Northwestern University

Energy Research Corporation

D Lynn Johnson

Vinayak P Dravid

Jonathon J Host

Mao-Hua Teng

Brian R Elliott

Hamlin M Jennings

Joel D Doyon

Julia R Weertman

Lawrence M Paetsch

Thomas O Mason

Mark Benedict

Mark S Spotz

Daniel J Skamser

J-h Hwang

Quentin K Robinson

Jinha Hwang

Method and apparatus for making nanoparticles of a material having a diameter of 100 nanometers or less wherein the material to be formed into nanoparticles is evaporated to form a vapor plume therein, a non-reactive entrainment gaseous atmosphere suitable for evaporation conditions is introduced to a first chamber, a gaseous jet is directed through the vapor plume in a direction to carry nanoparticles formed by quenching of the vapor plume through a flow restriction orifice between the first chamber and a second chamber downstream of the first chamber, recirculation of the gaseous jet and nanoparticles entrained therein from the second chamber to the first chamber is substantially prevented to thereby provide a second stage of the gaseous jet downstream of the orifice and substantially isolated from said first chamber for flow to the second chamber, and collecting the nanoparticles from the second stage of said gaseous jet in a collection chamber downstream from the orifice. The nanoparticles can be reacted in an aerosol reactor chamber located downstream of the orifice under a variety of reaction conditions without adversely affecting the evaporation conditons present in the first chamber.

Nanoparticle synthesis apparatus and method

Nanoparticles of a material less than about 100 nm in diameter are made by evaporating the material in an evaporation chamber residing in an entrainment chamber having a gaseous atmosphere therein. The evaporator is disposed in but isolated from the entrainment chamber, except for a gaseous jet discharge opening. A carrier gas is introduced to the evaporation chamber to carry vapor of the material in the evaporation chamber through the discharge opening into the entrainment chamber as a gaseous jet. The gaseous jet entrains the gaseous atmosphere for quenching the vapor to form nanoparticles. Solid material is supplied at a feedrate to a supply opening of the evaporation chamber, melted at an end region remote from the supply opening, and evaporated at the end region at an evaporation rate equal to the feed rate of the solid material. First and second metals having different vapor pressures can be supplied to respective first and second evaporation chambers and their vapors collected in a common vapor collection chamber having the discharge opening therein. The carrier gas is introduced to the vapor collection chamber to carry the metal vapors together through the discharge opening as a gaseous jet into the entrainment chamber where nanoparticles comprising the two metals are formed.

Evaporator apparatus and method for making nanoparticles

A method of synthesizing encapsulated nanocrystals inside protective shells is disclosed. This method produces nanocrystals of metals, alloys, and compounds which are individually encapsulated by protective graphite shells which completely separate the nanocrystals from the environment. A separation method is also disclosed which eliminates most of all other debris except the encapsulated nanocrystals from the preparation product.

Graphite encapsulated nanophase particles produced by a tungsten arc

Method/apparatus for making a composite wherein reinforcement or filler material, such as, for example, ceramic fibers or whiskers, are confined in a microwave-transparent envelope, the reinforcement or filler material is microwave heated, and a gaseous reactant stream is flowed through the envelope so as to infiltrate interstices of the heated reinforcement or filler material and chemically vapor deposit a matrix, such as a ceramic matrix, from the interior toward the exterior of the heated material. The envelope imparts a desired shape and size to the composite. After infiltration, the envelope typically is removed from the composite.

Method of making chemical vapor infiltrated composites

Textured, dense, polycrystalline ceramic bodies are produced by a sinter-compression process which exhibit anisotropic superconducting properties. The bodies are produced from low density aggregates of crystalline particles by applying compressive forces to two opposed faces while permitting the aggregate to expand perpendicularly to the axis of compression. This produces a microcrystalline structure predominately composed of elongated platelike grains having their broad faces generally aligned with the body faces to which the compression was applied. The resulting bodies exhibit room temperature conductivity several times greater in a direction parallel to their compression faces than perpendicular thereto.

Textured, polycrystalline, superconducting ceramic compositions and

An improved method of forming a nickel plaque wherein an assemblage of particles of a nickel alloy are oxidized and sintered in a preselected atmosphere such that the alloying material is exclusively substantially internally oxidized and the resultant product sintered to provide a sintered porous plaque containing nickel metal and oxidized alloying material.

Porous nickel plaque fabrication

Growing community of inventors

Wilmette, IL, United States of America

D Lynn Johnson