Metal material NANO powder processing method using carbon dioxide laser

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for processing metal material nano powder using a carbon dioxide laser, the method comprising: a material loading step of placing a high-purity metal material, which is an object to be processed, on a worktable; a step of, after installing four special filters between an air compressor and an oscillator, disposing a bombe capable of containing clean air, compressing purified ultrapure air in the bombe, supplying the compressed air to the oscillator, and supplying, as assist gas, nitrogen gas or oxygen gas to the oscillator according to the physical properties of a material to be processed; a laser head moving step of moving a head unit of a carbon dioxide laser to the upper portion of the loaded metal material; a nanopowder generating step of generating a high-purity metal material in nanoparticle form using the carbon dioxide laser through the driving of the carbon dioxide laser; and a nanopowder collecting step of collecting the generated nanopowder through an air collector using a specially processed filter.

Description

Metal nanopowder processing method using a carbon dioxide laser

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for processing metal nanopowders, and more particularly, to a method for processing metal nanopowders capable of processing metal materials such as nickel, copper, cobalt, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, etc. into nanoparticle sizes by a mechanical method using a carbon dioxide laser.

[0002] In general, it is difficult to produce metal materials (nickel, copper, cobalt, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, etc.) with particle sizes below 100 nm using mechanical methods, so processing into nano-size (300 nm to 1,000 nm) is mainly done using chemical methods (using strong acids and strong bases).

[0003] However, conventional chemical processing methods have problems such as high production costs, making mass production difficult, and environmental problems such as wastewater generation during the processing.

[0004] In addition, there was a problem that the metallic nanoparticle products produced chemically had limitations in implementing the material characteristics (conductivity, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, chemical resistance, tensile strength, etc.) of metallic materials because they had an amorphous (non-crystalline) or polycrystalline structure rather than a single crystal.

[0005] [Prior Art Literature]

[0006] [Patent Document]

[0007] (Patent Document 1) Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 2132252 (registered on July 3, 2020)

[0008] (Patent Document 2) Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 2044096 (registered on November 6, 2019)

[0009] The present invention has been proposed to improve the problems in the above-mentioned prior art, and aims to enable processing into a single crystal nanoparticle size that can maintain the inherent characteristics of a metal material to the greatest extent possible using a physical method rather than a chemical method, thereby enabling application of metal material processing powder to various industrial fields.

[0010] The method for processing a metal material nanopowder of the present invention for achieving the above object is characterized by including a material loading step for placing a high-purity metal material as a processing target on a worktable; a laser head moving step for moving the head of a carbon dioxide laser machine over the loaded metal material; a nanopowder generating step for generating a high-purity metal material in the form of nanoparticles using a carbon dioxide laser machine by driving the carbon dioxide laser machine; and a nanopowder collecting step for collecting the generated nanopowder.

[0011] The metal material processing method of the present invention exhibits the effect of processing metal material (nickel, copper, cobalt, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, etc.) nano powder with a particle size of 100 nanometers or less by a mechanical method using a carbon dioxide laser, rather than a chemical method that has a negative impact on the environment.

[0012] In particular, it shows the advantage of being able to be used in various industrial fields because the characteristics of the material (conductivity, wear resistance, chemical resistance, corrosion resistance, tensile strength, antibacterial properties, material transfer function, etc.) can be maintained after processing.

[0013] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a metal material nano powder processing process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a carbon dioxide laser processing system of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 is a state diagram of the crushing processing of a metal material in the present invention.

[0016] Figure 4 is a configuration diagram of the laser head portion of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5 is a certificate of test analysis results of nickel nano powder captured by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a processing process according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0020] First, the metal material nano powder processing process using a carbon dioxide laser according to one embodiment of the present invention is as follows through FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0021] <Materials import stage>

[0022] In the material introduction stage, the high-purity metal material (Q) with a purity of 99.99% or higher, which is the object to be processed, is placed on the workbench (10).

[0023] That is, at this time, the work is prepared by placing a metal material (Q) that has been processed into a hexahedral shape of a certain size on the upper surface of the worktable (10), and high-purity metal material includes nickel, copper, cobalt, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, etc.

