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The Inventor
Dr. Darren Baker is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Renewable Carbon at The University of Tennessee. He received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. from The University of Leeds, UK. He conducted his postdoctoral research at the School of Materials Science at Clemson University and then joined the USDA Agricultural Research. As a research associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), he developed low-cost carbon fiber from lignin. His current research interests include the manufacture of carbon fiber and related carbons from engineered lignins; the development of coupling agents for polymer interfaces; the recovery and use of cellulosic nanomaterials; and the manufacture of nanofibers. He continues to serve as a technical resource for the lignin low-cost carbon fiber program at ORNL.
Contact
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) is a non-profit corporation responsible for commercializing University of Tennessee technologies and for supporting University research. UTRF is seeking parties interested in learning more about this technology and in exploring possible research and/or commercialization arrangements.
If after reviewing this abstract you would like further information, please phone us at 865.974.1882 or send an email to utrfinnovations@tennessee.edu and reference PD 11024. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible to make the appropriate arrangements, including discussions with the inventor. We will also be glad to discuss possible avenues for commercialization of this technology or answer any questions you may have regarding UTRF.
Biomass-Based Carbon Foams
Agriculture Technologies for Licensing
The Technology
Researchers at The University of Tennessee have discovered a method to manufacture carbon foams from biomass. The inventors are experienced in biomass-based product fabrication and have demonstrated their precursor as a more robust, chemically active carbon foam production source than the currently used precursor materials—e.g. mesophase pitch and oil-based polymer resins. Additionally, the precursors are very inexpensive and are generated as co-products during biofuels production, making them low-cost sources of high quality materials.
The process for biomass-based carbon foam production has increased gas evolution rates and cellular structure formation, elevated polymerization rates, and improved speed to render the foams infusible during manufacture. The outcome is an overall increased production rate. Significant decreases in precursor costs and manufacturing times could enable these highly thermally insulating carbon foams to be applied to bulk commodity applications, such as for rigid cellular foam insulation. Furthermore, the foams have intrinsic properties that allow for other applications. For example, the product can be treated or manufactured in such a way that imparts exceptional thermal and/or electrical conductivity; they are also excellent candidates for filtration and energy storage devices.
Benefits
- Opens new market applications
- Significantly reduces cost to allow for commodity/low-cost uses
- Nontoxic, nonflammable alternative to polymer foams
- Create value-added products from what are currently bio-refinery waste streams