New Process Accelerates Nanoparticle Production

(NASA)

Engineering researchers at Oregon State University in Corvallis have discovered a new method to speed the production rate of nanoparticles by 500 times. The researchers say this advance — for which a patent has been applied — can help make products from nanotechnology more commercially practical.

Nanoparticles are extraordinarily tiny groups of atoms and compounds that, because of their extremely small size and large surface areas, can have unusual characteristics that make them valuable for many industrial, electronic, medical or energy applications.

The approach, says the research team, uses an arrayed microchannel reactor and a laminated architecture where many sheets, each with thousands of microchannels in them, are stacked in parallel to provide a high volume of production and more control of the processes involved. It’s faster operation and higher efficiency, also means less use of energy and solvents, making the process more environmentally friendly.

This new architecture could make possible new and improved products based on nanotechnology, including sensors, medical imaging, electronics, and solar energy or biomedical uses when the same strategy is applied to abundant materials such as copper, zinc or tin.

The university says it has applied for a patent on this discovery. The researchers’ findings have been published in the journal Nanotechnology.