[0024] <Laser generator operation steps>

[0025] Four special filters are installed between the air compressor and the generator, and a cylinder containing clean air is placed. The compressed air is then supplied to the generator. Depending on the properties of the material being processed, either nitrogen or oxygen gas is supplied to the generator.

[0026] <Laser head movement stage>

[0027] Afterwards, the head (20) of the carbon dioxide laser is moved to an appropriate position on top of the imported high-purity metal material (Q). It can be confirmed that the carbon dioxide laser is configured with a laser source (21) for driving the laser beam and a controller (22) for driving control.

[0028] Meanwhile, it is preferable that the head portion (20) of the present embodiment is configured with two lenses (23, 24) of different heights for focusing the laser beam supplied from the laser source (21) together with the beam nozzle portion (25).

[0029] Nano powder production stage

[0030] In this way, by irradiating the carbon dioxide laser beam on the surface of the material through a carbon dioxide laser machine with a generator output of 500 to 6,500 W or more by a laser beam, nano powder is generated in the form of vaporization due to the pulverization of the metal material (Q). At this time, while maintaining the assist gas pressure of 0.3 to 200 Mpa or more in the beam nozzle section (25), the transport speed of the head section of 1 to 100 mm / min, and the temperature of 700 to 30,000°C (conditions vary depending on the material), nano powder with a particle size of 1 to 1,000 nm is diffused into the air, thereby generating nano powder.

[0031] Here, changing the assist gas to oxygen or nitrogen allows for high power output even at low output levels, thereby stabilizing the generator and enabling greater processing capacity than with conventional mixed gases. The gas used is selected based on material properties and production volume.

[0032] In addition, in the nano powder generation process, it is desirable to improve the powdering efficiency by moving the laser head (20) back and forth in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0033] Nano powder collection stage

[0034] The metal nanopowder generated in this vaporized form is captured in the capture step.

[0035] That is, at this time, nano powder particles floating and dispersed in the air can be collected with a size of 1 to 900 nm using a vacuum suction device with a specially processed filter.

[0036] Figure 5 shows a certificate of the test analysis results obtained by confirming the nickel nano powder processed and collected by the processing method of the present invention using an electron microscope, and a porous structure was confirmed on the surface of the nickel nano powder.

[0037] Therefore, the technical feature of the present invention is that it shows the effect of efficiently processing high-purity porous metal material nano powder with a particle size of 900 nanometers or less by a physical method using a carbon dioxide laser, rather than a chemical method that has a negative impact on the environment.

[0038] In particular, it shows the advantage of being able to be used in various industrial fields because the characteristics of the material (conductivity, wear resistance, chemical resistance, corrosion resistance, tensile strength, antibacterial properties, material transfer function, etc.) can be maintained after processing.

[0039] Meanwhile, FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a metal material processing process according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein, before the nano powder generation step, an activating solution spraying step is additionally performed to spray an activating solution onto the surface of the metal material to activate pulverization by a carbon dioxide laser.

[0040] At this time, it is preferable that the active liquid to be sprayed be a mixed composition in a ratio of 30 to 45 wt% of ethanol, 5 to 15 wt% of alkaline ionized water, 10 to 30 wt% of titanium dioxide, 5 to 20 wt% of methyl glucoside, 10 to 20 wt% of fluorinated xenon, 1 to 20 wt% of olefin polymerization oil, and 1 to 15 wt% of ethylene glycol.

[0041] When an active solution spraying step like this is added, the surface of the nickel material (Q) is polished by irradiating the surface of the material with a carbon dioxide laser beam while the active solution is coated as a thin film on the surface, which allows the surface to effectively absorb the laser beam, thereby improving processing efficiency.

[0042] In particular, since the active solution contains a mixture of titanium dioxide and methyl glucoside, rapid adsorption onto the surface of the metal material (Q) after spraying is achieved, and fluorinated xenon improves the dispersion efficiency of the active solution, allowing the active solution to be applied throughout the entire surface. The olefin polymerization oil performs a catalytic function for the carbon dioxide laser beam, allowing the carbon dioxide pressure to be transmitted evenly. In addition, the additionally added ethylene glycol exhibits an advanced effect of preventing deterioration and discoloration of the active solution, thereby preventing deterioration of the nano powder.

