Fluid Bed Nanocarbon Production Moisture Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The yield of nanocarbon materials is reduced due to moisture attacking the periphery of the nanocarbon material during growth in conventional fluid bed reactor processes, leading to the gasification and disappearance of the material.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a reduction step to convert the fluid catalyst's active metal to a metal state, followed by a generation step where a source gas and a controlled amount of moisture are supplied to the fluid bed reactor, with the catalyst being granulated to a specific particle size and maintained in a reducing atmosphere to prevent reoxidation, ensuring no moisture is generated during production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a fluid bed reactor is used to produce nanocarbon materials in large amounts, then productivity is improved, but moisture attacks the nanocarbon material during growth causing yield to decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful moisture is extracted/removed from the reaction system by pre-drying the fluid catalyst and controlling the reaction atmosphere. The patent separates the moisture removal function from the nanocarbon growth process, ensuring the catalyst is dried before introduction to the reactor and maintaining a controlled atmosphere during growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid catalyst is pre-dried in a drying apparatus before being introduced to the fluid bed reactor. This preliminary action removes moisture from the catalyst particles before they contact the nanocarbon material during growth, preventing the harmful gasification reaction that would otherwise occur.
2Productivity
If moisture is present during nanocarbon material growth, then the growth process can proceed, but the moisture attacks the periphery causing the material to gasify and disappear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by removing moisture from the fluid catalyst before it enters the reaction zone. The drying apparatus pre-treats the catalyst to eliminate moisture, and the reaction atmosphere is controlled to prevent moisture introduction, thereby preventing the harmful attack on nanocarbon material periphery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert atmosphere in the fluid bed reactor by controlling the gas flow and maintaining a moisture-free environment. The fluidizing gas and source gas are carefully managed to prevent moisture introduction, creating a protective atmosphere that allows nanocarbon growth without peripheral attack.
3Ease of manufacture
If acid washing is performed to remove catalyst, then catalyst separation is achieved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of moisture into a beneficial separation mechanism. By introducing controlled moisture after nanocarbon growth, amorphous carbon is selectively removed while the nanocarbon material remains intact, and the catalyst particles are facilitated for easier separation through density-based settling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a systematic catalyst removal and recovery process. After growth, moisture is introduced to facilitate catalyst separation, followed by density-based settling where catalyst particles settle and nanocarbon material is recovered from the supernatant, enabling efficient catalyst-discarding and product-recovering.
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
This approach eliminates the disappearance of nanocarbon materials, maintains catalytic activity, and produces high-purity nanocarbon materials with improved conductivity by controlling moisture levels and removing amorphous carbon impurities, resulting in higher yields and better conductive properties.
Implementation Method 1
a reduction step of reducing a fluid catalyst having an active metal
Implementation Method 2
a generation step of growing a nanocarbon material in the active metal of the fluid catalyst by supplying the reduced fluid catalyst, a source gas, and moisture to a fluid bed
Implementation Method 3
If moisture is present during the growth thereof, however, the moisture attacks the periphery of the nanocarbon material 105 to gasify (CO+H2) the nanocarbon material 105
Data Source
AI summary
Catalyst support means for producing a fluid catalyst; a reduction basin that pretreats an active metal of the obtained fluid catalyst in a reducing atmosphere; a fluid bed reactor which is supplied with a reduction-treated fluid catalyst having undergone the reduction, for producing a nanocarbon material; and a moisture application basin for supplying a slight amount of moisture to a source gas to be supplied to the aforementioned fluid bed reactor are provided.