Technology Overview
The technology is a structure that can be used to produce nanostructures such as single wall (SWNT) and multi-wall (MWNT) carbon nanotubes. The structure is a process reaction chamber, sometimes referred to as a process oven, with an improved heating design.
Current designs use the outer wall of the chamber as the heat source. The materials to be heated are placed upon a tray mounted within the process chamber, and the outer wall of the chamber is then heated. This techlaunch instead generates heat by using a susceptor for the tray mounted within the chamber. This susceptor is fabricated using a ferromagnetic material with a Curie temperature (or Curie point) close to the temperature at which the growth of the desired nanostructures occurs. An induction coil is wrapped around the outside of the chamber. When energized, this coil induces a current in the susceptor, heating it as well as the materials placed upon it. This method provides a much more uniform heat profile across the tray, faster heating of the tray, and uses less energy to produce any given temperature on the tray.
Benefits
- Higher quality – nano material structure more uniform and closer to the ideal structure desired
- Higher purity – less contamination from precursors or catalytic materials
- Reduced energy consumption – energy consumption reduced by a factor of 2-3
Applications
The technology is designed primarily for the fabrication of nanotubes and nanowires. Application areas for nano tubes and wires include:
- High strength materials – industries using such materials include aerospace, industrial, transportation, and energy
- Biomedical – drug delivery
- Sensors – chemical and biological sensors
- Electronics – solar cells, thermocells, transistors, ultracapacitors
Keywords: manufacture of carbon nano*, nanostructures, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanowire, SWNT, MWNT, process reactor
Inventors: Jon G. Wilkes, Dan A. Buzatu, Dwight Miller, Alexandru S. Biris, Alexandru Radu Biris, Dan Lupu, Jerry A. Darsey