[0043] As an example of nano powder processed in this way, nickel nano powder can be utilized as a variety of industrial materials as shown in Tables 1 to 5 below.

[0044] Nickel nanopowder's excellent conductivity (reaction temperature: 1,450°C) can dramatically improve battery charging / discharging efficiency, dramatically enhancing battery performance. The global cathode material market is expected to grow from $39.6 billion (55.2 trillion won) in 2024 to $105.8 billion (147.5 trillion won) in 2035. (Source: Electronic Times SNE Research)

[0045] Conductive polymer materials are expected to be applied in various fields such as power generation, energy storage, sensors, and corrosion protection. They contribute to increasing storage capacity and the stability of charging systems, and improving the performance and efficiency of energy storage systems. The market was valued at $3.52 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 4.9% to $5.14 billion by 2030. (Source: DataM Intelligence Research)

[0046] Conductive fibers are widely used in the defense, medical, and sports industries, and play a significant role in the development of military equipment and uniforms, particularly in the defense sector. (They excel in harsh weather conditions and biological / biochemical threats.) The all-season conductive fiber market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.0%, reaching USD 294.3 million by 2026. (Source: Business Research Inside)

[0047] Nickel nanopowders are used as protective and coating materials for metal materials due to their corrosion resistance. The global corrosion inhibitor market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8%, from $9.67 billion in 2022 to nearly $14.07 billion in 2030. (Source: Value Market Research)

[0048] Nickel nanopowder is widely used as a coating and catalyst in various industrial fields (building, construction, machinery, oil, gas, etc.) due to its corrosion resistance. The global anti-corrosion coating market size is expected to grow from USD 25.8 billion in 2024 to over USD 3.2 billion in 2029, at a CAGR of 4.41%. (Source: Mordor Intelligence)

[0049] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated above, it is obvious that the metal nanopowder processing process of the present invention can be variously modified and implemented by those skilled in the art. For example, although the above embodiments describe a process for powder processing of a metal material, the processing technology of the present invention can be applied to processing not only nickel but also metal materials such as copper, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, and aluminum, thereby producing nanopowders of the same size.

[0050] Therefore, such modified embodiments should not be understood separately from the technical spirit or scope of the present invention, and such modified embodiments should be included within the scope of the appended claims of the present invention.

[0051] [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10: Workbench 20: Head

[0053] 21: Laser source 22: Controller

[0054] Q: Metallic materials (nickel, copper, cobalt, aluminum, molybdenum, tungsten, etc.)

Claims

1. A material introduction step in which high-purity metal material with a purity of 99.99% or higher, which is the object of processing, is placed on the workbench; A step of installing four filters between the air compressor and the generator, placing a bomb capable of containing clean air, compressing the air in the bomb, and supplying the purified ultra-pure air to the generator, and supplying nitrogen gas or oxygen gas as an assist gas to the generator depending on the properties of the material to be processed; A laser head movement step for moving the head of a carbon dioxide laser machine on top of the metal material imported above; A nano powder generation step of generating a high-purity metal material in the form of nanoparticles using a carbon dioxide laser by driving the carbon dioxide laser; A nano powder collection step of collecting the above-mentioned generated nano powder through an air dust collector using a specially processed filter; Including, but not limited to, A method for processing metal material nano-powder using a carbon dioxide laser, characterized in that, before the above-mentioned nano-powder generation step, an active solution spraying step is additionally performed to spray an active solution having a mixed composition of ethanol, alkaline ionized water, titanium dioxide, methyl glucoside, fluorinated xenon, olefin polymerization oil, and ethylene glycol onto the surface of a material to activate vaporization by a carbon dioxide laser.

2. In claim 1, A method for processing metal nano powder using a carbon dioxide laser, characterized in that in the above nano powder generation step, pulverization (vaporization) is performed in the form of nano powder with a particle size of 1 to 1,000 nm.

3. In claim 1, A method for processing metal material nano powder using a carbon dioxide laser, characterized in that in the above capturing step, nano powder is captured by a vacuum suction device.

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