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US 9,308,585 B2Granted
Aerosol reduction/expansion synthesis (A-RES) for zero valent metal particles
AssigneeStc.Unm
InventorsZayd Leseman, Claudia Luhrs, Jonathan Phillips, Haytham Soliman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments provide methods of forming zero valent metal particles using an aerosol-reductive/expansion synthesis (A-RES) process. In one embodiment, an aerosol stream including metal precursor compound(s) and chemical agent(s) that produces reducing gases upon thermal decomposition can be introduced into a heated inert atmosphere of a RES reactor to form zero valent metal particles corresponding to metals used for the metal precursor compound(s).
Claims12
A method of forming metal particles comprising:
- forming an aerosol stream comprising an inert carrier gas, one or more precursor compounds and a chemical agent that produces reducing gases upon thermal decomposition, wherein each of the one or more precursor compounds comprises one or more metals, wherein the aerosol stream comprises a solid concentration ranging from about 0.01% to about 50% by volume;
- and
- flowing the aerosol stream through a heated inert atmosphere in a reduction expansion synthesis (RES) reactor to form a plurality of zero valent metal particles corresponding to the one or more metals of the one or more precursor compounds,
- wherein a temperature of the heated inert atmosphere in the RES reactor is sufficient to thermally decompose the chemical agent to produce the reducing gas, and
- wherein the plurality of zero valent metal particles include hollow sphere particles having a diameter ranging from about 10 nm to about 10,000 nm and pores in the order of about 1% to about 80% of the size of the hollow sphere particles.
2 more elements
A method of forming metal particles comprising:
- forming an aerosol stream comprising a metal precursor compound with a nitrogen-hydrogen (N—H) containing molecule in a carrier gas, wherein the metal precursor compound comprises a positive valent metal, wherein the aerosol stream comprises a solid concentration ranging from about 0.01% to about 50% by volume;
- flowing the aerosol stream through a heated inert atmosphere in a vertically oriented reduction expansion synthesis (RES) reactor to form a plurality of zero valent metal particles corresponding to the positive valence metal;
- and
- collecting the plurality of zero valent metal particles at a bottom end of the vertical RES reactor,
- wherein the plurality of zero valent metal particles include hollow sphere particles having a diameter ranging from about 10 nm to about 10,000 nm and pores in the order of about 1% to about 80% of the size of the hollow sphere particles.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.