US 2004/0110636 A1Published application

Methods for mechanical treatment of materials such as catalysts

AssigneeSymyx Technologies, Inc.

InventorsClaus Lugmair, Alfred Hagemeyer, Lynn Van Erden, Anthony F. Volpe JR., David M. Lowe, Yumin Liu

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus for combinatorial (i.e., high-throughput) materials research, such as catalysis research, that involves parallel apparatus for simultaneously effecting mechanical treatments such as grinding, mixing, pressing, crushing, sieving, and/or fractionating of such materials are disclosed. The methods and apparatus are useful for mechanically treating catalysis materials and other solid materials, including without limitation, electronic materials such as phosphors, colorants such as pigments, and pharmaceuticals such as crystalline drugs or drug candidates. The simultaneous protocols and parallel apparatus offer substantial improvements in overall throughput for preparing arrays of materials, such as catalysis materials.

Claims85

Dependent claims

A method for preparing an array of catalysis materials having a particle size distribution substantially within a predefined particle size range, the method comprising

simultaneously crushing four or more catalysis materials in four or more spatially discrete crushing zones of a parallel crusher, respectively, each of the four or more catalysis materials comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of catalysts, catalyst precursors and catalyst supports,
simultaneously sieving each of the four or more catalysis materials through a first primary sieve as they are being crushed or intermittently between repeated crushing steps, such that for each of the four or more catalysis materials, smaller, first-sieved particles pass through the primary sieve whereas larger unsieved particles are retained in the crushing zone for further crushing, and
simultaneously sieving the first-sieved particles of each of the four or more catalysis materials through a second, secondary sieve, such that for each of the four or more catalysis materials, smaller, second-sieved particles pass through the secondary sieve whereas larger first-sieved particles are retained by the secondary sieve,
whereby primary fractions of each of the four or more catalysis materials are formed, the primary fractions having a particle size distribution substantially within a particle size range ranging from about the mesh size of the secondary sieve to about the mesh size of the primary sieve.

1 more element

A method for preparing an array of catalysis materials, the method comprising

simultaneously pressing four or more catalysis materials in four or more spatially discrete pressing zones, respectively, to form four or more pressed catalysis materials, each of the four or more pressing zones being defined by an interior pressing surface, each of the four or more catalysis materials comprising one or more materials selected from the group consisting of catalysts, catalyst precursors and catalyst supports, and
simultaneously crushing the four or more pressed catalysis materials in four or more spatially discrete crushing zones, respectively, each of the four or more crushing zones being defined by an interior crushing surface, at least some portion of the interior crushing surface being the same as at least some portion of the interior pressing surface, and
simultaneously sieving each of the four or more catalysis materials through a first primary sieve as they are being crushed, such that for each of the four or more catalysis materials, smaller, first-sieved particles pass through the primary sieve whereas larger unsieved particles are retained in the crushing zone for further crushing.

An apparatus for parallel crushing and sieving of catalysis materials, the apparatus comprising

a crusher body comprising four or more spatially discrete apertures or wells, each of the four or more apertures or wells defining a crushing zone having an interior crushing surface,
four or more crushing elements, each of the four or more crushing elements being at least partially within one of the crushing zones and being adapted for crushing catalysis materials residing in one of the four or more crushing zones,
one or more primary sieves defining at least a portion of the interior crushing surface for each of the four or more crushing zones, the one or more primary sieves being adapted to simultaneously sieve each of the four or more catalysis materials as they are being crushed, such that for each of the four or more catalysis materials, smaller, primary-sieved particles pass through the primary sieve whereas larger, unsieved particles are retained in the crushing zone for further crushing,
a sieve body comprising four or more spatially discrete apertures corresponding in spatial arrangement to the four or more apertures or wells of the crusher body, each of the four or more apertures of the sieve body having an inlet end adapted to receive primary-sieved particles passing through the primary sieve, and an opposing outlet end, and
one or more second secondary sieves situated substantially at the outlet end of each of the four or more apertures of the sieve body, the one or more secondary sieves being adapted to simultaneously sieve the primary-sieved particles of each of the four or more catalysis materials, such that for each of the four or more catalysis materials, smaller secondary-sieved particles pass through the secondary sieve whereas larger primary-sieved particles are retained by the secondary sieve,
the one or more primary sieves having a mesh size that is larger than a mesh size of the one or more secondary sieves, such that primary fractions of each of the four or more catalysis materials can be formed in the apparatus, the primary fractions having a particle size distribution substantially ranging from about the mesh size of the secondary sieve to about the mesh size of the primary sieve.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/641,906Filed 15 Aug 2003
Priority: 7 Jul 2000
Published: 10 Jun 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

B07B 1/00
Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or
B01J 19/0046
Chemical, physical or physico-chemical processes in general; Their relevant apparatus: sequential or parallel reactions, e.g. for the synthesis of…
B01J 37/0036
Powdering: grinding
B01J 37/009
Processes, in general, for preparing catalysts; Processes, in general, for activation of catalysts: preparation by separation, e.g. by filtration,…

Family

Application60/216,777Us provisional application · filed 7 Jul 2000
Application09/902,552Division · filed 9 Jul 2001
Application10/641,906Division · filed 15 Aug 2003
US 2002/0014546 A1Published application
US 6,755,364 B2Related patent
US 6,971,593 B2Related patent
US 2004/0110636 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.