초록

A gas storage assembly that has an enclosure within which are disposed at least about 100 inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of volume of the enclosure. The assembly has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of volume of the enclosure.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure h

We claim: 1. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 2. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 3. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said hydrated halloysite tubules have an average length of at least about 1 micron. 4. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said hydrated halloysite tubules have an average outside diameter of at least about 10 nanometers. 5. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said hydrated halloysite tubules have an average outside diameter of at least about 50 nanometers. 6. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said hydrated halloysite tubules have an average outside diameter of at about 80 to about 110 nanometers. 7. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein at least about 150 of such hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 8. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein at least about 150 of such inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 9. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said hydrated halloysite tubules have an aspect ratio of from about 1 to about 10. 10. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said hydrated halloysite tubules have an aspect ratio of from about 2 to about 8. 11. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said hydrated halloysite tubules have a surface to volume ratio of about 1 to about 10,000. 12. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein at least about 80 weight percent of said hydrated halloysite tubules have a surface to volume ratio of about 10 to about 1,000. 13. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein said enclosure assembly is a flexible enclosure assembly. 14. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 13, wherein said enclosure is comprised of polymeric material. 15. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein said polymeric material is polyanionic polymeric material. 16. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 15, wherein said polyanionic polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of poly(ethyleneimine), poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride), poly(allylamine), polylysine, chitosan, and combinations thereof. 17. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules and porous glass fibers wherein said porous glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said porous glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 18. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 17, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 19. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules and porous glass fibers, wherein said porous glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said porous glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 20. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 19, wherein at least 100 of said hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 21. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 21 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 22. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 22 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 23. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 23 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 24. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 24 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 25. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules and biochemically active material, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 26. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules and biochemically active material, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 27. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules and hollow glass fibers, wherein said hollow glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said hollow glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 28. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 27, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 29. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules and hollow glass fibers, wherein said hollow glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said porous glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 30. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 29, wherein at least 100 of said hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 31. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules and solid glass fibers, wherein said hollow glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said solid glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 32. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 31 wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 33. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules and solid glass fibers, wherein said solid glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said porous glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 34. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 33, wherein at least 100 of said hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 35. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules and glass fibers, wherein said glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 36. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 35 wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 37. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules and glass fibers, wherein said glass fibers comprise from about 1 to about 10 volume percent of the total volume of said inorganic tubules and said glass fibers, and wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure. 38. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 37, wherein at least 100 of said hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 39. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 37, wherein said glass fibers have an average outside diameter of from about 100 nanometers to about 1 micron. 40. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 37, wherein said glass fibers have an average outside diameter of from about 200 to about 400 nanometers. 41. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 37, wherein said glass fibers have an average outside diameter that is at least 1.5 as great as the average outside diameter of said hydrated halloysite tubules. 42. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 37, wherein from about 1 to about 5 volume percent of said glass fibers, by total volume of said glass fibers and said hydrated halloysite tubules, is present in said enclosure. 43. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure assembly has a flexural strength of at least about 4 MegaPascals. 44. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 43, wherein said enclosure assembly has a flexural strength of at least about 10 MegaPascals. 45. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 43, wherein said enclosure assembly has a flexural strength of at least about 100 MegaPascals. 46. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 43, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 47. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 44, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 48. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 45, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 49. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure assembly has a flexural strength of at least about 4 MegaPascals. 50. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 49, wherein said enclosure assembly has a flexural strength of at least about 10 MegaPascals. 51. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 49, wherein said enclosure assembly has a flexural strength of at least about 100 MegaPascals. 52. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 49, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 53. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 50, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 54. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 51, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 55. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of inorganic tubules, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure assembly has a compressive strength of at least 2000 kilograms per square centimeter. 56. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 55, wherein said enclosure assembly has a compressive strength of at least about 3000 kilograms per square centimeter. 57. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 55 wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 58. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 56, wherein at least 100 of said inorganic tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 59. An enclosure assembly comprised of an enclosure defining a volume, wherein said enclosure is comprised of a multiplicity of hydrated halloysite tubules, wherein said enclosure has a storage capacity of at least 20 grams of hydrogen per liter of said volume of said enclosure, and wherein said enclosure assembly has a compressive strength of at least 2000 kilograms per square centimeter. 60. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 59, wherein said enclosure assembly has a compressive strength of at least about 3000 kilograms per square centimeter. 61. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 59 wherein at least 100 of said hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure. 62. The enclosure assembly as recited in claim 60, wherein at least 100 of said hydrated halloysite tubules are present for each cubic micron of said volume of said enclosure.