Nanopowders, Thin Films, and Devices

Several companies are focusing on ultra-fine and nanoparticle production using ball milling/mechanical attrition, laser ablation, vapor condensation, sputtering, chemical precipitation, sol-gel processing, combustion synthesis, and plasma synthesis. Specialists in nanomaterials among both researchers and commercial producers generally use a form of vapor condensation. There are a number of vapor processing techniques, and each has its unique advantages. One major disadvantage inherent in all of these other vapor methods is their inability to produce complex compositions with controlled properties; if done, it is usually at high production costs and generally at low volumes. Additionally, agglomeration and sintering of the particles poses problems. nGimat offers significant advantages for nanoparticle production. Its NanoSpray CCVC process is able to produce multi-component nanomaterials with controlled properties (crystallinity, size, morphology), and the technique possesses inherent scalability of the spray processing method (from kg's to tons). The NanoSpray technology can also be used simply for its ultra-fine aerosol, when implemented without combustion, to process organic nanomaterials. Finally, nGimat possesses unique expertise in materials processing and integration in products and devices. These compelling advantages of the company's proprietary NanoSpray processing offer potential to manufacture better and lower cost powders than any competing method and to integrate them into end products. Methods for manufacturing nanopowders: Technology Issues Ball milling Multi-step process with poor powder size Highly energy intensive batch process Susceptible to contamination Wet chemical processes Difficult or impossible to synthesize multi-element compounds Difficult to control crystal phase Susceptible to contamination Energy intensive solvent removal and waste Spray pyrolysis Difficult to produce nano-sized powders Not easily scalable because of limitations of conventional atomizers Conventional vapor and plasma arc synthesis Expensive starting materials for gas precursor synthesis Difficult to control and modify composition and dopant level In some cases, environmentally unfriendly Plasma reactors and vacuum pumps add significant production cost Arc process yields large size variation and material loss in sizing Nanopowder Process Comparisons for two or more cations: Characteristic Solution Precipitation Spray Pyrolysis Traditional Flame Processing Plasma Arc NanoSpray Combustion Process Purity Control O + + O + Processing Cost O O O - O Crystal Phase Control - + + + + Size and Distribution O + O - O Compositional Control O ++ O O ++ Compound Flexibility O ++ - O ++ Agglomeration Control + O O O O Reproducibility (size and properties) + O O O O Scalability + + ++ O ++ Surface Control + - + - + Dispersability + O + O + Organic materials - O - - + Starting Chemicals Cost O + + to - O + + = Positive; O = Neutral; - = Negative Typical NanoSpray-Produced Nanopowder Characteristics: Surface Area Range: Average can be controlled from 5 to >240 m2/gr Primary Particle Size: Average can be controlled from 5 to 100 nm Primary Particle Range: < 1% of particles > 100 nm for <50nm average material Composition: Mixed metal oxides, metals, other non-oxides Purity: From 98% up to 99.99% Passivation: Numerous surface modifiers can be formed on nanopowders High Volume Price: Contact us Samples available in quantities ranging from 50 gr to >100 kg. nGimat Home