big breakthrough, small technology

Big breakthrough, small technology.



A new method for the production of catalysts used in the manufacture of super-strong, super-lightweight technologies known as nano-carbon products, has been developed by the US-based arm of Australia?s ASX- listed Eden Energy Limited. The company announced the breakthrough this week, saying it would make the production of the catalysts ? an essential manufacturing step to producing such nano-carbon products as carbon nanotubes and nanofibers ? 15X faster, as well as cheaper and more productive. ?The new process works for a variety of catalyst compositions, reduces the quantity of chemicals needed, is easily scalable for higher production and eliminates the majority of the time and labor needed for previous catalyst production methods," said Eden?s executive chairman Greg Solomon.

?For the production of nano-carbon with specific structure and physical properties, the composition and atomic-level crystalline structure of the elements in the catalyst is critical. In addition, the catalyst particle size and surface area can have significant effects on the total nano-carbon production yields and the stability of carbon growth on the catalyst," Solomon said. "Hythane Company has reduced the particle size range from approximately 100 micron down to about 1 micron. ...(and) the bulk densities of the catalyst powders have been reduced by a factor of about five, an indication of the micro-porous structure and much higher surface area created by the new method."

Tags:CleanTech.