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US 9,765,271 B2Granted
Nanoparticles, compositions, manufacture and applications
OwnerJames J. Myrickinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There are disclosed energetic nanoparticle compositions and materials containing silicon and other energetic elements, and methods of manufacturing the same, including reacting silicon nanoparticles and unsaturated alkene or alkyne to form covalently bonded surface coatings passivated against surface oxidation, for combination with a fuel, explosive or oxidizer.
Claims7
A method for refining silicon comprising:
- (a) substantially fully vaporizing a silicon feedstock comprising an impurity selected from the group consisting of aluminum, phosphorous, and boron, in a plasma torch vaporization zone at a vaporization temperature of at least about 2000° C. at a first pressure of at least about 0.5 Bar together with a halogen and/or hydrogen getter component to form a silicon vapor stream and a vaporized getter;
- (b) conducting said silicon vapor stream with said vaporized getter into an expansion cooling zone at a second pressure lower than said first pressure, wherein said silicon vapor stream is flash cooled at least about 500° C. at a rate of at least about 1×103° C. per second, to nucleate and precipitate silicon particles depleted in the impurity, and wherein the impurity remains as a vapor component in an entraining gas stream to form an impurity-enriched gas stream;
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- (c) separating the impurity-depleted, precipitated silicon particles from said impurity-enriched gas stream.
1 more element
A method for producing surface passivated silicon nanoparticles comprising:
- (a) substantially fully vaporizing a silicon feedstock comprising an impurity in a plasma torch vaporization zone at a temperature of at least about 2000° C. at a first pressure of at least about 0.5 Bar together with a halogen and/or hydrogen getter component to form a silicon vapor stream and a vaporized getter;
- (b) conducting said silicon vapor stream with said vaporized getter into an expansion cooling zone at a second pressure lower than said first pressure, wherein said silicon vapor stream is flash cooled to at least about 500° C. at a rate of at least about 1×103° C. per second, to nucleate and precipitate silicon nanoparticles depleted in the impurity, and wherein the impurity remains as a vapor component in an entraining gas stream to form an impurity-enriched gas stream;
- (c) separating the impurity-depleted, precipitated silicon particles from said impurity-enriched gas stream in a hydrocarbon particle collector liquid, wherein said silicon nanoparticles are reacted with an unsaturated alkene or alkyne to form a covalently-bonded alkane or alkene surface coating to produce silicon nanoparticles that are passivated against surface oxidation;
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- (d) combining said passivated silicon nanoparticles with an explosive or oxidizer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.