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US 6,887,291 B2Granted
Filter devices and methods for carbon nanomaterial collection
AssigneeTDA Research, Inc.
InventorsJ. Michael Alford, Michael D. Diener
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AssigneeTDA Research, Inc.
InventorsJ. Michael Alford, Michael D. Diener
Estimating the term…
Filter devices and methods for collection of carbon nanomaterials, including fullerenes, produced in gas phase reactors are provided. The filter devices provide for in situ cleaning of filters to release captured product for collection. Product can be released and removed from the reactor without disrupting continuous synthesis of carbon nanomaterials. The filter devices facilitate increased reactor operation and larger scale production of carbon nanomaterials. The filters are cleaned by application of a motive force and/or a gas flow to the filter. In a specific embodiment filters are cleaned by a reverse flow of gas pulses to the filter provided. The invention also provides reactor systems for gas phase synthesis of carbon nanomaterials that can be operated continuously employing the filter device of this invention. Preferred reactor systems are those which synthesize carbon nanomaterials by combustion. Methods for continuous production of carbon nanomaterials using the filtering devices and methods of this invention are also provided.
A reactor system for synthesis of carbon nanomaterials under vacuum which comprises a reactor chamber for generation of a product gas flow containing carbon nanomaterials and a filter device, wherein the filter device comprises:
A combustion system for production of carbon nanomaterials which comprises one or more burners for generating carbon nanomaterials, one or more inlets upstream of the one or more burners for delivery of a gas flow comprising hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen to the one or more burners, at least one ignition source for the one or more burners, a reduced pressure chamber in fluid communication with the one or more burners to provide reduced pressure downstream of the one or more burners for generating a gas flow containing carbon nanomaterials, one or more filters in the reduced pressure chamber downstream of the one or more burners positioned to receive the gas flow containing carbon nanomaterials and capture carbon nanomaterials in the gas flow, one or more gas inlets into the reduced pressure chamber for selective introduction of gas to dislodge carbon nanomaterials from the one or more filters, one or more outlets in the reduced pressure chamber for removal of carbon nanomaterials dislodged from the one or more filters from the reduced pressure chamber and a source of vacuum in fluid communication with the reduced pressure chamber, wherein dislodging the carbon nanomaterials from the one or more filters and removal of the carbon nanomaterials from the reduced pressure chamber does not require interruption of the gas flow of carbon nanomaterials from the one or more burners.
A method for collecting a carbon nanomaterial comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.