added to this basic nanostructure to change physical and chemical properties, which include organic constituents for binders or gas generators during reactions, burn rate modifiers, or spectral emitters.