General Electric to compete with Bloom Energy?

General Electric (GE), perhaps jealous of all the buzz surrounding the Bloom Box, has recently patented a "core-shell ceramic particulate" and its manufacturing process. What this means, basically, is that GE now has a patented method to prepare a sort of yttria-stabilized zirconia that can be used in a solid oxide fuel cell, which is what the Bloom Box is comprised of.

These yttria-stabilized zirconia are a sort of porous ceramic. Porous ceramics are of scientific and technological interest because of their ability to interact with atoms, ions, and molecules not only at the solid surfaces, but also throughout the bulk of the material. They have a greater surface area than similarly-sized solids. Porosity, by virtue of implying a larger surface area, gives a material an advantage in processes like ion exchange, adsorption, sensing, and catalysis. ration, catalysis, detection, and sensor applications. Porous ceramics also have the advantages of ceramic material. Ceramics have great thermal and chemical stability, solid erosion resistance, and high pressure stability.

This GE patent could mean nothing, or it could mean that the industrial giant is going to throw its full weight behind Bloom Box-like technology. After all, during the now famous 60 Minutes profile of the Bloom Box, Green Tech Media's Michael Kanellos appeared and said that there's a 20% chance we'll have a fuel cell box in our basements within ten years, but "it's going to say 'GE.'" Again, our takeaway is is that solid oxide fuel cell technology is great news for the planet, and great news for technical ceramics manufacturers.