# US 11,440,025 B2 · Nanocarbon separation device and nanocarbon separation method

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- Number: US 11,440,025 B2
- Document ID: US11440025B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/758,320
- Filed: 2017-10-26
- Published: 2020-10-29
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-26
- Assignees: NEC Corporation
- Applicants: NEC Corporation
- Inventors: Kazuki Ihara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440025B2

## CPC

- B03C 5/02: Separators
- B03C 5/026: {using open-gradient differential dielectric separation, i.e. using electrodes of special shapes for non-uniform field creation, e.g. Fluid Integrated Circuit [FIC]}
- B01D 57/02: by electrophoresis (treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge by electrophoresis C02F1/469; electrophoretic production of compounds or non-metals C25B7/00; investigating or analysing materials by using electrophoresis G01N27/26)
- C01B 32/159: single-walled
- C01B 32/172: Sorting
- C01B 32/174: Derivatisation; Solubilisation; Dispersion in solvents
- B03C 2201/26: for use in medical or biological applications
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- C01B 2202/02: Single-walled nanotubes
- C01B 2202/22: Electronic properties
- B03C: MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (separating isotopes B01D59/00; combinations of magnetic or electrostatic separation with separation of solids by other means B03B, B07B)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A nanocarbon separation device includes a separation tank that is configured to accommodate a dispersion liquid including nanocarbons, a first electrode that is provided at an upper part in the separation tank, a second electrode that is provided at a lower part in the separation tank, an evaluation unit that is configured to evaluate a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid, and a fractionation unit that is configured to fractionate the dispersion liquid based on the physical state or the chemical state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nanocarbon separation device, comprising:
a separation tank that is configured to accommodate a dispersion liquid including nanocarbons;
a first electrode that is provided at an upper part in the separation tank;
a second electrode that is provided at a lower part in the separation tank;
an evaluation unit that is configured to evaluate a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid; and
a fractionation unit that is configured to fractionate the dispersion liquid based on the physical state or the chemical state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nanocarbon separation device according to claim 1,
wherein the evaluation unit is provided between the separation tank and the fractionation unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The nanocarbon separation device according to claim 1,
wherein the evaluation unit is provided in the separation tank.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The nanocarbon separation device according to claim 2,
wherein the evaluation unit is further provided in the separation tank.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The nanocarbon separation device according to claim 1,
wherein the evaluation unit includes two evaluation units provided between the separation tank and the fractionation unit via a flow path that connects the separation tank to the fractionation unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The nanocarbon separation device according to claim 1,
wherein the evaluation unit is at least one of a unit that is configured to measure a potential of the dispersion liquid, a unit that is configured to measure a pH of the dispersion liquid, a unit that is configured to measure an absorbance of the dispersion liquid, a unit that is configured to measure an emission spectrum of the dispersion liquid, a unit that is configured to measure a refractive index of the dispersion liquid, and a unit that is configured to measure a conductivity of the dispersion liquid.

### Claim 7

A nanocarbon separation method, comprising:
injecting a dispersion liquid including nanocarbons into a separation tank;
separating the metallic nanocarbons and the semiconducting nanocarbons by applying a direct current voltage between a first electrode provided at an upper part in the separation tank and a second electrode provided at a lower part in the separation tank, to cause metallic nanocarbons included in the dispersion liquid to move toward the first electrode, and to cause semiconducting nanocarbons included in the dispersion liquid to move toward the second electrode;
evaluating a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid; and
fractionating the dispersion liquid based on the physical state or the chemical state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The nanocarbon separation method according to claim 7,
wherein the evaluating a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid is performed between the separating the metallic nanocarbons and the semiconducting nanocarbons and the fractionating the dispersion liquid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The nanocarbon separation method according to claim 7,
wherein the evaluating a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid is performed during the separating the metallic nanocarbons and the semiconducting nanocarbons.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The nanocarbon separation method according to claim 7,
wherein the evaluating a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid is performed before or after a flow path that connects a fractionation unit which is configured to fractionate the separation tank and the dispersion liquid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The nanocarbon separation method according to claim 7,
wherein, in the evaluating a physical state or a chemical state of the dispersion liquid, the physical state or the chemical state of the dispersion liquid is evaluated according to at least one of a potential of the dispersion liquid, a pH of the dispersion liquid, an absorbance of the dispersion liquid, an emission spectrum of the dispersion liquid, a refractive index of the dispersion liquid, and a conductivity of the dispersion liquid.