US Patent 7285591 - Dispersion of nanotubes in polymer using liquid

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This patent from the University of Pennsylvania is based on the use of a liquid to prevent agglomeration when dispersing carbon nanotubes in polymer composites. Claim 1 reads:

1. A process, comprising: providing a nanotube dispersion comprising a plurality of nanotubes and a liquid; contacting said nanotube dispersion with a polymer melt; mixing said nanotube dispersion with said polymer melt to provide a nanotube composite melt; and removing vaporized liquid from said nanotube composite melt.

US Patent 7285167 - Carbon fiber concrete

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Carbon nanomaterials have been proposed as a strengthening component for a variety of polymer and metallic materials. This patent from Ogden Technologies teaches texturizing carbon fiber materials (including CNTs) and using epoxy as a dispersing agent to form an improved concrete product. Claim 1 reads:

1. A concrete product comprising concrete and carbon fibers, wherein the carbon fibers comprise texturized carbon fibers coated with a dispersing agent.

US Patent 7276844 - Photoimagable CNT field emitter paste

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In order to mass produce field emission displays using carbon nanotubes it may be necessary to integrate CNT processing with current semiconductor manufacturing methods. This patent from du Pont teaches the use of a paste that includes both carbon nanotubes and photosensitive material to facilitate photopatterning of CNT electron emitters. Claim 1 reads:

1. A field emitter cathode comprising (a) a substrate, and (b) a field emitter cathode paste composition comprising a composition of carbon nanotubes, particles and one or more members of the group consisting of a photoinitiator, a developable binder and a photohardenable monomer.

US Patent 7276285 - HfN substrate for CNT growth

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Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a popular technique used to mass produce arrays of carbon nanotubes. However, it can be difficult to integrate the fabrication of the nanotubes with fabrication of electrical wiring used to form a useful device from the nanotubes. This patent from Honeywell International teaches a hafnium nitride based substrate which facilitates the fabrication of both the nanotube arrays and the conductive wiring in a common substrate. Claim 1 reads:

1. A structure comprising: a substrate; an oxide layer on the substrate; an HfN layer on the oxide layer; a passivation layer on the HfN layer, having at least one via through the passivation layer to the HfN; and a catalyst island formed on the at least one via connected to the HfN layer, wherein the catalyst island is formed by exposing catalytic material to a temperature sufficient to form a ball having a diameter and a thickness, wherein the diameter is similar to the thickness.

US Patent 7276088 - CNT hair colorant

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The use of nanostructured material in general is not new to cosmetics but this patent from DuPont specifically focuses on the use of carbon nanotubes as an ingredient of an improved hair colorant. The nanotubes are used as a black pigment with improved smoothing and volumizing effects. Claim 1 recites:

1. A method for coloring hair, eyebrows or eyelashes comprising the sequential steps of: a) applying a polymer composition to hair, eyebrows or eyelashes to form a first polymer treated layer; b) contacting the first polymer treated layer of step (a) with a chemically functionalized carbon nanotube to form a first colorant layer; c) applying a polymer composition to the first colorant layer of step (b) to form a second polymer treated layer; d) contacting the second polymer treated layer of step c) with a chemically functionalized carbon nanotube to form a second colorant layer; and e) optionally, repeating steps (a)-(d) one or more times.