US Patent 8070988 - Nano-carbon hybrid structures

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8070988.html

This patent teaches a modified example of carbon nanotube and nanodiamond suspension to improve the mechanical properties of nanocomposites. Claim 1 reads:

1. A stable colloidal suspension of carbon-based nanomaterials in a solvent, comprising:

a stable colloidal suspension of nanodiamond particles having at least one additional carbon-based nanomaterials disbursed and agitated into the solvent to produce said suspension.

US Patent 7612138 - Carbon nano-onion EMI shielding

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7612138.html

One of the earliest proposed applications of fullerene (and later carbon nanotube) composites was in the formation of lightweight electromagnetic shielding. This patent from the International Technology Center teaches another variety of nanocomposite EMI shielding based on onion-like carbon particles. Claim 1 reads:

1. An electromagnetic radiation attenuating material for attenuation of electromagnetic radiation in at least a portion of the frequency range of approximately 500MHz to 30 THz, comprising:

a binding matrix; and

an operative quantity of electromagnetic radiation attenuating nano-particles suspended in the binding matrix, wherein, the electromagnetic radiation attenuating nano-particles comprise onion-like-carbon (OLC) particles.

US Patent 7569205 - Dispersion of nanodiamonds

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7569205.html

Nanodiamonds have potential as additives to improve lubricants and for polishing. However, nanodiamonds can suffer from the same clumping problems of other nanomaterials. This patent teaches a processing method in which dimethyl sulfoxide is used to deaggregate the nanodiamonds. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of processing detonation nanodiamonds to fractionate the detonation nanodiamonds comprising, in order:

providing detonation nanodiamonds,

forming a combination consisting essentially of said detonation nanodiamonds and a solvent, said nanodiamonds exhibiting a positive zeta potential in said solvent, said solvent consisting essentially of DMSO making up at least approximately 10% DMSO (v/v) in the solvent with any balance of the solvent consisting essentially of a polar solvent, wherein the DMSO increases or stabilizes the magnitude of the positive zeta potential of the detonation nanodiamonds in the combination,

applying a dispersive technique to said combination, subjecting said combination to a procedure that causes nanodiamond particles of a first size range to be substantially spatially separated from nanodiamonds of a second size range, and collecting said nanodiamonds of said first size range essentially free of said second size range.