“These two new patents represent the continuation of Franklin’s pipeline of ongoing I.P process. Our portfolio continues to prove the value and validity of our proprietary technology,” said John Law, Franklin’s President and CEO.

Law added that the first of the two new patents, #6,958,195 “is a nice addition to Franklin’s existing portfolio because it covers a novel cathode. Most of our portfolio covers anodes, or methods of making anodes, based on our unique Copper-Ceria anode technology and the list of major benefits this anode has over the traditional Nickel anode.” (Details at www.franklinfuelcells.com.) The new patent covers the preparation of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode by first making a porous ceramic matrix - in much the same way as Franklin makes its anodes - then impregnating it with the perovskitee precursors. “The key advantage,” says Eduardo Paz, Director, Technical Programs, “is that, with this method of manufacturing, we can use high-performance cathode materials such as strontium-doped lanthanum ferrite (LSF) or strontium-doped lanthanum cobaltite (LSCo) while avoiding the typical problems that prevent long-term stable performance. This technology has the potential to remove the barriers preventing the use of higher-performance cathode materials, which in turn can allow the operation of SOFCs at significantly lower temperatures. The implications are huge.”

The second of the new patents, #6,939,637, is one more in a series of patents that together cover the design and fabrication of our unique direct oxidation anode. This particular patent describes the method for making the porous substrate that after impregnation with a soluble salt solution of the electronic conductor and oxidation catalyst becomes a hydrocarbon fuel-tolerant anode.

The patents were awarded to Drs. Raymond J. Gorte and John M. Vohs of the University of Pennsylvania, the men who, along with Dr. Wayne Worrel, also from the University of Pennsylvania, first developed the technology on which Franklin’s work is based. Dr. Raymond (Ray) Gorte is the Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Dr. John Vohs is Chair of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department. The patents are licensed exclusively to Franklin Fuel Cells as part of a 2003 license agreement.

Franklin Fuel Cells is an early-stage venture-backed SOFC technology company located in Malvern, PA, about 30 miles from downtown Philadelphia, PA. For the past three years, it has been developing a unique solid oxide fuel cell technology that can generate electricity directly from hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel or gasoline at significantly higher energy efficiencies than possible for generators based on internal combustion engines. 

For more details on the company and its proprietary DOSOFC (Direct Oxidation Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) technology, contact: Mr. John Law, Franklin Fuel Cells, Inc., 83 Great Valley Parkway, Malvern, PA 19355, or call (610) 640-7545.