Method and apparatus for forming particles and for recovering electrochemically reactive material
AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC
InventorWei-Jun Zhang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing particles from a starting material, which includes at least one electrochemically-reactive material, with metal counter ions is disclosed. The starting material can be a bulk material, a virgin material, a purified, recovered material, and/or an industrial waste. The electrochemical-reactive material can be recovered in particle form, including microparticles and/or nanoparticles. The recovered material can be substantially pure electrochemically-reactive material or an alloy of the electrochemically-reactive material. In some embodiments, one or more electrochemically-reactive materials can be selectively recovered from the starting material.
Claims32
A method for forming particles, the method comprising:
- connecting a starting material as a first electrode in a circuit comprising the first electrode and a counter electrode each of which is at least partially disposed in an electrolyte, wherein:
- the electrolyte comprises metal counter ions;
- the counter electrode comprises a source of the metal counter ions;
- and
- the starting material comprises at least one electrochemically reactive material which is electrochemically reactive to the metal counter ions;
- applying a first voltage at a first magnitude, the first voltage applied between the first electrode and the counter electrode to ionize the source of metal counter ions to yield the metal counter ions, wherein the first magnitude of the first voltage causes at least some of the metal counter ions to selectively react with the at least one-electrochemically reactive material in the first electrode to form a metal-electrochemically reactive material compound;
- applying a second voltage of opposite polarity to the first voltage to ionize the metal counter ions from the metal-electrochemically reactive material compound to recharge the counter electrode, thereby producing and releasing particles of the electrochemically reactive material;
- and
- collecting the released particles.
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A method for forming nanoparticles, the method comprising:
- connecting a starting material as a first electrode in a circuit comprising the first electrode and a counter electrode each of which is at least partially disposed in an electrolyte, wherein:
- the electrolyte comprises lithium counter ions (Li+);
- the counter electrode comprises a lithium metal or a lithium salt as a source of the lithium counter ions (Li+);
- the starting material comprises M, wherein M is at least one electrochemically reactive material selected from Si, Ga, Ge, Pt, Ag, Au, In, Sn, Al, Zn, Sb, Cd, As, Pb, Mg and combinations thereof;
- applying a first voltage of at a first magnitude of about 0.01V-20V, between the first electrode and the counter electrode, to ionize the source of lithium counter ions to yield the lithium counter ions, wherein at least some of the lithium counter ions selectively react with the at least one electrochemically reactive material in the first electrode to form a LixMy compound;
- wherein LixMy represents a compound exhibiting at least about a 20% change in unit volume compared to a compound of the starting material that comprises the electrochemically reactive material;
- and applying a second voltage of opposite polarity to the first voltage to ionize the Li counter ion from the LixMy compound, thereby producing substantially purified and pulverized particles of M.
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An apparatus for generating nanoparticles, the apparatus comprising:
- an electrical circuit comprising:
- a first electrode comprising a porous, non-reactive container for housing at least one electrochemically reactive material which is electrically coupled as at least a portion of the first electrode, wherein the porous, non-reactive container is provided with a plurality of apertures to allow pulverized particles to pass therethrough for collection;
- a second container, open at one side, to allow the pulverized particles to collect therein;
- a counter electrode comprising a source of metal counter ions;
- and
- an electrolyte comprising the metal counter ions;
- wherein the first electrode and the counter electrode are electrically coupled to one another for applying a voltage therebetween and each of the first electrode and the counter electrode are at least partially disposed within the electrolyte.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.