Silica nanofiber materials, articles including such materials, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019368638-A1
Application number	US-201916430478-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2019
Priority date	Jun 4, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A silica nanofiber material includes a flexible mat comprising a plurality of silica nanofibers. An electrical device may include an electrical component and the silica nanofiber material disposed over the electrical component. A method of forming a silica nanofiber material includes electrospinning a fluid comprising a silica precursor and a polymer to form electrospun fibers, removing at least a portion of the polymer from the electrospun fibers to form silica nanofibers, and annealing the silica nanofibers to bind the silica nanofibers together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A silica nanofiber material comprising:
a flexible mat comprising a plurality of silica nanofibers.

2 . The silica nanofiber material of claim 1 , wherein the flexible mat comprises the plurality of silica nanofibers in a form of felted silica nanofibers.

3 . The silica nanofiber material of claim 1 , wherein the silica nanofibers are interlocked together.

4 . The silica nanofiber material of claim 1 , wherein the silica nanofibers exhibit mean diameters from about 100 nm to about 1,000 nm.

5 . The silica nanofiber material of claim 1 , wherein the flexible mat comprises a plurality of woven threads, each thread comprising multiple silica nanofibers of the plurality of silica nanofibers.

6 . The silica nanofiber material of claim 1 , wherein the silica nanofibers comprise a polymer coating.

7 . The silica nanofiber material of claim 1 , further comprising an inorganic binder adjacent to and connecting the silica nanofibers.

8 . An electrical device comprising:
an electrical component; the silica nanofiber material of claim 1 disposed on at least one surface of the electrical component.

9 . The electrical device of claim 8 , wherein the electrical component comprises a transformer having a coiled electrical conductor comprising a plurality of loops, and wherein the silica nanofiber material is disposed over the electrical conductor of the coil and prevents physical contact between adjacent loops of the electrical conductor.

10 . The electrical device of claim 8 , wherein the silica nanofiber material comprises a layered material over the electrical component.

11 . The electrical device of claim 8 , wherein the silica nanofiber material is wound around the electrical component.

12 . The electrical device of claim 8 , wherein the electrical component comprises an integrated circuit.

13 . A method of forming a silica nanofiber material, the method comprising:
electrospinning a fluid comprising a silica precursor and a polymer to form electrospun fibers; removing at least a portion of the polymer from the electrospun fibers to form silica nanofibers; and annealing the silica nanofibers to bind the silica nanofibers together.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising exposing the silica nanofibers to a suspension comprising silica nanoparticles.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein annealing the silica nanofibers comprises binding the silica nanoparticles of the suspension to the silica nanofibers.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein removing at least a portion of the polymer from the electrospun fibers comprises heating the electrospun fibers to decompose the polymer.

17 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming threads from a plurality of the silica nanofibers.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising weaving the threads to form a woven flexible mat.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising reducing a volume of free space between the silica nanofibers.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein reducing a volume of free space between the silica nanofibers comprises:
wetting the silica nanofibers with a solvent; and evaporating the solvent from the silica nanofibers.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein wetting the silica nanofibers with a solvent comprises wetting the silica nanofibers with water.

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Reeves Jesse L
• Vaagensmith Bjorn C

Classifications

• H10W74/43

  comprising oxides, nitrides or carbides, e.g. ceramics or glasses · CPC title

• C04B35/6224

  Fibres based on silica · CPC title

• H01F27/323

  Insulation between winding turns, between winding layers · CPC title

• F16L59/10

  Bandages or covers for the protection of the insulation, e.g. against the influence of the environment or against mechanical damage (integral with insulating materials F16L59/02) · CPC title

• D01D5/003

  the material being a polymer solution or dispersion (D01D5/0053 takes precedence) · CPC title