Nanostructured silicon nitride synthesis from agriculture waste
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsSyed B. Qadri, Bhakta B. Rath, Edward P. Gorzkowski, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of making Si3N4 nanotubes and nanorods comprising adding agricultural husk material powder to a container, wherein the container is a covered boron nitride crucible, creating an inert atmosphere of nitrogen inside the container, applying heat, heating the agricultural husk material, and reacting the agricultural husk material and forming silicon nitride, wherein the silicon nitride is nanotubes and nanorods.
Claims7
A method of making Si3N4 nanotubes and nanorods comprising:
- adding agricultural husk material powder to a container;
- wherein the container is a covered boron nitride crucible;
- creating an inert atmosphere of nitrogen inside the container;
- applying heat;
- heating the agricultural husk material;
- and
- reacting the agricultural husk material and forming silicon nitride;
- wherein the silicon nitride is nanotubes and nanorods,
- cooling the silicon nitride nanotubes and nanorods to room temperature;
- transferring the silicon nitride nanotubes and nanorods to an Al2O3 crucible;
- and
- heating the silicon nitride nanotubes and nanorods in the Al2O3 crucible in a furnace;
- wherein the step of heating the silicon nitride nanotubes and nanorods in the Al2O3 crucible in a furnace is at 700° C. in O2.
A method of producing nanorods and nanoparticles of silicon nitride comprising:
- washing husks in distilled water;
- pulverizing husks into fine husk powder using high energy mill with stainless steel milling media;
- pressing the fine husk powder into pellets;
- heating the pellets;
- heating the pellet to a temperature of about 1300-1500° C.;
- maintaining the temperature of the pellets at about 1300-1500° C.;
- and
- cooling the pellets comprising nanorods and nanoparticles of silicon nitride;
- wherein the nanotubes and nanorods of silicon nitride are pure α-Si3N4 formed by carbothermal reduction of SiO2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.