Nano-carbon Material Anti-agglomeration Treatment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The production of nano-scale carbon materials using fluidized bed reaction methods faces issues with agglomeration due to complex entanglement within granulated catalysts, leading to low effective yield and poor dispersibility, as the carbon material grows entangled in the catalyst's pores and gaps, resulting in a nano-carbon dense layer that cannot be utilized effectively.

Innovation Solution

An anti-agglomeration treatment using oxygen-containing functional groups is applied to the nano-carbon material before or after acid treatment, which repels and unravels the entangled carbon strands, preventing re-entanglement and improving hydrophilicity, thereby enhancing the yield and dispersibility of the nano-carbon material.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If fluidized bed reaction method is used for mass production of nano-carbon material, then productivity is improved, but the nano-carbon material becomes complexly entangled in the interior of secondary particles causing agglomeration and deteriorated dispersibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemass production capabilityVSAvoiddispersibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary crushing treatment to break apart the secondary particles before they cause severe agglomeration, and performs pH adjustment to modify surface properties of the nano-carbon material to prevent re-entanglement, thereby maintaining dispersibility while enabling mass production

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If granulated catalyst is used as fluidized material to achieve sufficient reaction time, then productivity is improved, but carbon material becomes entangled in catalyst pores and gaps forming dense layer that cannot be utilized

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereaction time sufficiencyVSAvoideffective yield
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary crushing treatment on the granulated catalyst to break apart the dense layers formed in catalyst pores and gaps, releasing entrapped carbon material and converting it into可利用的 primary particles, thereby increasing effective yield while maintaining sufficient reaction time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces purely mechanical entanglement with chemical modification by adjusting pH to modify surface properties of nano-carbon material, creating electrostatic repulsion that prevents re-entanglement and improves effective yield

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If acid treatment is performed to dissolve and separate catalyst, then manufacturing precision is improved, but nano-carbon material agglomeration occurs due to lack of hydrophilicity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecatalyst separationVSAvoidagglomeration resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the pH parameter of the system to modify surface properties of nano-carbon material, increasing hydrophilicity and creating electrostatic repulsion that prevents agglomeration after acid treatment, thereby maintaining catalyst separation effectiveness while improving stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The treatment effectively increases the yield of high-quality nano-carbon materials by preventing agglomeration and improving their dispersibility, allowing for the production of nano-carbon materials with fewer entanglements and reduced bulk density.

Implementation Method 1

performing an anti-agglomeration treatment for preventing agglomeration among the nano-carbon material due to repulsion among oxygen-containing functional groups added to the nano-carbon material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOxygen-containing functional groups addition: Oxidation

Implementation Method 2

performing an acid treatment by dispersing a catalyst-containing nano-carbon material in an acid solution

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcid dissolution: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 3

a fluidized catalyst acting as both a fluidized material and a catalyst forms a bubbling fluidized bed reactor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluidization: Fluidisation

Data Source

PatentEP2279982B1Apparatus for the production of nanocarbon material
Publication Date: 2020.08.19 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP2279982B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2279982B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2279982B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Included are a nano-carbon material production unit (15) for producing a nano-carbon material using a fluidized catalyst (12) formed by granulating a carrier supporting an active component, an acid treatment unit (21) for dissolving and separating a catalyst by an acid solution by feeding a catalyst-containing nano-carbon material (14) into the acid solution, and a pH adjustment unit (23), which is an anti-agglomeration treatment unit, provided on a downstream side of the acid treatment unit (21), for performing an anti-agglomeration treatment to prevent agglomeration among nano-carbons due to repulsion caused by dissociation among oxygen-containing functional groups added to the nano-carbon material.