US Patent 8101149 - Uh-oh, carbon nanomaterial submarine patent

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8101149.html

Companies and patent attorneys involved in carbon nanotechnologies may want to note this patent from Mitsubishi Corporation. The patent priority goes back to 1990 so it is a potential submarine patent. The patent includes some very basic claims to carbon molecular structures that could arguably be applied to carbon nanotubes and other carbon nanostructures. A parent patent (US 7494638) issued back in 2009 but only included claims limited to C60 and C70. The first seven claims of this more recent patent are listed below.

1. Purified cage molecules consisting of carbon atoms.

2. Purified cage molecules consisting of carbon atoms in solid form.

3. Crystalline cage molecules consisting of carbon atoms.

4. A macroscopic amount of purified cage molecules consisting of carbon atoms.

5. A formed or molded product comprising purified C60 and/or C70.

6. A free-flowing particulate comprising cage molecules consisting of carbon atoms in microcrystalline form.

7. A solid comprising a macroscopic amount of cage molecules consisting of carbon atoms in crystalline form.